<p>I'm planning on studying abroad in Beijing next spring and I'm having trouble deciding between Peking and Tsinghua. I'll be done with all of my classes by the time I go so I'm just planning on taking business classes and maybe 1 or 2 chinese language classes. I just have no idea which university to pick. From what I hear, Tsinghua is better for sciences and engineering and apparently more highly regarded in China than Peking (according to my parents' Chinese friends) which Peking is better for humanities. Since the business classes taught in english are essentially the same for both universities and they're both located in Beijing, I really have no idea how to choose which university to go to. </p>
<p>Could anyone possibly share their experience at either universities? Or does anyone have insights that can help me decide?</p>
<p>First and foremost, you make your question seem like both universities accepted you into letting you study abroad at their school and you’re having difficulties picking which one.*</p>
<p>If that’s the case, your major is business so I suggest you go to a more humanities school, which is Peking University.
But there’s a thing called “Dual Majoring”, if you have an interest spark of some sort in STEM (Science Technology Engineering Mathematics), then TsingHua University will be an excellent choice to experience what the technology is like outside US and maybe you will get your seed sprouted there.
But the thing is, you can’t just “transfer” there like you please, even transfer students have heavy requirements.**</p>
<p><em>I hope my starting sentence didn’tstartle you that much, I just want you to include more information in your question so we can have more inner detail about you and what university you’re at.
*</em>If your university/college has the requirements standardized and you got accepted into the program or department, please exclude what I just said.</p>
<p>Ah~ As far as I know, the best university to learn business in Beijing is the Beijing Union University. Hope you’ll enjoy the happy 4 year there!</p>
<p>The above statement about the difference between Peking U and Tsinghua U is NOT correct. </p>
<p>Peking U is better at humantities, science and medicine. Tsinghua U, however, is better at engineering. If you like mathematics or chemistry, Peking U is better than Tsinghua U. </p>
<p>In short, Peking U is very much like Harvard and Tsinghua U like MIT.</p>
<p>I have experience with both, what I offer are my personal perceptions. I taught a seminar (on case study writing) at Beida and worked with profs at both unis in a professional capacity. Others may have different perceptions.</p>
<p>I worked closely with a prof at Tsingwha, who was a survivor of the cultural revolution and got a PhD in the uS. His area was industrial organization with a specialization in Taylorism. He hated Tsingwha as he faced opposition from his colleagues and so moved to Beida, which he much prefers. He can do his thing at Beida. I also worked with 2 Beida profs (in political science and business schools respectively), both of whom were exceptionally hard workers and personally intense.</p>
<p>Of course, both universities are highly regarded and very difficult to get into. You will meet the brightest and most pampered there. Not that I assume you don’t know this, but the way that students are admitted is by test, essentially rote memorization; this means that they do not necessarily know how to think independently or even practically. I have know many Chinese businessmen who don’t want to hire them, which shocks them, to say the least.</p>
<p>Beida appeared to me to be closer to a US university - less bureaucratic, more free ranging in terms of students and openness. Tsingwha was more old fashioned in my perception, more bureaucratic and hidebound, resisting the changes in society rather than embracing them. </p>
<p>I hope this helps. A final thought: you may want to concentrate more on what you can get from the cultural contact and less on the content of your studies. You might get more out of it that way.</p>