Profile of Nanjing University

Nanjing University, one of the oldest institutions of higher learning in China, is located in Nanjing, a beautiful city known for being China's capital of six ancient dynasties and having a rich cultural heritage.

Nanjing University is a key comprehensive university directly under the State Education Commission. The University dates back to 1902 when Sanjiang Normal School was founded. The School then evolved as Liangjiang Normal School, Nanjing Higher Normal School, National Southeast University, National Fourth Zhongshan University, and National Central University. In August 1949, it was named National Nanjing University. Today's Nanjing University is formed mainly on the basis of the merging of the arts and sciences schools of National Nanjing University and the University of Nanking (a well-known university founded in 1888) during the nationwide institutional and departmental restructuring in 1952. Nanjing University consists of two campuses, one in Gulou and the other in Pukou. The University celebrates its anniversary on May 20 every year. Professor Jiang Shusheng, serves as president of Nanjing University.

Nanjing University adapts itself to meet the country's needs for economic construction, social development and scientific advancement. While consolidating its major fundamental disciplines and bringing into play the potential for excellence, the University has vigorously reformed and updated some of its traditional disciplines. By widening the scope of research fields, promoting interdisciplinary integration and penetration, and optimizing the discipline structure, a breakthrough has been made in the traditional mode of the arts and sciences university. A new pattern for the coordinated multi-discipline development of humanities, social and natural sciences, technology, life sciences, modern engineering and management has emerged.

Nanjing University consists of 10 schools. They are Humanities, Law, International Business, Foreign Studies, Natural Sciences, Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Technology, Geoscience, Life Sciences, and Medicine. With 36 departments, 5 divisions of general course instruction, the Graduate School and the School of Adult Education, the University is running 55 undergraduate programs, 7 dual bachelor's degree programs, 106 master's degree programs, 55 Ph.D programs, and 43 post-doctoral programs at 14 post-doctoral stations. In addition, 8 two-year certificate programs and 64 adult education programs are offered. The University has 18 national key disciplines and 11 provincial key disciplines. 10 departments have been designated by the State Education Commission as the national training bases for teaching and research personnel in fundamental sciences. Nanjing University has thus formed a complete series of educational programs at two-year certificate, bachelor's, master's, doctoral and post-doctoral levels.

Nanjing University benefits from the concentration of scientists of national and international renown and talented young and middle-aged scholars. Of the University's 2,150 faculty members, more than 1,500 are professors and associate professors, among whom 21 are Members of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, and 2 are Fellows of the Third World Academy of Sciences.

Nanjing University provides a good environment for teaching and research. There are 75 laboratories on campus, among which 7 are national key laboratories and 3 are national specialized laboratories. The University has also set up large teaching, research and experiment bases such as the Computer Center, the Analysis Center, the Education Technology Center, the Network Information Center, and China's first "solar tower." The Library now contains over 3.60 million volumes. The University publishes more than 10 national or provincial journals and has its own publishing house.

With a fine school tradition of "being rigorous, truthful, diligent, and innovative," Nanjing University implements the teaching policy of "providing an all-round training, consolidating foundation, teaching according to students' aptitude, and building up vitality." Its graduates have been known for their "high starting point, solid foundation and great potential." In its history of about 100 years, Nanjing University has trained over 60,000 undergraduates and postgraduates. Over 100 of those who have studied or taught at the University have become Members of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Nanjing University alumni are all over the world. At present the University has a student body of 18,000, of whom over 9,000 are undergraduates and two-year certificate students, over 3.200 are postgraduates, and over 300 are international students. The University has set up scholarships for students, and awards for teachers. Since 1978, Nanjing University has won 56 national and ministerial awards of excellent textbooks, among which 3 are of national top-grade, and 10 are of national distinction. Since 1989, it has won 15 Awards of Teaching Excellence in the Institutions of Higher Learning in China, and 2 of them are of top-grade.

Nanjing University is an important center for both personnel training and academic research. Currently it has over 110 research institutes and interdisciplinary research centers. These multi-disciplinary scientific research centers have greatly promoted the development of the newly-emerging borderline disciplines and the overall scientific research of the University. The policy concerning research in natural sciences is "strengthening applied science and technology, emphasizing fundamental theoretical work, developing borderline disciplines and encouraging alliance." With its strong research forces and advanced research facilities, the University has achieved remarkable results. Since 1978, the University has won 48 National Science Conference Awards, 21 Awards of National Natural Sciences, 17 Awards for Advances in Science and Technology, 5 Awards of National Creation and Invention, 1 National "Xinhuo" Award, 288 provincial or ministerial Awards Advances in Science and Technology, and 197 patents as well. In the fields of philosophy and social sciences, it has won 240 national, ministerial and provincial awards since 1985. According to the statistics of China's Scientific and Technological Information Institute, Nanjing University is a leader among the nation's universities in the entries of SCI, ISR and ISTP, the world authoritative scientific research paper indexes.

Supported by its strong disciplines, the University has built a science and technology industry system which consists mainly of biology and biochemistry, special materials, fine chemicals, electronic information, and mechanical and electrical equipment. The Nanjing University Science and Technology Industrial Zone has been set up.

Nanjing University takes an active part in international academic exchanges. In recent years, over 2.000 faculty members and students have been sent abroad for advanced studies, academic visits or joint research projects. At the same time, Nanjing University has received over 2,000 international students and visiting scholars from more than 50 countries or regions. Foreign experts are often invited to teach or give lectures. Over 20 world-famous scholars have been conferred Nanjing University honorary doctorates and professorships. The University's links with over 100 universities and research institutions abroad has opened up channels for joint personnel training and cooperative scientific research. The Center for Chinese and American Studies was jointly founded with the Johns Hopkins University of the United States, and the Research Institute of Sino-German Economic Law was jointly set up with Goettingen University of Germany. Since 1982, Nanjing University has conducted about 100 cooperative projects with institutions abroad and hosted 60 international academic conferences.