The Beijing Institute of Technology (BIT; ), is a national public university located in Beijing, China. It was originally established as Natural Science Academy in 1940 in Yan'an, Shaanxi. The university is affiliated with the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology. It is part of the Double First Class University Plan, Project 985 and Project 211.
History
Yan'an period (1940–1946)
Beijing Institute of Technology (BIT) has its origins in the Yan'an Research Academy of Natural Sciences (延安自然科学研究院). BIT was established May 1939 in Yan'an, Shaanxi by the Chinese Communist Party with the aim of training science and engineering professionals. In January 1940 when China was undergoing the most difficult phase of the War of Resistance Against Japan the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party reformed the Yan'an Research Academy of Natural Sciences into the Yan'an Academy of Natural Sciences (延安自然科学院). The mission of the academy was to assist industrial development in the Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei Border Region. Opened on 1 September 1940 it was the first science and engineering university founded by the Chinese Communist Party. Li Fuchun, secretary of the CCP Committee for Shaan-Gan-Ning Border Region, was appointed as the first president and was succeeded by educationist Xu Teli.
During the founding period the Yan'an Academy of Natural Sciences received support from international organizations and individuals including Rewi Alley.
In March 1943 the Yan'an Academy of Natural Sciences merged with the newly founded University of Yan'an (延安大学) and was named the School of Natural Sciences University of Yan'an (延安大学自然科学院).
At the end of 1945 the University of Yan'an moved to the north of China.
Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei Border Region period (1946–1949) In January 1946 the School of Natural Sciences moved to Zhangjiakou. The Central Bureau of Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei Border Region decided to settle the School at Zhangjiakou and merged it with Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei Border Region College of Technology (晋察冀边区工科专门学校) to form the Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei Border Region College (晋察冀边区工业专门学校).
At the end of the same year the Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei Border Region Institute moved to Hebei and merged with the Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei Border Region Academy of Railway (晋察冀边区铁路学院) to form the Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei Border Region College of Industry and Transportation (晋察冀工业交通学院). One year later the Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei Border Region Institute moved to Jingxing County and was renamed the Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei Border Region Bureau of Industry College of Technology (晋察冀边区工业局工业学校). In August 1948 it merged with the Institute of Technology Northern University (北方大学工学院) to form the Institute of Technology North China University (华北大学工学院).
Institute of Technology North China University period (1949–1952)
The Institute of Technology North China University made its final move to Beijing and confirmed its academic focus on industrial development for the newly founded People's Republic of China. It was administrated by the Ministry of Industry and became the first university specializing in heavy industry since the foundation of the PRC.
The home campus of Sino-French University (中法大学) and its Departments of Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry were merged into the Institute of Technology North China University in October 1950.
Beijing Institute of Technology period (1952–1988) On 1 January 1952 the Institute of Technology North China University was officially renamed the Beijing Institute of Technology (北京工业学院). On 8 March 1952 the Ministry of Heavy Industry declared that the Beijing Institute of Technology would be developed into a higher educational institute specializing in national defense. The Beijing Institute of Technology established a number of weapon science and technology disciplines, including China's first rocket and missile program, with the help of scientists such as Qian Xuesen. Several departments were terminated and many were transferred to other universities such as China Agricultural University (1947), Beijing Steel and Iron Institute (1952) and Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics (1952). In 1959 the Beijing Institute of Technology was singled out as one of 16 “national key universities” that were authorized to offer graduate degrees.
During the Cultural Revolution most research at Beijing Institute of Technology came to a halt but quickly resumed after 1976.
Post-economic reform period (1988–present)