Nanjing University

History

Situated in the old capital city of Nanjing, Nanjing University (NJU) has a one-hundred-year-long history and enjoys high prestige. It evolved from Sanjiang Normal School (established in 1902), to Liangjiang Normal School, to Nanjing Higher Normal School, to National Southeastern University, to National Fourth Sun Yat-sen University, to National Central University, to National Nanjing University, and finally to Nanjing University in 1950. In the nationwide restructuring of universities and colleges undertaken in 1952, NJU was integrated with Jinling University and retained its name Nanjing University. The university then moved from Sipailou to Gulou, where Jinling College used to be.  

Position

In its century-old history, NJU has witnessed and shared our nation’s hardship and glory, striving with great effort to make its contributions to national revitalization and scientific progress. Faced with new, historical opportunities brought forth by the Reform and Opening-up, NJU as a key comprehensive university under the direct supervision of the Ministry of Education has upgraded itself with good momentum of development in teaching, research and social service, ranking among China’s top universities in its teaching indexes and overall strength. In 1994, NJU was accredited as a key university receiving support by “211 Project.” In 1999, it became one of the first batch of high-level universities receiving support by “985 Project.” Since 2006, it has been under the joint construction by the Ministry of Education and Jiangsu Province.  

Students and Faculty

At present, NJU has three campuses: Xianlin Campus, Gulou Campus and Pukou Campus. With 28 schools under the university’s direct supervision, the number of the students in 2016 is 32,999 in total, including 13,583 undergraduates, 10,865 master students, 5,335 doctoral students, and 3,216 full-time international students. The university boasts a faculty made up of the most accomplished scholars in China, a large number of outstanding disciplines and many important national and provincial research platforms.  

Teaching Ideas

Over the past century, centering on educating men and women, NJU has, in different historical periods, cultivated and turned out many talents, who have made enormous contributions and achievements in their respective fields. Since the Reform and Opening-up, the university has explored many different methods of reform in teaching and education and has brought up many important educational ideas and teaching theories, which have exerted significant influence on higher education both at home and abroad.

At present, NJU has set up the goal of “doing the best in undergraduate education,” adhering to the education idea of “integrating disciplinary building with undergraduate teaching, liberal education with personal cultivation, foundation broadening with practice deepening, and learning to learn with learning to be a citizen.” The university keeps deepening the reform of the mechanisms of cultivating creative talents and fostering leading figures and outstanding talents with creativity, practical ability and international vision for all walks of life in society.

Research

NJU’s predecessors were known for their science. The scientific spirit and the tradition of studying nature and pursuing truth have existed throughout NJU’s development and remains the most prominent character of its teaching and education. Generations of NJU faculty and students have worked hard unremittingly for the nation and people, making research achievements renowned in academia at home and abroad.

Today, NJU follows the principle of “strengthening applied subjects, focusing on foundation subjects, developing frontier subjects, and enhancing interdisciplinary cooperation” and the principle of “orienting basic research towards the international forefront of academia, and orienting applied research towards national strategic needs and the country’s economic construction so as to solve important theoretical and practical problems related to the well-being of the nation and people.” It is readjusting its research layout and reinforcing its research organization to enhance the overall level and capacity for original research and building itself into an important research center of China.  

International Cooperation

Since the founding of the university in the early 20th century, NJU has been among the most active universities in carrying out international communication and cooperation and has built close relationship with many first-class universities and research institutes around the world. One example is the 30-year-long Center for Chinese and American Studies jointly administered by Nanjing University and Johns Hopkins University, China’s earliest long-term international cooperation program in higher education since the Reform and Opening-up. The center has fostered many pillar scholars for cultural communication between China and America, exerting enormous influence at home and abroad. In today’s new historical conditions, NJU is vigorously promoting international communication and cooperation in multiple fields and through multiple channels, raising its teaching to the international standards in every aspect.

Going Forward

Today, NJU has entered a new century of its history. The whole of the university will keep a high working spirit but a simple and unadorned style of work. Under the guiding spirit of President Xi Jinping’s instruction on “the first Nanjing University,” the university will focus on the development of its inner quality and give full play to its characteristics; it will strive to make itself into a first-class university around the world so as to make greater contributions to the revitalization of the Chinese nation.

Located in the ancient capital of Nanjing, Nanjing University and its predecessors have taken responsibility for the country and the nation during its development of over 100 years. Committed to the prosperity of the nation and the advancement of science, Nanjing University makes significant contributions to the revitalization of China.

Especially since the Reform and Opening-up, Nanjing University has seized this historic opportunity and gained vitality. Maintaining good momentum in teaching, research, social service as well as cultural inheritance and innovation, Nanjing University ranks among the top of China’s universities.

Based on the principle of cultivating talents, Nanjing University has nurtured excellence for the nation during different historical stages. They have made remarkable contributions and achievements in different fields. Since the Reform and Opening-up, Nanjing University has made advancements in educational reform and developed many important theories of education and teaching, which are of significant effects on higher education at home and abroad. At present, Nanjing University is going on with reform of innovative talents training mechanism, and striving to cultivate leading and top-notch innovative talents equipped with creativity, practical ability and global perspective ready to lead the way in all sectors of society.

The predecessor of Nanjing University was renowned for its scientific achievements. An emphasis on investigation and seeking truth have run through the history of its development and became the most important characteristic of this university. Generations of NJUers have worked diligently and made numerous excellent scientific achievements, gaining reputation in national and international academic circles. Guided by the principle of “carrying out fundamental research which leads the international academia, carrying out applied research which meets the national strategic demands and makes for economic development, and remaining committed to solving major theoretical and practical issues concerning national interest and people’s livelihood,” Nanjing University is striving to adjust the layout of scientific research, strengthen scientific research organizations, and comprehensively improve the ability and level of original research so as to develop Nanjing University into an important scientific research center in China.

Since its establishment at the beginning of the last century, Nanjing University has been one of the most active universities in China in international communication and cooperation. It has established close collaborations with many first-class universities and high-level scientific research institutions around the world. Among them is the Johns Hopkins University-Nanjing University Center for Chinese and American Studies, which was established in the 1980s, has been successfully run for over 30 years. The program has produced many backbone talents for Sino-US relations and exerted a notable influence both at home and abroad. In this new age of international relations, Nanjing University is pushing ahead with wide-ranging and multiple international communication and cooperation projects in order to promote education internationalization.

Nanjing University has now entered into its second hundred years of development. All NJUers will maintain a high spirit and a low profile to thoroughly carry out the instruction of “the First Nanjing University” proposed by President Xi Jinping. Focusing on connotative development and features of Nanjing University, let’s make arduous efforts to build NJU into a world-class university early and make greater contributions to the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation!

We thank you for your attention and look forward to your arrival! Let’s work together for a better future!