About FDU

    Fudan University was established in 1905 as Fudan Public School. It was the first institution of higher education to be founded by a Chinese person. The two characters, fù (“return”) and dàn (“dawn”) were borrowed from A Commentary on The Classic of History （《尚书大传·虞夏传》）, of which the part on the Yu and the Xia dynasties mentions: “Brilliant are the sunshine and moonlight, again the morning radiance returns at dawn.” In 1917, the institution was renamed Fudan University, which has been kept ever since.  

    Fudan University was merged with Shanghai Medical University in 2000. Shanghai Medical University was previously the Medicine School of National No.4 Sun Yat-Sen University established in 1927. Currently, Fudan University has 11 faculties: philosophy, economics, law, education, literature, history, science, engineering, medicine, management and arts. As a world-renowned top Chinese university and comprehensive research institution, Fudan University was selected into the “Double First-Class University Plan” in 2017, which is a state project to sponsor elite Chinese universities, and 27 of our disciplines are listed “double first-class”.

    The university is comprised of 35 schools (or departments) and 17 affiliated hospitals (4 are still under construction) with 76 bachelor degree programs, 43 master degree programs of first-level academic disciplines, 37 doctoral degree programs of first-level academic disciplines, 32 master professional degree programs, 4 doctoral professional degree programs and 35 post-doctoral fellowship programs.

    Fudan University is home to 13,623 undergraduates and associate degree candidates, 22,610 graduates, 3,672 international students and 3,110 full-time teaching faculty and researchers. Fudan hosts 47 members of Chinese Academy of Sciences and members of Chinese Academy of Engineering, 1 Distinguished Professor, 13 Senior Professors, and 119 winners of the National Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars.

    Currently, we have 19 disciplines that rank 1% globally by ESI, which has put us in the 2nd place (in a tie) in China by the number of top global 1% disciplines. Our Chemistry, Materials Science, Clinical Medicine, Pharmacology and Toxicology have even entered the 1% band in the world. According to the latest QS World University Rankings, we rank 44th in the world and 3rd in China. We stay ahead in the top 100 in the world in 10 subjects, ranking 3rd in China in terms of the number of subjects in top 100 in the world. We are one of the only two Mainland Chinese universities with all 5 broad subject areas entering top 100 in the world. According to U.S. News & World Report Rankings, 4 of our subjects are listed top 50 globally. We also have 1 broad subject area entering top 50 in the world according to the latest Times Higher Education World University Rankings. In the 4th China University Subject Rankings (CUSR), we are listed A+ in 5 subjects and more than 60% of our subjects evaluated are in the A category. Besides, 14 of our subjects have been selected into the Shanghai Peak (in Chinese: Gaofeng) Subject Project by Shanghai Education Commission.

    The university has 5 state key laboratories, 1 state mathematics center, 1 state key research bases for teaching materials, 2 state clinical medicine research centers, 1 state manufacturing innovation center, 7 engineering research centers supported by the Ministry of Education, 14 key laboratories by the Ministry of Education, 9 key laboratories by the National Health Commission, 1 key laboratory by the Ministry of Health, 15 key laboratories by the Shanghai municipal government and 11 engineering research centers by the Shanghai municipal government. We also have 10 key research bases for humanities and social sciences supported by the Ministry of Education, with the Institute of Chinese Studies selected into the first batch of experimental units for the construction of high-end national thinktanks and the School of Marxism into the first batch of national key schools of Marxism. The secretariat of China University Think Tank Forum, an annual conference and assembly for scholars and experts from university think tanks across the nation, is located at Fudan University.

    In recent years, Fudan University has entered into cooperation agreements with more than 270 universities and institutions from over 40 countries and regions. Each year, about 8,000 of our students and faculty members study or research abroad, and meanwhile we receive about 5,000 overseas visitors and host about 100 international conferences.

    The university consists of four campuses including Handan, Fenglin, Zhangjiang and Jiangwan, covering a total area of 2.4391 square kilometers. The total area of buildings on campus is 1.9822 square kilometers.

    (Updated as of May 1st, 2019)

History

Fudan

  • 1905
  • 1912
  • 1922
  • 1938
  • 1949
  • 1978
    • Born in Wusong
      In 1902, Ma Xiangbo（马相伯）, a Chinese Jesuit priest, scholar and educator, spent all his fortune and established Zhendan Academy (later Aurora University) in the empty buildings of Xujiahui Catholic Observatory. In 1905, the imperialist forces in the Xujiahui Catholic Church plotted to seize the leadership of the academy, forcing Ma to leave for recuperation. In order to protestagainst the interference of the church, about 130 students led by Yu Youren and Shao Lizi left the academy, giving their support to Ma for rebuilding the institution in Wusong. On September 14th the same year, or August 16th based on lunar calendar, Fudan Public School, the first higher education institution run by Chinese people, opened at the government office of Wusong area, Shanghai.
    • Move to Xujiahui
      During the Revolution of 1911（辛亥革命）—the revolution that overthrew the Qing dynasty and established the Republic of China—Fudan Public School was suspended and the school buildings were used as the headquarters of the Korean Liberation Army, an important ally fighting alongside China in the war. After the establishment of the Republic of China, Yu Youren, appointed as the deputy head of transportation, joined a group of 41 alumni and wrote to the interim central government in the national capital of Nanjing, asking for the resumption of the school. With the full support of Sun Yat-sen, Fudan Public School became the only university formally approved by the interim government which also granted 10,000 silver dollars to the school to help its restoration. Later from 1912 to 1922, Fudan Public School returned to Xujiahui and settled in the Shrine of Li Hongzhang.
    • Settle in Jiangwan
      In 1918, Li Denghui, the then president of Private Fudan University, bought over 70 mu(approx. 4.67 hectares) of land in Jiangwan with 150,000 silver dollars he raised during his lobby trip to Southeastern Asian countries. In the winter of 1920, Fudan finally had its own classrooms and facilities in Jiangwan which has remained a site of the university up to this day. In 1929, Fudan set up four faculties including Arts, Sciences, Law and Business under the University Organization Law (《大学组织法》) issued by the Ministry of Eduation of the Republic of China. Thanks to an improved academic structure, the development of Private Fudan University now entered a golden era.
    • Withdraw to Chongqing
       After the outbreak of the war of resistance against Japanese aggression, teachers and students were forced to migrate to Beibei area in Chongqing and build by the Jialing river bank a wartime campus composed of over 20 academic departments across the five faculties: Arts, Sciences, Law, Business and Agriculture. A small number of teachers and students stayed back in Shanghai and formed the Shanghai Tutoring Department, adhering to the Three Don’ts Principle, namely don’t report to, accept funding or be interfered by enemies, to maintain their national dignity. In 1942, Fudan University was nationalized and resources available for running the university were greatly improved. Prominent teachers gathered here and offered their wisdom to the university, making Xiaba where Fudan was located an intellectual-brimmed town. In 1946, after the victory of the war, Fudan left Chongqing and returned to Jiangwan, Shanghai.
    • Two Take-Offs: The First
      The year 1949 witnessed the liberation of Shanghai, the establishment of the People’s Republic of China, and a new leaf turned in the history of Fudan. The 1952 State Reform of Higher Education Institutions laid the groundwork for Fudan University to become a prominent comprehensive university with a focus in Arts and Sciences. In May 1959, Fudan University was acknowledged by the state as one of the 16 national key universities: the first major take-off in the history of the university.
    • Two Take-Offs: The Second
       In February 1978, the State Council approved the Report on the Resumption and Betterment of National Key Higher Education Institutions（《关于恢复和办好全国重点高等学校的报告》）submitted by the Ministry of Education and Fudan was reaffirmed as a national higher education institution. In April 1984, Fudan University was listed a state-prioritized institution for development in the 7th Five-Year period. Gaining influence as a national key comprehensive university in just a few years, Fudan was selected into Project 211, a project to raise research standards of higher education institutions: the second major take-off in the history of the university.

Shanghai Medical College

  • 1927
  • 1932
  • 1939
  • 1949
  • 1978
    • Commence in Wusong
      In 1927, No.4 Sun Yat-Sen University School of Medicine was set up in Wusong. It is the first medical school established and run by Chinese people. The founders of the medical school, Yan Fuqing, Le Wenzhao and Gao Jinglang, practiced medicine and education with the sheer intention to relieve patients from pain.
    • Obtain Administrative Independence
      In July 1932, the government of the Republic of China approved the independence of the National Central University Medical College which was later renamed as the National Shanghai Medical College. The college took No.1 China Red Cross Society Hospital, previously China Red Cross Society General Hospital, as its teaching hospital. Thanks to generous donations from the society, new college buildings and the affiliated Sun Yat-Sen Hospital were built in the Fenglin Bridge area in 1936. In 1937, the 4th conference of Chinese Medical Association, the 3rd conference of Chinese Leprosy Society, the 1st China Medical History Literature Exhibition by Chinese Medical History Society and the inauguration of new college buildings were held on the site of the college. 
    • Relocate to Yunnan and Chongqing
      After the break of the war, the National Shanghai Medical College, led by Yan Fuqing, now the President of the college, sent medical rescue teams to the front line with the rest of the college moved to the less affected provinces of Yunnan and Chongqing. The National Shanghai Medical College managed to continue with medical education while facilitating disease control and medical research in the rear area.
    • Serve the Nation
       After the founding of the People’s Republic of China, Shanghai Medical College gradually adjusted its academic structure, aiming at three development directions: clinical medicine, medical education and medical research. To better engage with the society and safeguard the country and its people, the institution built a public health network, helped with the construction of other medical institutions, trained medical practitioners in the rural area and joined international rescue missions. In 1952, the institution was renamed as Shanghai No.1 Medical College. In 1956, 16 professors of the college was recognized as Level I professors by the state, their specialties covering almost all areas in Western medicine. In 1959, the college was acknowledged by the state as one of the 16 national key higher education institutions. The college also played an important role in the rescue mission during the Korean War, hospital construction in Chongqing and elimination of blood fluke.
    • Revitalize the University
      In February 1978, the State Council approved the “Report on the Resumption and Betterment of National Key Higher Education Institutions” submitted by the Ministry of Education and the status of Fudan as a national key higher education institution was reaffirmed. In 1985, the institution was renamed as Shanghai Medical University. Since then, it has maintained its tradition and advanced to become a first-class, world-famous, modern medical university featuring scholarship, precision, knowledge, interdiscipline and cooperation. In 1994, Shanghai Medical University was selected into Project 211, a state project to raise research standards of higher education institutions.
  • 2000
  • 2011
    • A Strong Collaboration
      On April 27th, 2000, a new Fudan University emerged after the merger with Shanghai Medical University. In this decade, Fudan University became a comprehensive research-oriented university renowned both at home and abroad for its arts, sciences and medicine. In 2005, Fudan celebrated the 100 anniversary of the founding of the university and reaffirmed its goal of constructing a socialist comprehensive university with world-class academic capabilities. Fudan implemented a new model of continuous general education throughout the entire undergraduate studies and a talent cultivation system that accentuates innovation ability and inquiry skills. To fit such rapid growth, Fudan expanded to four campuses: Handan, Fenglin, Jiangwan and Zhangjiang.
    • Rise to the Top
      Under the direction of the Party and the state and based on Xi Jinping’s Thoughts on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics in the New Era, the university has been carrying forward the decisions of the 19th National People’s Congress and National Education Conference and stepped up its ideological and political education. Fudan has been adhering to reform and opening-up, boosting development with innovation, tapping the full potential of higher education, speeding up our Double First-Class initiative and building a top university with Chinese characteristics. The university will fulfill its promise to the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation by providing quality educational services, modernizing the education systems and boosting the nation’s education sphere.  

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