Tsinghua University PBC School of Finance (Tsinghua PBCSF) was officially established on March 29, 2012, as a joint initiative between Tsinghua University and the People’s Bank of China. The School was built upon the foundation of the Graduate School of the People’s Bank of China.
Drawing on Tsinghua University’s long-standing academic tradition and the distinctive legacy of “Wudaokou” rooted in China’s financial sector, the School is committed to its mission of “leading finance education and research for national and global prosperity.” By adopting internationally recognized models of financial and business education, Tsinghua PBCSF strives to build a leading platform for financial education as well as a world-class center for financial research and policy studies.
Leveraging its innovative educational approach and access to high-quality academic resources, the School offers a comprehensive range of programs, including the Ph.D. in Finance, Master of Finance, Master of Sci-Tech and Finance, the Tsinghua–Cornell Dual-Degree Finance MBA, Finance EMBA, and Executive Education programs. Through these programs, the School is dedicated to cultivating high-level, innovative, and globally oriented financial talent.
The School is also committed to building a first-class think tank platform grounded in China’s financial practices. It has established a comprehensive research system consisting of three university-level research institutes—the Tsinghua University National Institute of Financial Research, the Tsinghua University Institute for Fintech Research, and the Tsinghua University Institute for State-owned Assets Management—along with 31 School-level research centers and two additional think tank platforms. These institutions support China’s financial reform and development through academic research, policy analysis, and industry engagement.
History
Tsinghua PBCSF traces its origins to the Graduate School of the People’s Bank of China. In 1981, at a time when China’s economic and financial reforms were gaining momentum and demand for high-level financial professionals was rapidly increasing, the Graduate Department of the People’s Bank of China Research Institute of Finance was established (renamed the Graduate School of the People’s Bank of China in 1994).
As the first institution in China dedicated to training senior financial professionals, the School quickly became widely known as “Wudaokou,” named after its location in Beijing’s Haidian District. In its early years, it developed a distinctive tradition characterized by endeavour, innovation, harmony, and contribution. It also emerged as a key hub for financial reform and a source of influential ideas in China’s financial sector.
Over more than four decades, Tsinghua PBCSF has remained at the forefront of China’s financial development, serving as both a witness to and an active contributor to the country’s reform and opening-up process. It has gradually evolved into one of China’s most important bases for cultivating high-level financial talent.