Beijing Jiaotong University is a national key university under the direct administration of the Ministry of Education and now is jointly supported by the Ministry of Education, the China Railway Corporation and Beijing Municipal Government. BJTU is one of the first universities selected into the “National 211 Project” and the “985 Strength Discipline Innovation Platform” project, one of the first institutions authorized to confer master’s and doctoral degrees. BJTU, as the leading organization, has established the Collaborative Innovation Centre for Rail Transit Safety, which is one of the first 14 collaborative centers approved by the Chinese government to enter the “National 2011 Projects”. BJTU has been selected into the top 100 of the “QS BRIC five countries” for 3 consecutive years, 6 disciplines have entered the top 400 of the QS World University.

As one of the three origins of the Jiaotong University, the history of BJTU can be dated back to 1896. BJTU grew out of Beijing Railway Management Institute, China’s first higher educational institution which was committed to fostering railway management talents and initiated modern China’s education in railway management and telecommunication. In 1917, it was reorganized into Beijing Railway Management School and Beijing Post and Telecommunication School. In 1921, it merged with the Shanghai Industrial College, Tangshan Industrial College to form Jiaotong University. After the reorganization of Jiaotong University in 1923, the Beijing campus was renamed Beijing Jiaotong University. In 1950, the school was named Northern Jiaotong University, and the president was the famous bridge expert Mao Yisheng. In 1952, the Northern Jiaotong University was revoked, therefore, the Beijing and Tang campus became independent and the school was renamed Beijing Railway Institute. In 1970, the name Northern Jiaotong University was resumed. In 2000, it had merged with the Beijing Electric Power College and the administration was transferred from the Ministry of Railways to the Ministry of Education. In 2003, the name Beijing Jiaotong University was resumed. Some renowned people in Chinese history received education at the University, including Liu Han, founder of China’s first radio station, Ying Shangcai, inventor of China’s first high-power steam engine, Zheng Zhenduo, famous writer and literary critic and historian, Jin Shixuan, author of China’s first railway management monograph, Xu Jing, pioneer of railway transport economics in China, and Yang Rumei, one of the early four major accountants in China. Some famous scholars worked at the University, including Xiang Zhejun, Chief Prosecutor of the Tokyo Trial and Ma Yinchu, famous demographer and economist.