Department of Politics of ECNU has a long history. Both the academic foundation of ECNU of the Great China University and Kuang Hua University had established the Department of Politics. In October 1951, East China Normal University (ECNU) was founded at the site of the Great China University approved by the Ministry of Education. It was established out of the Great China University (separated from Xiamen University in 1924) and Kuang Hua University (separated from St. John’s College in 1925), while incorporating some other departments from Fudan University, Tongji university, Zhejiang University, etc. In September 1952, ECNU started setting up specialties of political education and recruited the first junior college students. In 1954, the department of political educational was established. In June 2007, Department of Politics was officially established after several department adjustments.

The growing Department of Politics of ECNU is always in the front rank in China. In early 1990s, it received the right to grant doctor’s degree of International Communist Movement. In 2003, it was approved to establish a doctoral point in political theory and it was one of the ten doctoral points in that field in China. In 2005, it received the right to grant doctorate of the first class subject of Politics, which was the eighth unit to be honored in Chinese universities. In 2012, it was honored as the first class subject site in Shanghai.

The Department of Politics is a second level unit that named after the department, the same as the Department of Chinese Language and Literature, the Department of History, the Department of Philosophy, etc. There are two undergraduate majors: Politics and Administration, Public Relations and it started enrolling students as political science in 2016. There are five academic master’s degree point: political theory which contains IGPP (International Graduate Program in Politics), political philosophy and history, history of Chinese Communist Party, international politics, political communication and government public relations and one professional master’s degree point: journalism and communication (political communication). There are also two temporary doctor stations: political theory and history of Chinese Communist Party.

There are many research institutions in the department of politics like social science innovative research base of “Party’s Governing Capability” in Shanghai, research institution of contemporary China’s political development and strategy, international politics research center, institution of world problems, research center for public affairs and government governance, research center for political communication and government public relations, research center for student affairs, etc.

The department of politics has qualified teachers and gathered a group of prominent experts and scholars like Liu Fonian, Chen Biaoru, Feng Qi, Xu Huaiqi, Cao Fu, Shi Xiaochong, Jia Kaiji, Xie Xuchu, Liu Huiwu, Xia Dongyuan, Jiangqi, Wu Duo, Wang Song, etc who have made great contributions to the development of Chinese Politics. Nowadays, there are 50 faculty members, including 8 professors, 19 vice professors and 8 staff who gained an abroad doctor’s degree. In the teaching and research team, there are 16 people who are either vice presidents, executive directors or directors, one tenured professor in ECNU and several scholars were a member of Pujiang Talent Program, Shuguang Scholar, etc.

At the same time, the training center of the Department of Politics follows the motto of ECNU and is guided by the latest policies. The academic resources and prominent scholars here provide training courses for leaders in enterprises, core teams of schools, etc.