Northeast Normal University (NENU) is an institution of higher learning under the direct administration of the Ministry of Education, being selected as one of the universities given priority in construction in the "211 Project". The university, located in Changchun city, Jilin province, occupies an area of 1,500,000 square meters, including 800,000 square meters of the main campus and 700,000 square meters of the new campus.

NENU's predecessor is Northeast University, the first comprehensive university founded by the Communist Party in Northeast China in Benxi, Liaoning province, in February 1946. In 1949, the school was moved to Changchun City and renamed Northeast Normal University in 1950.

There are 1297 full time teachers, including 354 professors, 429 associate professors and 272 Ph.D. supervisors. There is one academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, one academician of the Third World Academy of Sciences and 11 members of the Academic Degree Committee of the State Council. In addition, there are five professors in the "Yangtze River Scholar Program", one recipient of He Liang & He Li Fund, Four recipients of National Outstanding Youth Fund, five national outstanding young and middle aged specialists, three professors selected for the "One Hundred Experts Program" (a national personnel development project organized by the Chinese Academy of Sciences), 25 teachers selected for the personnel construction program sponsored by the Ministry of Education, and two state level renowned teachers, 14 committee members of the Guiding Committee for Higher Education Instruction and 13 outstanding individuals in education system as well.

The Lotus Pond in NENU