Beihang University (formerly Beijing Institute of Aeronautics) or BUAA for short, was founded on October 25, 1952 out of the merger of the aeronautical departments of Tsinghua University, Beiyang University, Amoy (Xiamen) University, Sichuan University, Yunnan University, Northwest Institute of Technology, College of Engineering, North China University, and Southwest Aeronautical Institute. Situated in the capital in the center of Zhongguancun Science Park, next to China' s National Olympic Center, with an area of over 100 hectares, BUAA is China' s first university of aeronautical and astronautical engineering.

As one of the top-ranked research university, BUAA has had more than 40 projects that were ranked first in China. Nowadays, it has evolved into a multi-disciplined, research-oriented university of engineering science and technology with an emphasis on aeronautic and astronautic engineering, covering such diverse fields as science, technology, liberal arts, law, economics, management, philosophy, foreign languages and education.

BUAA has actively and intensively developed its international academic exchange programs and cooperation. It has established cooperation with 152 universities and research institutions from 40 countries, including the Canada, UK, France, Germany, Russia, the USA, and 122 scholars of international renown have been invited as honorary or consultant professors to the university. Every year, on average, about 1000 foreign experts and scholars come to BUAA to give lectures, to visit, and to take part in international conferences, and discussions for scientific cooperation; and every year over 600 professors or scholars in BUAA go abroad to give lectures, participate in academic conferences or conduct cooperative scientific research.