"Founded in Yan’an in 1940, Beijing Institute of Technology (BIT) is a national key university, an open, international and research-oriented university of science, engineering and humanities. It is one of the first universities to run a graduate school and receive privileged funding from the central government in the consecutive “Five Year Plan”. BIT is also one of the national “Project 211” universities receiving preferential support from the state. In 2000, BIT was listed in the “985 Project,” which gives priority for development by Commission of Science Technology and Industry for National Defense (COSTIND), Ministry of Education (MOE) and Beijing Municipal Government."