1951    East China Normal University was founded.

 

1952    The university magazine ECNU started publication.

 

1953    Opened several graduate courses under the commission of the Ministry of Education.

 

1955    The ECNU Journal started publication.

 

1957    Established the Institute of Population Geography and the Institute of Estuarine and Coastal Research.

 

1959    Was officially recognized as one of the 16 key universities in China.                   

 

            Began to recruit 3-year program postgraduates.

 

1965     Recruited Vietnam students and established the Foreign Students Administrative Office.

 

1970    671 Scientific Research Group became the first in the world to extract 30 grams uranium from the sea

            water.

 

1972    Renamed as Shanghai Normal College after merger with Shanghai Normal College, Shanghai Part-

            study Normal College, Shanghai Education College, and Shanghai College of Sports.

 

1978    The status of national key university was reaffirmed.

 

1980    Resumed its original name of ECNU.

 

1984    Founded the Science and Technology Development Company.

 

1986    Set up the Graduate School with the approval of the Sate Council.

 

1987    Tried out the major-subsidiary course system, and made reforms in independent recruitment and the

            enrollment of non-normal students.

 

1993    Began to offer China's first Adult Education Master's degree program.

 

            The credit system based on the academic year was changed into simply the credit system.

 

1995    Established Chinese and History Bases.

 

1996    Passed the pre-trial of the “211 Project” national program.

 

1997    Establish the Mathematics, Psychology and Geography Bases.

 

1998     Ecology, Education, World History and World Economy were recognized as Shanghai's key subjects.

 

           The School of Preschool Education & Special Education was founded with Shanghai Preschool Normal

            Academy’s incorporation into ECNU.

            The College of Further Education and Vocational College were founded with Shanghai Education 

            College and Shanghai No.2 Education College’s incorporation into ECNU.

 

2001     Became one of the first 24 universities to offer China’s Master of Public Administration degree

            program.

 

            Half-centenary anniversary celebration.

 

2002     Started the planning for the construction of Minhang Campus.

 

2003     Signed cooperation agreement with ENS Group of France, and started a new mode of training

            postgraduates with overseas universities.

 

2004     The School of Educational Science began its cooperation with the University of Pennsylvania in training doctors.

 

2006     The University’s main part moved to Minhang Campus. 

            The Ministry of Education and Shanghai Municipality signed a partnership for co-sponsoring

            the development of the university, qualifying ECNU as a member of the "Project 985"

 

2007     Laboratory of Precision Spectroscopy was identified as a national key lab.

 

            The University’s high-tech park was upgraded to a National University High-tech Park.

 

2008     Began to recruit free normal students.

 

2009     Set up the Study and Training Base for International Chinese Teacher under the Office of Chinese

            Language.        

 

2010     Shanghai New York University, a joint university established by New York University and ECNU,

            broke ground in Shanghai.

 

2011     60-year anniversary celebration.

 

2012     Shanghai New York University was founded.