Wuhan University

Wuhan University (WHU; ) is a public research university in Wuhan, Hubei. The university is affiliated with and sponsored by the Ministry of Education of China.
Wuhan University is a member of the Double First Class University Plan, Project 211, and Project 985. The university is known for research in fields such as the social sciences, remote sensing, survey engineering, and hydraulic engineering.
History.
The predecessor of the university dates back to the Ziqiang Institute (), which was founded in 1893 by Zhang Zhidong, governor of Hubei and Hunan provinces in the late Qing Dynasty.
It changed its name several times before it was named National Wuhan University in July 1928 and was among the first group of national universities in modern China. (There is a dispute on the establishment of Wuhan University: Some believe that its history should date back to 1913, when the National Wuchang Higher Normal College was founded.)
In the early time of its establishment, Ziqiang Institute provided four courses: Chinese, Mathematics, Nature, and Business. After combining the Institute of Minerals and the Institute of Chemical, courses provided were enlarged, with Nature Science and Engineering added. Chinese was extended to English, French, German, Russian, and Japanese.
In October 1902, Ziqiang Institute moved to Dongchang kou, Wuchang, and changed its name to Foreign Languages Institute (), teaching Geography, History, Mathematics, Law, and Communication.
With the approaching Xinhai Revolution of 1911, the Foreign Languages Institute was forced to pause due to lack of funding. In October, the Wuchang Uprising and the end of the Qing dynasty made it impossible for the school to go back to normal. The Foreign Languages Institute stopped running.
In 1913, the Ministry of Education of Beiyang Government decided to found six higher normal colleges in China. Based on the original location, book resource, and faculties of Foreign Language Institute, the Wuchang State Superior Normal Institute () was founded.
In 1922, faculties were extended to Education Philosophy, Chinese, English, Mathematics, Physics and Chemical, History and Sociology, Biology, and Geography.
In August 1923, the school changed its name to the National Wuchang Normal University (). In 1924, it changed its name to National Wuchang University ().
In 1926, National Wuchang University merged with the National Wuchang Business University (), Hubei University of Medicine (), Hubei University of Law (), Hubei Arts and Humanity University (), Wuchang Private Chinese University () to form National Wuchang Sun Yat-Sen University (), alias National No. 2 Sun Yat-Sen University (), with Department of University, and subjects of Arts, Science, Law, Business, Medicine and Yu (), 17 faculties, 2 departments.
In 1928, the National Government in Nanjing formed National Wuhan University () on the basis of the original National Wuchang Sun Yat-Sen University, consisting of four colleges: Arts, Law, Science, and Engineering ().
In February 1929, the jurist Wang Shijie became the first president of Wuhan University. During the War of Resistance Against Japan, Wuhan University moved to Leshan, Sichuan Province and returned to Luojia Hill after the war.
By the end of 1946, the university had six faculties: liberal arts, law, sciences, engineering, agriculture and medicine. Wuhan University enjoyed a very high academic status, with Wang Shijie, Wang Xinggong, and Zhou Gengsheng as its successive presidents.
Scholars such as Gu Hongming, Zhu Kezhen, Wu Baoliang, Zha Qian, Gui Zhiting, Ye Yage, Li Siguang, Wen Yiduo, Huang Kan, Yu Dafu, Shen Congwen, Zhu Guangqian, Liu Ze, Liu Yongji, Ye Shengtao, Yang Duanliu, and Li Jiannong taught here successively. According to the university, in 1948, the University of Oxford wrote an official letter to the Ministry of Education of the Chinese National Government, stating that Bachelors of liberal arts and sciences that graduated from Wuhan University with average grades above 80 could enjoy "the senior status of Oxford".
In 1952, after a general reshuffle of the colleges and departments of the higher education institutions throughout the country, Wuhan University became a university of liberal arts and sciences directly under the administration of the Ministry of Higher Education. Professor Li Da, delegate to the First Congress of the Chinese Communist Party and a celebrated philosopher, economist and academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, held the post of president of the university for 14 years. The Wuhan University School of Medicine and Tongji University Medical School jointly formed Central-south Tongji Medical College (later Wuhan Medical College), then Tongji Medical University.
Merger.
On August 2, 2000, with the approval of the State Council of the People's Republic of China, the new Wuhan University was established as a combination of four major universities close together: the former Wuhan University, the former Wuhan University of Hydraulic and Electrical Engineering (WUHEE), the former Wuhan Technical University of Surveying and Mapping (WTUSM), and the former Hubei Medical University (HBMU).
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Academics.
In 2018, Wuhan University's student body consisted of 29,405 full-time undergraduates and 19,699 full-time master's degree candidates, 7,163 Ph.D candidates and 2,453 international students.
Rankings and Reputation.
China.
Wuhan University is ranked among the top 10 universities in China.
In 2016, CUAA ranked it the 4th.
In 2015, CUAA ranked it the 4th and Wu Shulian ranked it the 7th.
In 2014, CUAA ranked it the 5th and Wu Shulian ranked it the 7th.
World.
In 2022, QS World University Rankings ranked it 194th in the world and 8th in China.
In 2022, "U.S. News &amp; World Report" ranked it 150th in the world, 24th in Asia and 11th in China.
In 2022, Academic Ranking of World Universities ranked it between # 101-150 in the world and 15th in Asia. In 2020, it ranked 23rd in Greater China (including Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan).
It came 157th in the 2022 "Times Higher Education World University Rankings" where it ranked 25th in Asia and 8th in China. Internationally, Wuhan University is regarded as one of the most reputable Chinese universities by the "Times Higher Education World Reputation Rankings" where it ranked 151st globally.
In Q4 2020, it was ranked 1st among Eastern Asian universities by the amount of venture capital funding raised by unicorn startups founded by its alumni.
Campus.
The university has rolling physical features with the scenic Luojia Hill and the beautiful East Lake. Its campus is heavily wooded and green, with fragrant flowers everywhere year-round. Wuhan University is widely known as one of the most beautiful universities in China, especially for its cherry blossom garden. A cherry blossom festival is held every spring.
Most stylish old buildings were designed by F. H. Kales (1899–1979). Educated in MIT, Kales was a pioneer to blend western architectural styles with traditional Chinese elements, which is most evident from his roof designs.
Wuhan University boasts a campus covering an area of 5508 mu and has a floor area of 2.42 square kilometres. The university's libraries have a collection of approximately 5.4 million volumes and subscriptions to more than 10,000 Chinese and foreign periodicals.
Cooperation.
Wuhan University has established cooperative relationship with more than 300 universities and research institutes in over 40 countries and regions.
Incidents.
In 2009, the university had been cited as part of a scandal involving corruption by its administrators.