School Overview
China Civil Aviation University is a national full-time ordinary higher education institution, supervised by the Civil Aviation Administration of China, and jointly built by the Civil Aviation Administration of China, the People’s Government of Tianjin Municipality, and the Ministry of Education. The university adheres to the positioning of a research-oriented and specialized university, with a focus on engineering studies and a coordinated development of disciplines such as science, literature, management, and law. It implements the fundamental task of moral education, promotes the educational philosophy of integrating value shaping, ability cultivation, and knowledge transmission, and focuses on cultivating high-quality scientific and technological innovation talents, professional technical talents, and international talents.
The predecessor of the university was the Second Civil Aviation School of the Civil Aviation Bureau of the People’s Revolutionary Military Commission of China, established in 1951. In 1981, it was renamed the China Civil Aviation College, and in 2006, with the approval of the Ministry of Education, it was renamed the Civil Aviation University of China. The university’s development has always received the warm care of the Party and state leaders. At its inception, Chairman Mao Zedong appointed General Fang Huai as the president, and Premier Zhou Enlai selected the campus location. In 2011, Zhang Dejiang, then a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Vice Premier of the State Council, attended the 60th anniversary celebration of the university. In 2021, Liu He, then a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Vice Premier of the State Council, sent a written message to the 70th anniversary celebration of the university.
Since its founding, the university has been committed to civil aviation, serving society, and engaging with the world. Upholding its founding vision of “building, revitalizing, and strengthening civil aviation,” it embodies the patriotic ethos of “loyalty, patriotism, and dedication,” the motto spirit of “cultivating virtue for excellence and perseverance for national prosperity,” the academic ethos of “rigor, practicality, and progress,” the teaching philosophy of “honoring virtue and discipline while fostering both scholarship and character,” and the learning culture of “dedicated study, comprehensive expertise, rigorous scholarship, and innovative thinking.”
The university has established a “1232” (One Leadership, Two Drivers, Three Supports, Two Guarantees) comprehensive ideological and political education system for modern civil aviation institutions. This framework emphasizes loyalty education as the guiding principle, drives progress through ideological-political courses and curriculum-based ideological education, and is supported by quasi-military management systems, models, and platforms. With management services and campus culture serving as safeguards, the institution has continuously deepened the “Three-Aspect Education” initiative, strengthened the development of ideological-political courses and curriculum-based ideological education, and achieved remarkable results.
The university adheres to the philosophy of “forward-looking exploration, pioneering innovation, solid foundation, and developmental support.” Centered on the strategic needs of building a strong transportation nation and advancing aviation technology, it focuses on establishing five research institutes: Civil Aircraft Safety and Airworthiness, Airspace Integrated Safety Operations, Future Airports and Intelligent Equipment, General Aviation and Smart Connectivity, and Environmental Sustainability. The institution also creates the Aviation Law Collaborative Innovation Center and a national university science park, forming a new technological development framework of “five verticals, one horizontal, and one park.” This coordinated approach aims to build strategic national technological capabilities in the aviation sector.
The university holds high the great banner of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, adheres to the socialist orientation of running schools, takes root in the land of China, never forgets the original aspiration of cultivating virtue and nurturing talents, keeps in mind the mission of educating people for the Party and cultivating talents for the country, promotes the integrated and coordinated development of education, science and technology, and talent, adheres to the development strategy of discipline-led, talent-strengthened, self-reliant in science and technology, open empowerment, and culture-nourishing, and is committed to becoming a leader in higher education in the civil aviation field, a demonstration zone for scientific and technological innovation, an intellectual pool for policy consultation, and a pioneer in international exchanges, striving to build a world-class civil aviation university with Chinese characteristics.