The Institute of Higher Education of Lanzhou University is a platform of education disciplines at Lanzhou University. The education discipline emerged at the early stage when Lanzhou University was founded in the last century. In a century period of development, the education discipline of Lanzhou University has undergone several adversities and has experienced a winding development history such as the stage of establishment, the institutional, the suspension, the recovery, and the reorganization. Lanzhou Sun Yat-sen University(the former Lanzhou University) established the Department of Education on September 15th, 1929, with the purpose which the Prime Minister regarded The Three People's Principles as an ideal of national salvation, which could be applied to educate the people and guide the youth to the right path rather than stray. This was the goal of establishing the Department of Education. Since that time, it had experienced a 12-year institutional development. But the recruitment of students was suspended on June 4th, 1941. Since then, the education discipline of Lanzhou University had been suspended for 38 years. In 1979, The Higher Education Research Office of Lanzhou University was founded, which collaborating with 8 institutions including Peking University, Xiamen University, Beijing Normal University, and East China Normal University initiated the establishment of the National Higher Education Research Association. The education discipline of Lanzhou University was resumed, but the progress was kind of slow. 

In the year 2000, the Academic Degrees Committee Office of the State Council approved the conferment of a master's degree in higher education. In August, 2002, the School of Education, Lanzhou University was established. Henceforth, the education discipline of Lanzhou University stepped into a rapid development period. The school adheres to the mission of training educational talents, creating knowledge base of education, and serving social development, insists on highlighting the features of higher education disciplines. And the school has developed education informatization, teacher education, psychotechnics and other disciplines actively, formed a disciplinary strategy with positive ecological environment. At the same time, the School of Education has made a great progress in talents training, scientific research, social service, academic exchanges, and faculty team building. Till 2016, the school already had 47 faculties and 31 full-time teachers, including 7 professors, 11 associate professors, 13 lecturers, and 25 teachers with doctor degree,  which is accounting for 80% of the staff teachers. There are 13 full-time master tutors and 988 students, including 312 full-time undergraduates, 602 dual degree students, and 74 postgraduates. It has undertaken a total of 31 projects including the National Natural Science Foundation of China, the National Humanities and Social Sciences Fund, the National Educational Science Planning Project, the Humanities and Social Sciences Project of the Ministry of Education, and the Gansu Provincial Social Science Fund Project, and also 43 horizontal projects.

There was an educational software engineering laboratory in former School of Education of Lanzhou University, which undertook the task of software development for graduate education(include with software analysis, design, programming, testing, etc.). Besides, the Western Basic Education Research and Training Center, the Mental Health Education and Consulting Center, and the Education Quality Monitoring and Evaluation Research Center of Lanzhou University provide practice and research places for postgraduates, creating a superior atmosphere for their study and research.

On July 14th, 2016, the School of Education was abolished and the Higher Education Research Institute of was reorganized. The application of undergraduate school was suspended, and some teachers and students were transferred to related colleges.

On June 15th, 2018, according to the School's [2018] No. 83 Notice on the Establishment of the Institute of Higher Education, Lanzhou University, the Standing Committee of the University Party Committee consent to establish the Institute of Higher Education on the foundation of the Higher Education Research Institute. The current three secondary disciplines---Higher Education, Curriculum and Pedagogy, and Educational Technology were merged to the Institute of Higher Education. Postgraduates in relevant majors were transferred to the Institute of Higher Education. The full-time teachers and editorial staff of the former Higher Education Research Institute and four teachers majoring in Educational Technology of the School of Information Science and Engineering were employed at the new institute.

Currently, the Institute has 17 full-time teachers, 2 administrative staff, and 1 editorial staff. It is entitled to confer a master's degree of a first-level discipline of education, and undergraduate minor degree of education. There are 47 graduate school students and 225 double-degree undergraduates specialized in education.

Educational Discipline Evolution of Lanzhou University

★In 1913, Ma Linyi, Deng Xian, Tian Yubi set up psychology courses. Political and Economical Section, Legal Section and Political Section all have psychology courses. (The Period of Gansu Public Legislative and Political College)

★On February 3rd, 1928, the Organization Outline of Lanzhou Sun Yat-sen University proposed to establish the education department. (The Period of Lanzhou Sun Yat-sen University )

★On April 13th, 1928, various research societies on Party Theories, English, Japanese, art, Chinese Studies, politics, law, and educational issue were established. (The Period of Lanzhou Sun Yat-sen University)

★On September 15th, 1929, The Education Department was established, offering a 4-year undergraduate major. “Facing the corrupted university and the straggly culture, it is urgent and necessary to establish an education department in the university. However, today’s national situation differs widely from the past, education cannot adapt to the reality without the insight of new knowledge. The Prime Minister adopted The Three People's Principles as the purpose of national salvation. The educators ought to apply it into education and guide the youth to the right path and not stray. This is the goal of the establishment of the Department of Education.” Dong Jianyu, a member of the Preparatory Committee of Lanzhou Sun Yat-sen University who graduated from Beijing Normal University, serves as the head of the department. (The Period of Lanzhou Sun Yat-sen University, Gansu University, and Gansu College)

★In 1934, the Department of Education and the Department of Literature were merged into the Department of Literature and History,  followed the instruction of the Ministry of Education. Wang Desheng was the president of the department. (The Period of Gansu College)

★In 1935, the Department of Education split from the Department of Literature and History. Before the National Northwest Normal College relocated to Lanzhou in 1941, some middle school teachers in Gansu were trained by the Education Department of Gansu College. (The Period of Gansu College)

★In 1936, the enrollment of students in the Department of Education was stopped. (The Period of Gansu College)

★On June 4th, 1941, the enrollment of students in the Department of Education was unacceptable. (The Period of Gansu College)

★In 1979, The Higher Education Research Office of Lanzhou University was established. Xin Anting, Lu Runlin, and Wang Genshun were assigned as directors successively.

★From October 15th to 17th, 1979, the preparatory meeting of the National Higher Education Scientific Research Association was held in Shanghai. The Higher Education Research Office of Lanzhou University, the Higher Education Research Association of Shanghai Normal University, the Preparatory Group of the Higher Education Research Association of Beijing NormalUniversity, and the Higher Education Research Office of Xiamen University attended this meeting. They mutually acted as the initiators of the National Higher Education Research Association.

★From August 26th to 29th, 1980, the preparatory meeting of National Higher Education Association held the second meeting in Xiamen. Xin Anting, secretary of the Party committee and vice president of Lanzhou University, attended the meeting.

★On November 4th, 1980, the first meeting of the preparatory group of the Provincial Higher Education Association was held in Gansu Province. The preparatory group consisted of 15 people. Xin Anting, secretary of the Party committee and vice president of Lanzhou University, assigned as the group leader.

★From July 25th to 30th, 1990, the former State Education Commission held the National Higher Education Science Work Symposium (‘Lanzhou Conference’) at Lanzhou University. This was a vital turning point and milestone in the history of higher science education development. 

★In December, 2000, a master's degree program in higher education was set up.

★On August 1st, 2002, the School of Education, Lanzhou University was founded. Li Jun was assigned as the Party secretary and Wang Genshun as the deputy dean.

★In September, 2002, the first undergraduates majoring in Education and Educational Technology were enrolled.

★In 2009, a master's degree program in Educational Economics and Management was set up.

★In 2010, the Academic Degrees Committee of the State Council approved the award of a master's degree in education for a first-level discipline.

★In July, 2011, master's degree programs in Curriculum and Pedagogy, and Educational Technology were set up.

★In February, 2013, Higher Education was identified as a significant discipline in Gansu Province.

★In September, 2013, the first undergraduates majoring in Applied Psychology were enrolled.

★On July 14th, 2016, Lanzhou University abolished the School of Education and established the Higher Education Research Institute.

★On June 15th, 2018, the Institute of Higher Education was founded on the foundation of the Higher Education Research Institute.