Asia Pacific Rim Development Program (APRDP)


Graduate University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (GUCAS)

Founded in 1978, GUCAS was the first graduate school in China to gain the approval of the State Council.  Headquartered in Beijing, and backed by more than one hundred national research institutes and other research units of CAS, GUCAS is the most comprehensive and prestigious post-graduate educational institutions in China, covering almost all the fields in science and technology. 

GUCAS plays a major role in China's graduate education system.  The history of graduate education in the People's Republic of China can be traced back to 1951, when CAS joined hands with the Ministry of Education in enrolling the first group of graduate students.  From 1978 to 2001, GUCAS trained more than 50,000 graduate students, including the first doctoral graduate in science and the first doctoral graduate in engineering. Today, over 24,000 graduate students are studying at GUCAS. 

Programs are offered in seven major academic categories: philosophy, education, science, engineering, agriculture, medicine and management.  GUCAS is authorized to grant advanced degrees in 26 primary academic disciplines which include Masters degree conferring rights in 130 secondary disciplines, and Doctoral degree rights in 114 secondary disciplines.  At present, there are 102 mobile centers for postdoctoral research. 

GUCAS prides itself on its two-stage model for graduate education: students spend their first year on campus taking core courses in their chosen discipline and a diverse range of electives in various other disciplines of their interest, and enjoying the colorful campus life while melting together and building long-lasting friendships with fellow students from different fields.  Then they pursue research projects for their degree dissertations at various CAS research institutes. 

Our committed faculty is composed of over 4,500 professors, among them are 300 members of the Chinese Academy of Science and/or the Chinese Academy of Engineering - the nation's largest formation of undisputed academic leaders in a variety of fields. 

GUCAS values the spirit of truth seeking, enterprise, open-mindedness, practicality, ingenuity, creativity and modernity.  Dedicated to exploring the fresh fields of science and technology and keeping pace with times, the people of GUCAS are determined to make their due contribution to the advancement of world civilization and development of humankind. 

For more information, visit their website at: http://www.gscas.ac.cn/gscasenglish/index.aspx