The 2019 QS World University Rankings by Subject has ranked Fudan University as one of the two universities in mainland China of which all 5 broad subject areas are among the Top 100. A remarkable achievement for Fudan for 3 consecutive years. The areas include Natural Sciences, Engineering & Technology, Social Sciences & Management, Life Sciences & Medicine, and Arts & Humanities.
Fudan is ranked third(tie) in the Chinese mainland, with 10 subjects joining the Top 50, and second with 29 subjects joining the Top 100. Peking University and Fudan University are the only two in mainland China whose all 5 broad subject areas are listed in the Top 100. Three subjects—Theology, Pharmacy & Pharmacology, and Accounting & Finance—enter the Top 50 for the first time.
Since the launch of the “Double First-Class” initiative, Fudan has given special attention to 27 leading subjects and thereby promoted the synthesis and development of first-grade subjects. Fudan prizes the interdisciplinary approaches to subject building and innovation and has laid out a comprehensive arrangement of subjects comprising the humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, medical sciences, and engineering. As academic breakthroughs are announced in individual subject areas, Fudan as a whole has manifested its increasing competence in the international education sphere.
Promote integrated innovation to serve the state, and open up new dimensions of development
To better serve the country, Fudan has devoted itself to integrated innovation and simplified subject classification, aiming to build research platforms so as to stand out in global competitions.
In terms of the Engineering & Technology subject area, Fudan stands among the Top 50 for the past 3 years and all subjects scored enter theTop 100, among which Mechanical, Aeronautical & Manufacturing Engineering is ranked 42nd, and has been among Top 50 for many years. In recent years, Fudan has been pushing forward the development of “New Engineering” subjects that prioritizesnational and local developmental needs and stresses coordinated innovation, thus building a state-level pioneering teamfor industry innovation, promotion and application. Two years ago, Fudan hosted the “Symposium on University Engineering Education Strategies”, where a Fudan Consensus was reached, outlining the blueprints for the development of “New Engineering” subjects. Ever since, “New Engineering” subjects have become a catalyst for comprehensive original reforms in the conception, modelling, and organizational structures of higher education institutions.
In recent years, Fudan has launched a new batch of engineering subjects expected to lead future technologies and industries. Applied Sciences subjects have been extended to engineering, a move to promote interdisciplinary integration. Fudan took an important part in Shanghai Science and Technology Innovation Center, undertaking major projects at the state and municipal level. The International Human Phenome Project, the International Brain Science and Brain-inspired Intelligence Innovation Center, and the International Micro- & Nano- Electron and Quantum Innovation Center are making steady progress. The Academy for Engineering and Technology was established in 2017 and in 2018 it began to work with Lin’gang to build an industrial center. A forum to discuss the construction and development of “New Engineering” subjects and share the progress in academic and practical projects was held at Fudan this February, contributing to a new Fudan Consensus called “Further Development of ‘New Engineering’ Subjects”. Subject barriers keep being broken down. Fudan is determined to take the lead in the development of future technologies and industries.
Modern Languages has been among the Top 30 for 3 consecutive years. Fudan has made strenuous efforts to coordinate the Department of Chinese Language and Literature, the College of Foreign Languages and Literatures, the School of Computer Science, and the Department of Psychology to build an interdisciplinary platform of modern languages: Institute of Modern Languages. In the meantime, in order to enhance our global influence, Fudan has sped up its internationalization process. The Department of the Spanish Language was reopened in 2018, and has formed long-term partnerships with prominent universities across Spanish-speaking countries to provide more undergraduate students with opportunities to study abroad. In 2016, the Multi-language Center was set up by the College of Foreign languages and Literatures where 12 languages are being taught, offering students more opportunities of overseas exchange. Fudan aims to cultivate outstanding talents who are able to rise up to the global challenges and foster an internationalized atmosphere for all the students and faculty and staff members, a propellant for the “Double First-Class” initiative.
Advantageous subjects keep making progress and leaps
Fudan’s traditionally advantageous subjects have seized new development opportunities in the “Double First-Class” initiative; their rankings have ascended steadily, which bestows on Fudan an increased prestige on the global stage.
In terms of natural sciences, Fudan has been improving step by step continuously, as its relevant subjects unleash their potentials. Overall, Fudan ranks among the Top 3 in mainland China. Two exemplary subjects—Materials Science and Chemistry—hold steady positions among the Top 30. Environmental Sciences, Mathematics, Physics and Astronomy nip at their heels, ranking among the Top 100.
In terms of business studies, Fudan has made steady progress for the past 3 years. Two subjects—Business & Management Studies and Accounting & Finance—have entered the Top 100 for 3 consecutive years:The former ranks among the Top 50 in 2018 and 2019, and the latter in 2019. According to the UTD (University of Texas at Dallas) Top 100 Business School Research Rankings that assesses the research capabilities of business schools across the globe, Fudan University is one of the only two Chinese mainland universities on the list.
In terms of medical sciences, 83% of the 6 Life Sciences & Medicine subjects scored by QS taught and/or studied at Fudan rank among the Top 100, with Pharmacy& Pharmacology ranked 33rd. The fourth round National First-grade Discipline Assessment held in 2016 also rated as Class A as many as 83% of our medical subjects.Fudan has maintained its overall advantages while making numerous innovative achievements. At the end of 2018, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, was approved as a Local High-quality University by Shanghai municipal government, the Ministry of Education, and National Health and Family Planning Commission. Fudan will take this opportunity to give full play to our strengths and make up for our weaknesses by promoting interdisciplinary collaborations. With the collaborations, Fudan aspires to enhance its scientific innovation and to form a highly innovation-driven, first-class medical subject structure in the world.
Burgeoning featured subjects brimming with vim and vigor
Some of the university’s featured subjects entered the Top 50 this year, embellishing our “Double First-Class” practices. This year, Fudan, listed for Theology, Divinity and Religious Studies for the first time, ranks 31st in the world, 3rd in Asia, and 1st in mainland China. The subject of Philosophy also enters the Top 100. Over the past 5 years, an increasing number of young scholars have published overseas, making their voices heard by the rest of the world, especially in the area of ancient Chinese philosophy studies. In 2018, Fudan’s Philosophy was named as one of the Shanghai Category I “Peak Subjects”. With the great support from the local government, more subjects are gathering momentum. Ranked 40th this year for Library & Information Management, Fudan is marking its second entrance into the Top 50. The School of Computer Science and the School of Management together sharetheir Chinese wisdom on information management with the rest of the world. In terms of humanities and social sciences, 6 subjects including International Politics rank among the Top 50. Fudan’s academic capabilities, rooted in China, have the whole world in view, and aregradually being acknowledged and accepted.
