Universities

Donghua University (DHU) in Shanghai, founded in 1951, is a Ministry of Education university known for fashion design, textile engineering, and information technology. It has long hosted international students from many countries. Degree pathways span design, textiles, materials, and related engineering and management fields.

East China Normal University (ECNU) is a key university under the Ministry of Education and was part of Project 211 and Project 985. Founded in October 1951 from the former Great China University and Kwang Hua University, with parts of Fudan and Tongji and others. It was among the first 16 National Key Universities in 1959 (reaffirmed 1978), among the first 33 institutions authorized to set up graduate schools in 1986, joined Project 211 in 1996, and entered Project 985 after a 2006 Ministry of Education–Shanghai co-sponsorship agreement. Faculty: over 4,500 staff, including 1,986 full-time teachers (over 1,100 professors or associate professors); 11 academicians of the Chinese Academy of Sciences or Chinese Academy of Engineering (6 dual); 11 members of the State Council Academic Appraisal Committee; 8 Yangtze Scholar specially hired or lecture professors; 9 New-Century Talents Project state-level talents; 10 National Outstanding Youth Fund winners; 80 Zijiang Scholar specially hired or lecture professors; 105 tenured professors

Founded in 1952 in Shanghai, East China University of Science and Technology began as the nation’s first university dedicated to chemical engineering. It now operates across three campuses in Xuhui, Jinshan, and Fengxian districts. The university comprises 15 academic schools and five colleges, offering programmes across eleven disciplinary areas—from science and engineering to law, education, and the arts. It awards bachelor’s degrees in 61 fields, master’s degrees in 121, and doctoral degrees in 73, alongside professional master’s qualifications in business, public administration, law, and social work. With over 28,300 full-time students and more than 1,000 academic staff holding professorial or associate professorial rank, ECUST maintains a strong emphasis on research and multidisciplinary integration. Its academic identity remains rooted in its original specialisation while expanding into broader scientific and humanistic domains.

Fudan University, established in 1905, is situated in Shanghai’s Yangpu District and forms part of China’s national key universities. Its campus hosts over 30,000 students and includes five national key laboratories alongside a library holding more than five million volumes. The university comprises multiple schools and colleges, offering undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral programmes across disciplines. Teaching and research span the humanities, sciences, medicine, and social sciences. Its location in central Shanghai supports close ties with academic, cultural, and professional communities in the city. The university operates primarily in Mandarin, though some postgraduate programmes are delivered in English.

Shanghai International Studies University (SHISU / SISU), founded in 1949, is a key university under the Ministry of Education. It is a foreign language university offering applied programs that prepare graduates for international affairs with expertise in more than one specialty. It runs 36 bachelor’s, 33 master’s, and 12 doctoral programs, plus 1 postdoctoral station; 3 national key disciplines, 2 Shanghai municipal key disciplines, and 1 national research center of humanities and social sciences. Full-time enrollment: over 6,000 undergraduates, 1,500 postgraduates, and 800 college students. International student education has grown since China’s reform and opening-up. The university partners with 197 universities in 43 countries and regions; foreign experts teach or lecture each year, and more than 100 Chinese teachers go abroad for study or academic visits )

Founded in 1896, Shanghai Jiao Tong University is one of China’s oldest universities and is based in Shanghai’s Minhang and Xuhui districts. It comprises 28 schools and departments, offering 64 undergraduate programmes across nine disciplinary areas including engineering, medicine, science, and management. The university hosts over 44,000 students, including nearly 6,000 international learners, and employs more than 2,800 full-time academic staff. Its research infrastructure includes eight state key laboratories and multiple national engineering research centres. SJTU awards degrees at bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral levels across a broad range of disciplines, with particular depth in engineering and the natural sciences. The university operates several affiliated hospitals and maintains close ties with Shanghai’s municipal government and national education authorities.

Shanghai Ocean University, founded in 1952, is a public university situated in Shanghai. It began as Shanghai Fisheries University and now organises teaching and research across nine colleges, with core strengths in fishery, oceanology, food science, and ecology. The university offers undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral programmes, and is designated as a Double First-Class Discipline University by China’s Ministry of Education. Its campus supports focused study of marine and aquatic systems, with academic activity centred on scientific understanding of oceans, ecosystems, and sustainable resource use. Student numbers and faculty reflect its role as a specialist institution within China’s higher education landscape.

Shanghai University is a research-intensive comprehensive university in Shanghai and a member of China’s national Project 211. It combines academic programs with courses linked to the city’s science, technology, and culture. The university emphasizes all-around development, a global perspective, and creative awareness. It maintains extensive international exchanges with dozens of foreign universities, including faculty and student exchanges. More than 3,000 international students study on its campuses. A medium- and long-term plan aims at a green, safe, informationalized campus and a globalized campus environment for sciences, culture, sports, and arts. Founded in 1922 )

Shanghai University of Finance and Economics (SUFE), dating to 1917 in Shanghai, specialises in applied economics, finance, and management, with related strengths in law and accounting. It is a major finance-and-economics university for undergraduate and postgraduate study, including pathways for international students.

Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine (SHUTCM), established in 1956, was one of the first four TCM colleges in China. Its 35-hectare campus is in the Research and Education Section of Zhangjiang Hi-Tech Park, Pudong New Area, and forms part of “Zhangjiang Pharmaceutical Valley” in Shanghai’s innovation strategy. The university offers doctorate programs across TCM disciplines. Leadership and faculty strengths cited include academicians Chen Kaixian (CAS) and Hu Zhibi (CAE), plus roles linked to the National Basic Research Program (973), One Thousand Talents Scheme, Cheung Kong Scholars, and the National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars. The International Education College, also in the Zhangjiang Free Trade Zone context, supports research-oriented education with international outreach )

Tongji University is a leading university directly under the Ministry of Education and is included in Project 211. Its history dates to 1907, when German doctor Erich Paulun established Tongji German Medical School; it was officially named a university in 1923 and became a national university in 1927, with science, engineering, medicine, arts, and law. After the 1952 discipline restructure, Tongji became a major engineering university strong in civil engineering. From 1978 it developed into a multi-disciplinary university oriented toward engineering. Today it is a comprehensive research university covering sciences, engineering, medicine, literature, arts, law, economics, management, philosophy, and pedagogy. International cooperation includes partners in Germany, France, the UK, the USA, Japan, Canada, Italy, Spain, Finland, and elsewhere. Government-approved units include Sino-German College for Graduate Study and Sino-German College of Applied Sciences; Sino-Italian Campus; Sino-French Institute of Engineering and Management with Paris Tech; Tongji–UNEP Institute of Environment for Sustainable Development; and Tongji–Australian Institute of Technology, among other international programs

Founded in 1906, the University of Shanghai for Science and Technology is located in Shanghai and offers undergraduate, master’s and doctoral programmes across engineering, science, management, economics, literature and medicine. It comprises multiple schools including Optical-Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, and Environmental and Architecture Engineering. The university has a student population of over 24,000 and has awarded degrees to more than 100,000 graduates since its establishment. Its academic focus centres on applied science and technology, with longstanding strengths in instrumentation, thermal engineering, and optical systems. Campuses are situated across urban and suburban areas of Shanghai, supporting both teaching and industry-linked research activities. The institution maintains a tradition of integrating technical education with broader disciplinary perspectives.