Zhejiang University

Overview

Zheijang University (ZJU) is one of the oldest and most prestigious universities in China. Belonging to the esteemed C9 league, an alliance of nine elite universities in the country, the educational institution is included in the world’s top 100 universities, according to Times Higher Education. To maintain a conducive environment for research, the school offers around 7.7 million volumes of research, housed in five expansive academic libraries.

Much of ZJU’s research is centered on technology, entrepreneurship, and preserving the environment, reflective of its top courses offered to students—these include economics, management, engineering, medicine, natural sciences, law, and art. As such, the school has produced a laundry list of notable alumni in the government sector, the medical and scientific fields, world-class athletes, and the CEOs of large enterprises.

Founded in 1897, the school was initially known as the Qiushi Academy. It was established by Lin Qi, the mayor of Hangzhou, with him envisioning the university to have modern facilities and employ more sophisticated means of instruction. The academy went on to annex Zheijang Medical School, a slew of agricultural and industrial schools, and eventually the National Che Kiang University—recognized at the time as the “Cambridge of the East”—by 1949. In 1988, ZJU was officially established, consisting of four central colleges.

Currently, ZJU has over 54,000 enrolled students (around 7,000 of whom are international students), around 3,000 full-time faculty members, and seven campuses. It has more than 8,000 courses distributed to nearly 150 undergraduate programs, around 300 master’s programs, and almost 300 doctorate degrees. The university also has seven hospitals and a museum. In addition, ZJU has partnered with over 190 universities from more than 30 countries worldwide for its international programs.

As one of the most recognized schools in China, ZJU has reaped its share of notable achievements. Scientists from the institution developed the country’s first dual inner water-cooled turbo-generator in 1958 as well as invented an advanced videography system used to document nuclear explosions in 1964. The school also produced China’s first Polyshield Tunnel Boring Machine and synthesized the world’s lightest solid substance. Furthermore, as a testament to its dedication to research, ZJU has over 6,300 SCI-indexed publications and more than 2,000 patents for invention.

ZJU aims to be a world-class university that nurtures future leaders and conducts transformative research to impact the lives of people in China and the world. It has largely done so with its dedicated focus on research and innovation. As such, university ranking systems recognize the institution as one of the pearls of Asia.