September 8, 1941: In accordance with the spirit of Mao Zedong’s work “Being Realistic”, Central Academy was founded, under which the Office of China Educational Research was set up.
January 26, 1957: The State Council and the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee approved the establishment of China National Institute for Educational Research (CNIER). The core staff of the Office of China Educational Studies became the founding members of CNIER.
During the Cultural Revolution (1966—1976), CNIER closed.
July 14, 1978: With the endorsement of Deng Xiaoping and other top leaders, the State Council approved the re-opening of CNIER.
September 8, 2011: Approved by the Ministry of Education and the Office of the Central Institutional Organization Commission, CNIER was renamed NIES.