The Institute of International and Comparative Education（IICE）at Beijing Normal University is the oldest comparative education research organization in China and is the only national center for comparative education approved by the Ministry of Education.
IICE originated from the Foreign Education Research Institute, established in 1961. The institute started its master program in comparative education in 1981 followed by the doctoral program in 1983. It was renamed the Institute of International and Comparative Education in 1995, and was identified as the national center for comparative education by the Ministry of Education in 1999. It has now developed into an internationally renowned center for comparative education.
The missions of IICE are:
----To explore the principles of educational development as well as the trends of international education in order to provide theoretical support for educational reform and development in China.
----To cultivate high-level international talents with a global perspective and international competence.
---- To provide consulting and advisory services for government policy making as well as intellectual support for school development at all levels of education.
---- To act as a platform for cultural and educational exchange and cooperation, sharing ideas and experiences of best practices in China and around the world.
The following organizations are affiliated to IICE: Center for American Education Research, Center for European Education Research, Center for Russian, Eastern European and Central Asian Education Research, Center for South East Asian Education Research, Center for Hong Kong Education Research, Montessori Research Center, Pestalozzi Research Center, Center for Education for International Understanding Research, Center for Private Education Accreditation, International Center for Education Policy Research, Comparative Education Review, Mingyuan Education Foundation and Inter-tertiary Fund for Education, Social Sciences and Medical Research. The institute comprises 23 academic faculty and staff, with 10 professors, 5 associate professors, 2 assistant professors, 4 editors and 2 secretaries. The institute’s academic leaders, Professor Gu Mingyuan and Professor Wang Yingjie, are internationally prominent experts in the field of comparative education. Professor Gu is one of the founders of comparative education in China, the former co-chairman of the World Council of Comparative Education Societies (WCCES), and the current president of the Chinese Society of Education (CSE). Professor Wang currently serves as President of China Comparative Education Society and as convener of the State Council Academic Degree Committee’s evaluation group for education.
Over past decades, IICE’s contributions to China’s educational development and policy reforms have been highly recognized by the government and academia. Six professors were awarded the Special Government Allowance by the State Council? for their contributions, while two others were selected as New Century Excellent Talents by the Ministry of Education. Sixty-two educational research publications received national and provincial awards; two doctoral dissertations were selected as National Excellent Doctoral Dissertations, while another was recognized as a Beijing Excellent Doctoral Dissertation.
IICE is striving to become a center of internationally recognized comparative education research with global influence, a center which cultivates high-level innovative professionals, a center of international education consulting and advisory service, as well as the nation’s core educational knowledge bank.
