Shanghai University


Shanghai University ) is a public research university located in Shanghai. The 555-acre main Baoshan campus is situated in the north of Shanghai, and there are two other campuses in Jiading and Jing'an.
Jointly founded by the Nationalists and the Communists in 1922, the original cause for the Shanghai University was to nurture leaders for the Chinese revolution. The university contributed a group of influential people to the cause of Chinese liberation and development. The university got discontinued in 1927 as a consequence of the Shanghai Massacre, in which the Nationalists purged all communist-related organizations. In 1983, the Chinese government reopened Shanghai University. And then in 1994, by integrating three other universities, it became a research-intensive comprehensive university, and also the biggest higher learning institution run by Shanghai Municipality. The university enrolls 19,934 undergraduate and 16,954 postgraduate students, including 4,505 international students.
SHU has two undergraduate colleges, five broad academic divisions in which contain 29 independent schools or departments, including the just-announced School of Medicine and its subsidiary "Interdisciplinary Institute of Medicine and Engineering".
Shanghai University is amongst the list of Project 211 for top national universities. The university's scientific research funds stood at US$505.3 million in 2018. In the 2021 QS World University Rankings, the SHU ranked 387th worldwide and 16th in China. The university was also ranked 51-60 globally and 1st in China in the global young university rankings, according to the 2020 QS Top 50 Under 50. In the 2017 Ministry of Education "Chinese University Subject Rankings", the disciplines of Social Sciences, Fine Arts, and Theoretical and Applied Mechanics ranked in the top 10% of all Chinese universities; the disciplines of Mathematics, Drama and Film Studies, Mechanical Engineering, News and Communications, and Material Science and Engineering ranked in the top 20% of all Chinese universities.

History

Shanghai University (1922 to 1927)

Shanghai University was founded on Qingyun Road, Jing'an District, Shanghai in 1922 and was the outcome of the cooperation between the Kuomintang and the Communist Party. Yu Youren, a notable member of Kuomintang, was the first president of the university. At the time under the revolutionary government led by Sun Yat-sen, Shanghai University was the top school in liberal arts, while Whampoa Military Academy was the elite academy for military training. However, Shanghai University became dominated by left wing factions sympathetic to the Communist Party of China. As a result, Shanghai University was closed in 1927 during the anti-Communist purges of Chiang Kai-shek. The old campus was destroyed during World War II.

Refoundation and merger

In 1983, the People's Republic of China government re-established Shanghai University by combining a number of existing tertiary and vocational institutions in Shanghai, including branches of Fudan University, East China Normal University, Shanghai University of Science & Technology, Shanghai Foreign Language Institute, Shanghai Mechanics College, Shanghai Fine Arts College, and the Shanghai College of Law. The university inherited the traditional focus of liberal arts, fine arts, business and law. Like many modern metropolitan universities, at the time of its re-foundation the university lacked a traditional central campus, but used a number of teaching sites spread throughout Shanghai contributed by the various tertiary and vocational institutions which had been merged to form the new university.
In 1994, a new Shanghai University was created by consolidating Shanghai University of Technology, Shanghai University of Science & Technology, the existing Shanghai University and Shanghai Science & Technology College.
Shanghai University of Technology was once Shanghai Institute of Technology, founded in 1960 with a strong background of engineering, technology and industries. The institute was renamed Shanghai University of Technology in 1979. The university was located at Yanchang Road, Jing'an District, Shanghai. Professor Weichang Chien was the president of the university since 1982 and eventually led to the consolidated Shanghai University in 1994.
Shanghai University of Science & Technology was formed by the East China Branch of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in 1958 with a close relationship to the academic and science institutes. The University was located at Chengzhong Road, Jiading District, Shanghai.
Shanghai Science & Technology College was once Shanghai No. 2 Science & Technology School established in 1959, and the school became a college in 1981.

New Shanghai University

The new Baoshan Campus, located at Shangda Road, Baoshan District, Shanghai, was constructed as the main campus of the consolidated Shanghai University. The other two campuses are the Yanchang Campus located in Jing'an District, and the Jiading Campus located in Jiading District.
Appointed by Deng Xiaoping, physicist and theoretical mechanician Chien Wei-zang became the president of the Shanghai University in 1982. Chien Wei-zang was one of the "Three Qians", who were the three scientists surnamed Qian that contributed massly to the foundation of the modern Chinese academia. He later became the longest serving president in any university in the China, a total of 28 years from 1982 he assumed office until his death in 2010. He was a well-known scientist in China, a senior fellow of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Chien Wei-zang introduced a lot of reforms in the Shanghai University such as the transition to a quarterly academic calendar, the founding of an honors undergraduate college and the Shanghai Institute of Applied Mathematics and Mechanics, etc. His academic stature and personal charisma also attracted a lot of reputable researchers to join Shanghai University or to start research cooperations with the university. His death was deemed as a great loss to the university and the academia in general. President Chien's legacy is engraved deeply in the university. Many arrangements in the university after his death are designed to honor him or in the "Chien Wei-zang spirit".
In 2011, the vice president Luo Hongjie acted as the interim president until 2012, when he was appointed to be the next president. In 2011, he introduced the Residential College to the Shanghai University, where all newly matriculated undergraduates do not choose majors and receive general education until the end of the freshmen year.
In 2015, Chinese Academy of Engineering fellow Jin Donghan became the new president of the university. In the same year, Shanghai Film Academy was founded as a new academic branch of the university. And speculations of the intention of the university to found a new School of Medicine got widespread and partially confirmed after the university was hiring faculty to the school.
In 2019, former East China University of Science and Technology vice president, Chinese Academy of Sciences fellow Liu Changshen became the new president. A new school, the School of Mechanics and Engineering Sciences was founded.

Academics

The Shanghai University has 28 schools and departments, offering 71 baccalaureate programs, 174 master programs, 97 doctorate programs, and 19 post-doctoral programs.
The Shanghai University academic spectrum is rich in the arts, laws, social science, mechanics, mathematics, physics, chemistry, life science, computer science, material science, environmental engineering, mechanical engineering and electronic engineering.
Shanghai University has 72 research institutes and an advanced high tech development park approved by the State Science Commission. Under the strategy of active involvement in China's economic expansion with technology and science research, the university has gained significant domestic and international influence in applied science research and fundamental science research. In recent years, the university ranks advanced in terms of scientific research funds, achievement awards and the number of academic theses.
Shanghai University is closely linked with the local community. The School of Life Science is co-founded with the local research institute of Chinese Academy of Sciences, and The School of Film and Television Technology are supported by film, television and broadcasting industries. The university also has joint graduate programs in literature, economics, and law with the Shanghai branch of Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

National key disciplines and laboratories

National Key Disciplines: Iron and Steel Metallurgy, Hydromechanics, Sociology and Mechanical electronics and Engineering.
1National Key Laboratory of Modern Metallurgy and Material ManufacturingKey Lab of Ministry of Education, China
2National Key Lab of Material Composite and Advanced Dispersion TechnologyKey Lab of Ministry of Education, Chinafaefaefae
3National Key Laboratory of Specialty Fiber Optics and Optical Access NetworksKey Lab of Ministry of Education and Ministry of Science, China
4Key Laboratory of OLED and Application IntegrationKey Lab of Ministry of Education, China
5Key Laboratory of Advanced ferrous materials, Southern Base of National Engineering Research CenterDevelopment and Reform Commission, China

International cooperation

Shanghai University is an active member of the international academic community. The university has established cooperative relationships with many universities abroad, with many notable scholars visiting as professors and honorary professors. Currently the university enrolls more than 4,500 foreign students annually. Meanwhile, the university has sent many faculty abroad for training, research and academic exchange. In addition to Shanghai University's more traditional Global/Local MBA program, the university also offers an International Executive Development Program / Executive MBA in conjunction with Rutgers Business School based in Shanghai.

Sino-European School of Technology (UTSEUS)

The school is founded jointly by Shanghai University and French leading Grandes Écoles in 2006. It is a platform of Sino-French and Sino-European teaching and research cooperation in the field of engineering. Students with better grades can switch to a French Diplôme d'Ingénieur program after 3 years of study in the school. It offers 4 undergraduate programs including Information Engineering, Mechanical Engineering and Automation, Biological Engineering and Material Science Engineering.

The Sydney Institute of Language & Commerce (SILC)

Founded in 1994, the school is one of the earliest Sino-foreign institutes. Based on the comprehensive advantages of Shanghai University and University of Technology, Sydney, it adopts a bilingual teaching in English and Chinese. The school offers bachelor's degrees in 5 majors, namely, International Economics and Trade, Business Management, Information Management & Information System, Finance and Accounting.

Library

is composed of three libraries. The main library is on the Baoshan campus, Wenhui library is located on Yanchang campus, and Lianhe library resides on Jiading campus. The University library, with a total floor space of 55,000 square meters, has 25 reading rooms and 3,000 seats. The main library occupies approximately 38,000 square meters.
The libraries contain more than 3 million volumes, more than 4,600 periodicals, and many electronic resources including Elsevier, Ebsco, Kluwer, and Academic Press. The library materials are comprehensive and cover diversified areas. In cooperation with Shanghai Writer's Association, the main library has a collection room for Shanghai writer's works.

Special collections

Notable faculty members

Baoshan Campus

The Baoshan Campus is located in the Baoshan district of Shanghai. Most of the undergraduates will spend their entire four college years on this campus, with few exceptions like those who are admitted into the SILC. The Baoshan Campus is the most recently built campus of SHU, and the east district of which is still under construction. There are two libraries on this campus. The iconic Main Library, and Qianweichang Library built in the remembrance of the late and former president of the university, Weichang Chien.
A half-circular lake named Panchi is at the center of this campus. The name of the lake is given to honor Confucius. According to the Rites of Zhou, Panchis are built at the palaces of the feudal kings. As Confucius was bestowed the title of King Wenxuan in Tang Dynasty, a Panchi was built at every Temple of Confucius. Later, Panchis lost their original meaning as "lakes built for the kings", but became an icon for Confucius, Chinese academia and scholars. And the school entrance ceremony for all the newly admitted students are called "Rupan".
More, there are seven main lecture buildings and several supplementary lecture buildings, two auditorium buildings, three on-campus dorm sites, an indoor sporting complex, and several outdoor sporting fields and courts.