The international education system has made tremendous progress in recent decades, having transformed the educational outcomes of hundreds of millions of children globally through both financial and political commitments. Yet the quality of education received by many is far from that promised by governments and international organisations, representing a substantial education deficit, a key challenge for the future. This, compounded with inequality across countries and social strata, shifts the focus of International Education Development (IED) from targeting access to education to ensuring its continued quality and equality. Furthermore, looking to the future, there is an ever growing demand for the education system to produce the relevant skills that are required by the economy. Thus there has never been a more pertinent time to establish this program and to ensure that IED can rectify these prominent global social issues.

To solve such problems, it is insufficient to simply transplant Western solutions to less developed countries. Local solutions to local problems must be pursued. Thus, this program is uniquely able to draw from the experiences of China’s unprecedented forty-year period of economic growth, poverty alleviation and educational development. Drawing on the former challenges of Chinese educational and economic development, in mere decades, China has created an internationally renowned educational system, focussing on local and novel solutions. With China seeking to be a key global leader, change instigator and participant in global governance, Chinese initiatives will seek to meet global challenges, using local knowledge to help develop a global vision. Thus, through considering both the history and trajectory of economic development and education globally, participants can develop a more holistic understanding of the field and its future.

The PhD in International Education Development (IED) is a brand-new, English language PhD program offered by the Peking University Graduate School of Education, commencing in Fall 2020 and designed to further talented students’ desire to learn more about, and contribute to research in, the development of international education. The program boasts an intellectual agenda promoting internationalism, innovative research methods, challenging case studies and research opportunities, emphasizing pragmatic solutions and bolstering leadership skills, in seeking to reflect the agendas of prominent international organizations. Coupling a strong theoretical and empirical grounding with practical solutions, program participants will be able to consider issues of international education development more critically and analytically.

This program leverages both the high-quality teaching resources and research capabilities of Peking University, the Graduate School of Education therein, and the China Institute for Educational Finance Research, as well as the practical training and expertise of the Asian Development Bank, World Bank, United Nations and other international organizations. Thus, this program focuses on expanding students' horizons internationally and allowing students to fully understand international education development, both in theory and in practice. An intimate cohort of talented international students and faculty will enable students to develop an impressive network and to really get to know their peers and their faculty. We offer our students opportunities to gain hands-on professional experience through our practicum and internship programs.

The program is a four-year, full-time program, with both courses and dissertation instructed in English. After completing the required credits and then submitting and defending a PhD dissertation, students will be allowed to graduate and will receive a doctorate in Education or Management from Peking University.

Graduate School of Education

Education at Peking University has existed at Peking University for over a century but has flourished since the 1980s, with 1980, 1984, 1999 and 2000 witnessing successively the establishment of the Research Division of Higher Education, the Institute of Higher Education, the Institute of Economics of Education and our Graduate School of Education in 2000. Chaired by current Dean Professor Yan Fengqiao, and Professor Min Weifang, President of the China Society of Education Development Strategy, as the Honorary Dean, our faculty contains four departments, two institutes, and eight research centres. The departments are the Department of Education and Human Development, the Department of Education Economics and Administration, the Department of Education Leadership and Policy, and the Department of Educational Technology. The two institutes are the Institute of Higher Education and the Institute of Economics of Education, the latter of which is one of the Key Research Bases for Humanities and Social Science approved by China Ministry of Education.

Faculty

We take great pride in the connections we make between the classroom and the real world. Our robust network of faculty and professional associates bring together prominent scholars, researchers, senior public officials, business leaders, social entrepreneurs, journalists, educators and students to teach and learn from each other in workshops and seminars.

Core Faculty

Adjunct Faculty

Program Requirement

Research Concentrations

The program offers four different research concentrations, each with different focuses, taking advantage of a large and well-established faculty with a wider-range of interests and experiences.

1. Higher Education. This concentration focuses on the history and scientific methodology of International Education Development. Instructed by Ma Wanhua, Shi Xiaoguang and Shen Wenqin, upon completing this research concentration, students will obtain a Doctorate of Education.
2. Principles of Education. This concentration focuses on the theory of formation and development of pedagogy; and International Education Development in the context of globalization. Instructed by Wang Liping, upon completing this research concentration, students will obtain a Doctorate of Education.
3. Educational Technology. This concentration focuses on the impact of media and technology on International Education Development, such as Artificial Intelligence. Instructed by Jia Jiyou and Guo Wenge, upon completing this research concentration, students will obtain a Doctorate of Education.
4. Education Economics & Management. This concentration focuses on the relationship between education and the economy, international organizations and international development. Instructed by Min Weifang, Yue Changjun, Yang Po, Ha Wei and Zhang Ran, upon completing this research concentration, students will obtain a Doctorate of Management.

Curriculum

All IED degree candidates have course load requirements to ensure the successful completion of their designated degree program by the date of graduation. In order to complete the program, it is required that twenty course credits should be completed, alongside the completion of a dissertation, of which ten must be core courses, eight elective courses and two a practicum or work experience. More information on the Lecture Series on Contemporary China, Chinese Language and other elective courses can be found on our website.

Course Title	Professor	Credits	Course Type
Core Courses (10 credits)
Chinese Language	Various	2	Required
Lecture Series on Contemporary China	Various	2	Required
Qualitative Research Methods	Ran Zhang	2	Required
Education Statistics and Econometrics	Changjun Yue	2	Required
China’s Education and its Cultural Foundation	Xiaoguang Shi	2	Required
Elective Courses (8 credits)
International Higher Education	Wanhua Ma	2	Elective
Introduction to Contemporary Chinese Higher Education	Wenqin Shen	2	Elective
Sociology of Education	Liping Wang	2	Elective
Economics of Education	Min Weifang/Po Yang	2	Elective
Comparative Economics of Education and Finance	Po Yang	2	Elective
Artificial Intelligence and Education	Jiyou Jia	2	Elective
Emerging Technologies in Education in the Time of MOOC	Jiyou Jia	2	Elective
Media Technology as an Agent of Education Evolution: From Oral to Internet	Wenge Guo	2	Elective
Theories and Practices of International Organizations	Wei Ha	3	Elective
Retrospect and Prospect of International Development Cooperation in China	Wei Ha	3	Elective
Government and Education	Eduardo Velez & Wang Rong	2	Elective
Practicum / Internship (2 credits)
Practicum / Internship	Various	2	Required

Dissertation

The Doctoral dissertation shall be written in English, and under the guidance of an advisor. The dissertation shall demonstrate that the candidate has obtained a deep understanding of the theories and knowledge of international education development and has made serious and thorough reflections in this regard. Under the guidance of an advisor, and on the basis of the independent research conducted previously, students are expected to make use of  the theories, knowledge and analytical skills acquired from the program to examine phenomena, analyse inherent principles, and finally produce a dissertation with both academic value and realistic significance. A Doctoral dissertation must pass high standards, and will be evaluated on the basis of its originality, academic contribution, and practical value.

Practicum / Internship

Utilizing our close connections with faculty and prominent local and international partners, all students are required to undertake a practicum on-site or work experience off-site to ensure the skillset that is learned can be used practically, as well as academically, with outstanding students being entrusted with practise at leading international agencies. A practicum sees students travel to client sites to propose solutions to practical problems facing and assigned by such partner institutions, to be solved in relation to international education development, guided by a faculty supervisor at the Graduate School of Education and supervised by professionals. Thus, in producing a policy report that has both practical implications and social impacts, is able to boost both our partners’ work and the field of international education development more generally.

Tuition Fee and Financial Aid

The annual tuition fee for this program is 50,000RMB. Generous scholarships are to be made available for outstanding students irrespective of nationality. More information regarding scholarships currently available to foreign students can be found at http://www.isd.pku.edu.cn/HOME/SCHOLARSHIP/General_Information.htm.

Application Instructions

Our four-year Doctoral Program in International Education Development is designed to prepare high-caliber talents and national leaders who are equipped with theories and knowledge and are capable of making decisions and policies related to international education development. Candidates who have demonstrated a proven record of high academic and professional accomplishment and who wish to further hone their skills of leadership and elevate their knowledge are encouraged to apply.

Application Requirements

To be eligible to submit an application, all applicants must meet the following admission requirements:

●     Applicants must be non-Chinese citizens with a valid passport.  Residents of mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan who have emigrated to other countries and are applying to Peking University as international students must present valid passport or citizenship documents dating from before November 30, 2013, along with proof of cancellation of Chinese nationality;

●     must have acquired a master's degree or above;

●     must have English proficiency as either a native English speaker; having attended an undergraduate program where the language of instruction was English; or submit valid TOEFL or IELTS scores of at least 100 or 6.0 respectively;

●     be in good health and physical condition;

●     and comply with the laws and regulations laid out by both the Chinese Government and Peking University.

Admission Evaluation

1. Initial screening. After Graduate School of Education got the applicants’ materials (those who have met the basic application requirements) from the International Student Office, the admission committee select qualified students based on the applicant’s academic record, his/her research agenda, the strength of the recommendation letters, and other application materials that could be evidence of his/her intellectual ability and commitment to an academic and research career.

 

2. Evaluative Interview. Applications who passed the screening will receive an evaluative interview in March 2020. Based on the interview result, the admission committee makes its recommendations for admission to Graduate School of Education. The Graduate School of Peking University reviews the admission results and makes a formal admission decision. The International Students Division, Office of International Relations of PKU will issue the "Admission Notice" to the successful candidates before the end of June 2020.

Application Procedure

The application deadline is March 31st, 2020. We encourage students to apply sooner rather than later as the admission is on a rolling basis. Applicants should prepare the following materials and submit them for inspection:

●     a completed application form;

●     notarized copies of Bachelor's and Master's degree certificates in Chinese or English. Original copies must be shown upon admission;

●     original official transcripts;

●     original copies of Master's degree transcripts, notarized in Chinese or English;

●     a personal statement of no more than 3,000 words, written in English or Chinese, focussing on academic background, work experience, achievements, study purpose and future career plans;

●     proof of payment of application fee;

●     a resume, written in Chinese or English;

●     two letters of recommendation from professors or professionals in relevant fields and of considerable professional titles who know the applicant well;

●     a valid passport copy;

●     published academic articles and abstracts, or other original work (not compulsory);

●     and valid TOEFL (above 100) or IELTS (above 6.0) test scores.

Applicants are required to pay an application fee of 800RMB online through the Peking University China International Student Service System at http://www.studyatpku.com. Applications will be considered invalid until this payment has been completed. All application materials must be submitted by post to Peking University, and must be submitted in duplicate, with both original and copies of each document. No exceptions will be made for posted application materials that were not received by the application deadline. The envelope should be addressed in both English and Chinese to “IED Project Doctoral Application Materials, 北京大学新太阳学生中心330室, 100871, P.R. China”. In addition, the application form must be submitted online, at the Peking University China International Student Service System. Unfortunately, application materials cannot be returned. The application fee is not refundable, irrespective of application success. Shortlisted candidates will be contacted for interviews in early April. Based on candidates’ application materials and interview performance, a final decision whether the candidate is admitted or not will be made by the end of that month.

Contact Information

 

International Ph. D Program Admission, Graduate School of Education (For program enquiry)

Email: taoffice@gse.pku.edu.cn

Tel: +8610 62751402

Website: /

 

Admission Office, Graduate School (For admission enquiry)

Tel: +8610 62751354; +8610 62756913

 

International Students Division, Office of International Relations (For application)

New Sun Student Center, Peking University, BJ, 100871 PRC, People' s Republic of China

Tel: (86-10)- 6275 1230

Fax: (86-10)-6275 1233

E-mail: study@pku.edu.cn

Website: www.isd.pku.edu.cn, www.oir.pku.edu.cn