Founded in October 1951, East China Normal University (ECNU) is a key university under the direct auspices of the Ministry of Education. With two campuses covering a total of over 220 hectares in the Minhang and Putuo districts of Shanghai, ECNU has long been known as a "Garden University" for its beautiful campus scenery. At present, the university consists of 19 full-time schools and six advanced research institutes, with 58 departments offering 70 undergraduate programs. 

The university has established strategic cooperative partnerships with many world-renowned universities, and has carried out academic exchanges with over 100 universities and institutions. In recent years, it has also cooperated with several African universities, undertaking student and faculty exchanges, joint research and academic exchanges.

Two years ago, ECNU partnered with Tanzania's University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM) as part of the "20+20 Cooperation Project among China-Africa Universities." The ECNU delegation, headed by former university president Yu Lizhong, visited UDSM in March of 2010. During the visit, both institutions signed a memorandum of understanding establishing long-term academic cooperation in 10 areas, including joint research and graduate programs, teacher training and human resources development. Since then, the two institutions have cooperated on education and research.

ECNU has also been an important institution in the field of African studies. The Institute of African Studies, originally known as the African History Research Office, was established in 1990 under the history department. Currently, the institute's research work mainly focuses on three areas: African historical and cultural studies, particularly in the Eastern Africa region; African education; and costal and estuarine studies.

The UDSM delegation, headed by university president Rwekaza S. Mukandala, paid a visit to ECNU in May 2011. During this visit, the ECNU-UDSM Joint Research Center for Tanzanian Studies was founded under the Institute of African Studies. An important part of strengthening the ECNU-UDSM partnership, this center was established to integrate the academic resources of the two universities, providing an academic platform for joint research and cooperation. Mukandala made a speech on Tanzania's modern education, and interacted with Chinese scholars and students. The delegation also discussed possible areas of collaboration with different ECNU colleges and departments.

In addition to joint research, ECNU provides educational assistance to Africa and offers human resource training programs to people in African countries. Botswanan Mnindwa Titoga Titose spoke highly of the International Master of Education in Educational Leadership and Policy program that he attended. "What I learned from China has not only broadened my horizons and helped my own career development, but will also benefit our nation's educational development," he commented.

ECNU also excels in teacher education. It is home to the Ministry of Education's Training Center for Secondary School Principals, an elite program known nation-wide for its rigorous curriculum. ECNU's superior training and instruction is also available to African teachers, who can enroll in specialized short-term training programs. Among these programs was the highly successful 2011 Seminar for Primary and Secondary School Principals in Anglophone African Countries, which was attended by 26 African principals from 11 different countries. Through lectures, seminars, field visits and academic conferences,  African teachers exchanged ideas with their Chinese counterparts and gained insight into Chinese educational practices.

Currently, ECNU has an enrollment of over 14,000 full-time undergraduate students, 14,000 graduate students and 4,000 international students. The university started recruiting African students in the 1980s. At present, 101 African students from 31 African countries are studying on campus.