China University of Petroleum, Beijing

Established as Beijing Petroleum Institute in 1953 following a newfound and pressing need for greater petroleum resources and oil industry manpower, China University of Petroleum, Beijing is among a number of so called "oil universities" in the country. The Beijing campus is north east of the city centre and 24km from the Great Wall of China. Beijing is the political and cultural centre of China, famed for its historic sights, from the Wall itself to the Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square, but also its modernity and plethora of new buildings designed by leading architects, plus its vast array of restaurants - it has more than 60,000.