In 1913, the ”°WuLi Men”± (physics division) was established at Peking
University, and this was later renamed the Department of Physics in 1919. With
the reorganization of the Chinese system of higher education in 1952, the new
Physics Department of Peking University was created from the merger of the
physics departments of Peking University, Tsinghua University and Yenching
University. This became the premier center for physics in China. The School of
Physics was established in 2001, and includes not only the traditional fields of
study in physics, but also related physical sciences. Today, the School of
Physics includes Physics, Astronomy, Atmospheric & Oceanic Sciences, and Nuclear
Science & Technology and consists of eleven divisions and seven related research
institutes, including the State Key Laboratory for Artificial Microstructure and
Mesoscopic Physics and the State Key Laboratory of Nuclear Physics and
Technology.It has been nearly 100 years since Peking University established its
Department of Physics. The DepartmentӮs founding in 1913 was not only an
announcement of the importance that Peking University placed on the physical
sciences, but also a milestone in the development of modern science in China.
One hundred years on, the School has made distinguished contributions to the
nation and to the world in both education and academia. As it embarks on its
second century, the Peking University School of Physics extends a warm welcome
to distinguished scholars and outstanding young students from China and abroad
who wish to join its ranks.To celebrate its centennial, the School of Physics creates the distinguished
lecture series: Centennial
Physics Lectures at Peking University starting in 2010. The lecture series
will be held once each semester. Eminent scholars around the world will be
invited to present lectures on both fundamental and cutting-edge problems in
physics, astronomy, and atmospheric and oceanic sciences. We hope that this
lecture series will establish a thought-provoking forum, stimulate lively and
topical intellectual debates, strengthen global and interdisciplinary
collaborations, promote the advancement of physical sciences, extend the
distinguished and innovative scholarly tradition at Peking University.The Peking University School of Physics now has the following divisions and
related research institutes.
Today, the School of Physics has about 200 faculty and staff, including 15
Academicians of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (double employment included), 4
”°Qianren”± Scholars, 14 ”°Cheung Kong”± Scholars and 16 National Distinguished
Young Scholars. There are 3 innovative research groups sponsored by the National
Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC): QCD & Hadron Physics, Femtosecond
Optical Physics & Mesoscopic Optics, and Biological Networks.The School of Physics grants Bachelor of Science, Master of Science, and
Doctor of Philosophy degrees. Around 200 undergraduate students and 200 graduate
students are admitted each year by the School of Physics (100 for PhD degrees
and 100 for Master degrees). Most undergraduate students pursue advanced studies
after finishing their Bachelor degrees, and about one-third of them go to
leading international universities for their advanced study.The School of Physics has a tradition of teaching excellence in both graduate
and undergraduate courses. Faculty members have received one grand, four
first-class, and five second-class National Teaching Awards, along with more
than 30 teaching awards at provincial and ministerial levels. Scholars in the
School of Physics have published more than one hundred textbooks and monographs
since 1991.Research in the School of Physics is devoted not only to the frontiers of
fundamental physics but also to the innovation of advanced technology. The
School plays a leading role in planning and executing regional, national, and
international scientific research programs. Major research fields include: high
energy physics£¬astrophysics and cosmology, radioactive nuclear physics, high
energy-density physics, key technologies for advanced light sources and particle
beams, the interaction of particle beams with materials, mesoscopic
semiconductor light emission and laser physics, ultra-fast physics, optical
properties of artificial microstructures and mesoscopic devices,
electro-magnetic properties of mesoscopic functional systems, mesoscopic theory
and material computation, high-temperature superconductivity physics and
devices, nano-material and devices, near-field optics, quantum materials and
quantum manipulation, soft condensed matter physics, biophysics£¬medical physics
and imaging, atmospheric physics and the environment, meteorology and climate
change, physical oceanography, and many others. Scholars in the School were
awarded three National Prizes and two National Science & Technology Progress
Awards in the past five years. During this period, the School has more than 300
on-going and completed research projects, including five national basic research
programs (”°973”± projects), seven national high technology research and
development programs (”°863”± projects) and more than 20 key projects of the NSFC.
Research funding in the School has progressively increased in recent years.The School is involved in a wide range of international activities. A number
of faculty members serve as committee members in many international scientific
organizations and as editors for leading international journals. Peking
University participates in many international collaborations, in particular the
worldӮs largest high-energy physics project, LHC-CMS, as well as a number of
other projects, such as RIKEN and KEK in Japan, GSI and DESY in Germany, and
JLab and ANL in the United States. The School of Physics organizes various
international conferences and international summer schools and seminars.There has been rapid improvement in the facilities and equipment for
scientific research in recent years, with a total expenditure of more than 200
million RMB. This has resulted in a number of flagship instruments, including a
seven-femtosecond CE-phase-stabilized laser amplifier system, a molecular beam
epitaxy system, a metal-organic chemical vapor deposition system, a focused ion
beam workstation, and four electrostatic ion accelerators.