Universities

Beijing Foreign Studies University (BFSU) is a key university under the Ministry of Education of China. Founded in Yan’an in 1941, it was the first Chinese institution specialized in foreign language studies and has a long history among universities of this type. It offers a full range of degrees and programs and has a large number of foreign language programs. It is known for foreign language and literature teaching and research, and trains people for work in foreign languages, culture, diplomacy, journalism, and international business. BFSU has 13 schools, colleges, and institutes, 7 academic departments, and many research centers. Schools and institutes include the School of English and International Studies, School of English for Special Purposes, School of Russian Language, Graduate School of Translation and Interpretation, School of International Business, School of Chinese Language and Literature, School of International Relations and Diplomacy, Law School, School of Asian and African Languages, School of European Languages and Cultures, School of Philosophy and Social Sciences, Continuing Education College (Training College), and the Institute of Online Education. Departments cover German, French, Japanese, Spanish, Arabic, Computer Science, and Physical Education. Research centers include the Beijing Center for Japanese Studies, European and American Literature Research Center, Foreign Languages Research Center, International Issues Research Center, and an American Studies Center

Beijing Normal University (BNU) was founded in 1902. It is a major university in Beijing that has received strong national support, including through the "211" and "985" projects. Structure: 1 Faculty, 23 colleges and schools, 2 departments, and 37 institutes. BNU signed an agreement with the Ministry of Education and Beijing Municipal Government and became the 10th university on a special support list aiming for world prestige. It has 108 doctoral programs, 153 master's programs, 60 bachelor's programs, and 25 post-doctoral programs. It has 16 national key disciplines (5 general and 11 specialized). BNU has cooperative agreements with 300 institutions in over 30 countries, and over 50 student exchange partners in Asia, Europe, and North America. Joint Confucius Institutes are named with: University of Manchester (UK); San Francisco State University (US); University of Oklahoma (US); Université de Sherbrooke and Dawson College (Canada); Aalborg University (Denmark); University of Macerata (Italy); and the College of William and Mary (US).

Central China Normal University (CCNU) was founded in 1903 and took the name CCNU in 1985. It is a comprehensive university on the National 211 Priority Project list. The campus is on Guizi Mountain in Wuhan, bordering East Lake and South Lake. CCNU has 25 schools and departments, more than 60 research institutes/centers, 59 bachelor's programs, 94 doctoral programs, and 184 master's programs. Student body over 30,000, including 8,000 postgraduates and more than 2,700 international students. CCNU was among the first Chinese universities to accept international students and is appointed to accept students with Chinese Government Scholarship. It is also among the earliest state-level Chinese Language Teaching Bases ratified by the State Council. It has exchange and research cooperation with more than 100 universities in over 70 countries, including the United States, Germany, Japan, Russia, France, New Zealand, Australia, Korea, and Vietnam. Overseas enrollment began in 1965. About 2,700 overseas students from more than 100 countries study long-term or for degrees

Founded in 1952, the China University of Political Science and Law (CUPL) is a Beijing-based institution with two campuses: Xueyuan Lu in Haidian District and Fuxue Lu in Changping District. It evolved from the merger of law, political science, and sociology departments formerly housed at Peking University, Yenching University, Fu Jen Catholic University, and Tsinghua University. CUPL offers undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral programmes across law, political science, philosophy, economics, management, history, and education. The university comprises 19 schools and departments, alongside 10 university-level research institutes. With around 15,000 full-time students—including over 800 international students—and more than 800 academic staff, CUPL maintains a focused presence in legal and social sciences education. Its post-doctoral research centre supports advanced scholarly work in these fields.

Chongqing University (CQU) is a key national university directly under the Ministry of Education. It is a “211 Project” and “985 Project” university with support from central and local government. Founded in 1929, CQU has 28 colleges, plus the Graduate School, the City College of Science and Technology, the College of Continuing Education, and the College of Networking Education. Total enrollment is about 50,000: about 20,000 master’s and doctoral students and 30,000 undergraduates. The university has 24 postdoctoral mobile stations, 133 doctoral programs, 256 master’s programs, 18 professional master’s programs (including MBA, EMBA, MPA, and master of engineering), and 89 bachelor’s programs across science, engineering, liberal arts, economics, management, law, agriculture, and education. Staff: about 5,400 faculty and staff, including about 2,700 full-time teachers; 3 members of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and 12 contracted members from other institutions; 6 members of the Subject Appraisal Team of the Degree Committee under the State Council; 4 chief scientists of the National 973 Project; 4 state-level middle-aged or young experts with distinguished contribution; 500 doctorate supervisors; and 1,700 full professors and associate professors. CQU has exchange links with over 100 higher education institutions in about 20 countries, including the USA, England, France, Germany, Italy, Canada, Australia, Holland, Japan, South Korea, and Russia.

Dalian University of Technology (DUT) is a national key university under the Ministry of Education, in the coastal city of Dalian. It is strong in science and technology and also covers economics, management, applied liberal arts, foreign languages, and social sciences. It has a graduate school, 7 faculties, and 5 colleges, with about 32,000 full-time students. DUT has academic agreements with more than 120 higher education or research institutions in more than 20 countries and regions. The School of International Cultural Exchanges handles enrollment, teaching, and management of international students. About 6,000 students from 102 countries have studied at DUT for degrees or Chinese language training

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

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.

Hebei University of Technology (HEBUT) is a key provincial university and a national “Project 211” university. Under Hebei Province, it specializes in engineering and also covers technology, science, economics, management, and arts. Founded in 1903 as Beiyang Technical School, it follows the motto “Diligence, Prudence, Devotion and Loyalty” and stresses both academic learning and engineering practice. It offers 69 undergraduate programs across engineering, science, economics, management, art, and law. Structure: 17 schools/departments, 1 physical-training teaching department, and 2 teaching administrative schools. It has 6 state-level characteristic disciplines, 18 province-level representative programs, 2 national key disciplines, 4 province-level advantageous disciplines, and 20 provincial key disciplines. There are 42 doctoral disciplines and 131 master’s or professional degree fields. HEBUT was the first engineering-based university in China to launch an MBA program and is the only university in Hebei offering EMBA education. It has 9 post-doctoral work stations; Material Science and Engineering is a special national program among them. Faculty: 2,474 qualified members; among 1,365 full-time teachers, 706 hold senior titles and 682 have doctorates

Huazhong University of Science and Technology stands in Wuhan, central China’s largest inland city. Founded in 1953, it is one of China’s national key universities, administered directly by the Ministry of Education. Its campus spans over 1,150 acres and features dense tree cover—nearly three-quarters of the grounds are green, earning it the informal title 'University in the Forest'. The university offers programmes across twelve academic disciplines, with around 60,000 students enrolled, including over 3,000 from more than 130 countries. It delivers undergraduate, master’s, doctoral and post-doctoral training through 95 bachelor’s, 224 master’s and 183 doctoral programmes. Research infrastructure includes five national key laboratories, the Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, and a high magnetic field facility—one of only four such centres globally. Teaching staff include approximately 900 professors and 1,200 associate professors.

Jilin University was founded in 1946. After decades of development and mergers of six higher education institutions, it became China’s largest comprehensive university by student enrollment, supported by national key projects including Project 211 and Project 985. It offers all 13 academic categories: Philosophy, Economics, Law, Education, Literature, History, Science, Engineering, Agriculture, Medicine, Management, Military Science, and Arts — with 124 undergraduate, 299 master’s, 237 doctoral, and 41 post-doc programs. Faculty: 6,568 members, including 2,058 full professors (1,186 doctoral advisors) and 24 members of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Chinese Academy of Engineering (15 adjunct academicians). Full-time students: 68,957, including over 24,021 master’s/doctoral and over 43,024 undergraduates. Library collection: 6.59 million books; designated UNESCO, UNIDO, and World Bank library; CALIS center for Northeast China. About 2,000 international students from 98 countries study in 124 programs across 37 colleges (including School of International and Public Affairs, College of Humanities, Norman Bethune College of Medical Science, Economics School, and others). Popular programs include International Relations, Chinese language, World Economy, and Diplomacy

Jinan University, founded in 1906, was the first Chinese institution dedicated to education for overseas Chinese. It is one of China’s One Hundred Key Universities and operates under the Overseas Chinese Affairs Office of the State Council. It has 27 colleges, 59 departments, 178 research institutions, and 77 laboratories. As of April 2014: 46,750 students total — 10,471 graduates on campus (1,214 doctoral, 7,977 master’s, 1,280 on-the-job master’s), 20,718 full-time undergraduates, and 11,532 overseas Chinese, foreign, Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan students. supervisors, 502 professors, and 690 associate professors. International links: more than 300 bilateral agreements or exchange relationships worldwide; active exchange with 43 countries plus Hong Kong and Macau; offices in Hong Kong and Macau and an education foundation in Hong Kong. Main campus in Guangzhou covers about 1.69 million square meters

Lanzhou University in Lanzhou, several subjects ranked in the global ESI top 1%.

The Institute for International Students handles international student enrollment at Nanjing University. It is a national test site for HSK, the Test of Practical Chinese (C.Test), and the Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language (TCFL) Capability Test. It has hosted more than 10,000 international students from over 70 countries. Graduates have gone into politics, business, and scholarship. The Institute includes the Department of Chinese Language, the Department of TCFL, the Institute of Chinese-Foreign Culture Comparison Studies, the Postgraduates Center, and the Teaching Materials Center for TCFL. It offers Chinese language and culture programs, short-term language training, and degree programs (B.A., M.A., Ph.D.). Faculty: 33 full-time (23 professors or associate professors) plus over 30 adjunct faculty, experienced in teaching Chinese to foreign students. It has served as a training site for organizations including the Chinese Department of the UN, CIEE, the Chinese Teaching Association of the New York Area, and the American National Chinese Flagship Program, and works with foreign governments, companies, diplomatic services, the military, and schools. It offers Chinese language and culture programs and HSK prep courses; HSK candidates from the university have traditionally ranked highly.

Nankai University, founded in 1919 in Tianjin, is a major multidisciplinary university covering humanities, natural sciences, technology, life sciences, medical sciences, and the arts. It is a member of Project 985 and Project 211. The university has cooperative ties with about 300 colleges and research institutes in over 40 countries. Enrollment is about 24,000 students, including almost 3,000 international students. More than 10,000 foreign graduates have studied at Nankai. Alumni mentioned include Zhou Enlai and two Nobel Prize winners, along with well-known writers and historians. English-taught master’s programs and Chinese language study are available. Library: four main libraries and resource centres; about 3,822,000 volumes and 30 terabytes of e-books; book circulation service for students. Campus smart card covers library/teaching building access, canteen and supermarket payments, and city transport. Computer access includes 100+ library computers, school IT suites (Monday–Friday), and free campus Wi-Fi. Sports facilities include an Olympic-size swimming pool, outdoor stadium, running track, soccer and basketball courts, and 100+ tennis, table tennis, and badminton courts, plus clubs such as Kung Fu and Tai Chi. Tianjin is about 30 minutes by high-speed train from Beijing.

Northeast Normal University opened in Changchun in 1946 and has since grown into a national key university with a consistent emphasis on teacher education and educational theory. Its academic structure includes several schools delivering undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral programmes, with particular depth in pedagogy, psychology, and curriculum development. While rooted in the training of school educators for northeast China, it also maintains teaching and research activity across the humanities and sciences. The campus reflects its long institutional commitment to education as both discipline and practice. It forms part of China’s 211 Project, supporting sustained development in selected universities.

Founded in 1924, Ocean University of China is located in Qingdao, a coastal city on the Shandong Peninsula with a mild climate and historic maritime character. Its position by the Yellow Sea informs its long-standing emphasis on marine science, atmospheric science, and related disciplines, while also maintaining teaching and research programmes in economics, law, engineering, pharmacy, agronomy, and the humanities. The university operates across two campuses in Qingdao, each embedded within the city’s academic and cultural environment. It hosts approximately 27,000 students, including over 1,300 international students from more than fifty countries, and is staffed by around 2,500 faculty members. Academic work spans eight disciplinary areas, with degrees offered at undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral levels. The university falls under the direct administration of China’s Ministry of Education.

Renmin University of China (RUC) is a comprehensive research university focused on humanities and social sciences. Its predecessor was Shanbei Public School (1937), later North China Union University and North China University. It was formally established as Renmin University of China on 3 October 1950 — described as the first university founded by the new Chinese government — and is a Project 211 and Project 985 university, often called a flagship for social sciences and humanities education in China. Structure: 26 schools and 14 interdisciplinary research institutes, plus School of Physics, School of Continuing Education, and School of Education & Training; a satellite campus in Suzhou and a research institution in Shenzhen. Programs: 75 bachelor’s, 4 secondary bachelor’s, 183 master’s (including 33 offered autonomously by RUC), 124 PhD (including 31 autonomous); 20 first-level PhD disciplines and 18 postdoctoral mobile centers

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 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 )

Soochow University is located in Suzhou, historically known as “Paradise on Earth.” It is a key comprehensive provincial university in Jiangsu and one of China’s top 100 universities under Project 211 of the Ministry of Education. Named after the city (historically spelled Soochow; also written Suzhou University / Suda in pinyin), it was founded in 1900. In 1952, the College of Liberal Arts and Science of Soochow University, Southern Jiangsu College of Culture and Education (formed from Jiangsu Provincial College of Education, National College of Social Education, and Wuxi Junior College of Sinology), and the Department of Mathematics and Physics of Jiangnan University merged into Southern Jiangsu Teachers’ College, later renamed Jiangsu Teachers’ College on the old Soochow University campus. In 1982, with State Council approval, Soochow University was reestablished to replace Jiangsu Teachers’ College. In 1995, 1997, and 2000, with Ministry of Education and Jiangsu Provincial Government approval, Suzhou College of Sericulture, Suzhou Institute of Silk Textile Technology, and Suzhou Medical College merged into Soochow University. The university covers a wide range of disciplines including philosophy, economics, law, education, literature, history, natural science, engineering, agriculture, medical science, and management. programs of primary disciplines, eighty-five Ph.D

Sun Yat-sen University (Zhongshan University) is in Guangzhou, south China’s largest city, near Hong Kong and Macao. Founded by Dr. Sun Yat-sen (Zhongshan), it has more than 100 years of history and is a key multi-discipline university under Ministry of Education Projects 985 and 211, ranking among major universities nationally and at the top in South China. It has four campuses: Guangzhou South and North Campuses, Guangzhou East Campus (University Town), and Zhuhai Campus. There are 32 schools or colleges and 5 departments directly under the university. Undergraduate courses are offered in 102 subject areas; master’s degrees in 251 subject areas and doctorates in 180. There are 30 postdoctoral programs. The student body totals over 84,600, including over 32,000 bachelor’s students, nearly 10,300 master’s students, nearly 4,400 doctoral students, and other categories totaling up to about 35,951. The university receives Chinese Government Scholarship international students and self-funded international students. It has hosted international students since the 1950s. About 3,000 international students from over 100 countries study here each year

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

Wuhan University is a key university under China’s Ministry of Education, in Wuhan, capital of Hubei Province. The campus sits by Luojia Hill and East Lake and covers about 373 hectares. It is often described as one of the more scenic university campuses in China. Its history goes back to Ziqiang Institute, founded in 1893 by Zhang Zhidong. After several name changes it became National Wuhan University in July 1928. By the end of 1946 it had six colleges: liberal arts, law, sciences, engineering, agriculture, and medicine. On 2 August 2000, with State Council approval, a new Wuhan University was formed by merging the original Wuhan University, Wuhan University of Hydraulic and Electrical Engineering, Wuhan Technical University of Surveying and Mapping, and Hubei Medical University. It now has 6 faculties and 37 schools across 12 areas: Philosophy, Economics, Law, Education, Literature, History, Sciences, Engineering, Agriculture, Medicine, Management, and Arts. Programs include 124 undergraduate, 347 graduate, and 243 doctoral programs, including 5 undergraduate and 6 master’s programs taught in English )