Address: 22 Hankou Road, 210093 Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, Earth Sciences, Life Sciences, Humanities, Law, Business
Nanjing University was founded in 1902 as the Sanjiang Normal School, also called the Liangjiang Normal College until 1914. It later became the Nanking Higher Normal School from 1915 to 1923, the National Southeastern University from 1921 to 1927, and the National Central University from 1928 to 1949. It received its present name in 1950, and in 1952 it merged with the University of Nanking. It is a public university sponsored by China’s Ministry of Education.
The university is part of Project 211, Project 985 and the Double First-Class Construction, and it belongs to the C9 League, the group of leading Chinese research universities. Since 1977 it has produced the largest number of alumni elected as academicians of the Chinese Academy of Sciences or the Chinese Academy of Engineering, according to the sources cited by the university’s reference page. In 1948, 28 of the 53 scientists elected to Academia Sinica in natural science were graduates or former faculty.
Four campuses serve the university. The historic Gulou campus lies in the city centre of Nanjing, Xianlin is in the northeast of the city, Pukou is in the district of the same name, and a fourth campus is in Suzhou, Jiangsu. The university counts 2,197 academic staff, 13,934 undergraduates, 12,793 master’s students and 8,948 doctoral students.
Undergraduates begin in the College of First-Year Students, which has seven academies. The schools cover the humanities, history, philosophy, journalism, law, business and foreign studies, together with mathematics, physics, astronomy and space sciences, chemistry, computer science, artificial intelligence, electronic science, environment and earth sciences, atmospheric sciences, life sciences and the medical school. The Kuang Yaming Honors School, the School of Architecture and Urban Planning, and the Tao Xingzhi Teacher Education College complete the list. The Institute of Modern Biology is an independent institute.
The motto, adopted in 2002 for the centennial, is Sincerity with Aspiration, Perseverance with Integrity. The school song dates from 1916, with lyrics by Jiang Qian and music by Li Shutong. More than twenty Nobel laureates teach at the university as part-time faculty. Tuition and fees differ by programme and nationality. Check the current tariff. Teaching is mainly in Chinese, and the university publishes an English-language website.
Domains taught:
AI and Machine Learning, Astroscience, Chemistry, Data Analytics, Engineering, Life Sciences, Materials, Mathematics, Physics
Diplomas*:
Bachelor, Doctor, Master
Status:
Public
Partnerships:
C9 League of leading Chinese universities, Project 211, Project 985 and the Double First-Class Construction, sponsored by China’s Ministry of Education; Kuang Yaming Honors School.
Research:
Physics, astronomy and space sciences, chemistry, mathematics, earth, atmospheric and oceanographic sciences, life sciences, artificial intelligence, software, social sciences and the humanities.
Famous Alumnis:
Chow Bangdao, Lee Hsuehteng
International recognition**:
Number of staff***:
2200
Current students***:
35700
Foreign students***:
N/A%
Cumulative former students***:
N/A
Pros
One of the leading universities in China and a member of the C9 League, very strong basic sciences, historic Gulou campus in the city centre, large research and doctoral community.
Cons
Competitive admission through the national examination, most teaching in Chinese, campuses spread over Nanjing and Suzhou.
Best For
Students and researchers aiming at a leading Chinese university with a strong basic science tradition and a long history.
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Most Similar Schools Locally
In terms of fields, Northwest University Xi'an is the nearest neighbour, with chemistry, physics and mathematics again at the core; it runs the same bachelor's, master's and doctoral programmes, and covers geotechnics as well.
Zhengzhou University follows much the same lines as this university, with chemistry, mathematics and materials as common ground, and it covers civil engineering and statistics as well, and is larger, enrolling about 72,600 students against roughly 35,700 here.
Soochow University follows much the same lines as this university, with chemistry, physics and mathematics as common ground, and it covers nanotechnologies and software engineering as well, and has almost the same size, at about 39,000 students.
Among national alternatives, Henan University stands out for its focus on chemistry, physics and mathematics, and it covers software engineering as well, and is slightly larger, at about 50,000 students against roughly 35,700 here.
Shenzhen University is the closest domestic counterpart for physics, materials and life sciences; it also offers mba programmes and covers marine science and optics as well.
Most Similar Schools Abroad
If this institution is on your list for chemistry, physics and mathematics, University of Hong Kong in Hong Kong deserves a comparison, because it covers finance as well, and has almost the same size, at about 39,200 students.
Nanyang Technological University, in Singapore, takes a similar route through chemistry, physics and mathematics; it is also a public institution and also offers mba programmes.
If this institution is on your list for chemistry, physics and mathematics, University of the Basque Country in Spain deserves a comparison, because it runs the same bachelor's, master's and doctoral programmes, and covers fluid dynamics and software engineering as well.
National University of Singapore, in Singapore, takes a similar route through chemistry, physics and mathematics; it has almost the same size, at about 35,900 students, and is also a public institution.
In Spain, University of Granada teaches much the same core subjects, astroscience, chemistry and physics, and it is also a public institution, and runs the same bachelor's, master's and doctoral programmes.
*our own picks (our criteria: a mix between domains, diploma delivered, reputation and size), but obviously too many criteria for an apple-to-apple ranking.
FAQ
Where is Nanjing University?
In Nanjing, Jiangsu, with campuses at Gulou, Xianlin and Pukou, and another in Suzhou.
When was it founded?
In 1902, as the Sanjiang Normal School.
What names did it bear before?
Among others the National Southeastern University and the National Central University.
When did it take its present name?
In 1950, and it merged with the University of Nanking in 1952.
How many students does it have?
13,934 undergraduates, 12,793 master's students and 8,948 doctoral students.
How many academic staff?
2,197.
What is the C9 League?
The group of leading Chinese research universities, to which Nanjing University belongs.
What is the College of First-Year Students?
The unit in which undergraduates begin their studies, with seven academies.
What is its motto?
Sincerity with Aspiration, Perseverance with Integrity, adopted in 2002.
What does it cost?
Tuition and fees differ by programme and nationality. Check the current tariff.
Artificial Intelligence (AI), Engineering, Innovation, Physics, Research and Development
*: without any judgment of the quality, readers are strongly encouraged to check the official status of the exact diploma envisioned as many universities have a mix of recognized diplomas, not recognized, “co-delivered,” “equivalent to”, “some pathways” (…), can change over time, and can be named differently from one country to another.
**: international reputation: is based on some criteria that do not mean much in some domains or specialties (number of researchers, of scientific publications, on budget ….). Our approximate 1-4 scale:
known locally
known locally and internationally
is listed in some of the world university’s classifications
is listed among the 20 firsts in some of world university’s classifications
***: estimated numbers, based on online sources and/or feedbacks. The numbers can vary greatly depending on school organisation (ex.: school is part of a group, it employs internal staff or external consultants or has public staff without employing them …). Refer to all the links provided to have accurate and updated numbers.
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