Chinese Government Scholarship Country Program

About the university

Wuhan University (WHU), located in Wuhan, Hubei Province, is a comprehensive national key university directly under the Ministry of Education and directly managed by the central government. It is among the first batch of universities selected for the national "Double First-Class" initiative, "Project 985," and "Project 211." It is also part of the "101 Plan," the Elite Plan, and the National High-Level University Graduate Program. The university is a member of the Medical "Double First-Class" Alliance, the Eurasia-Pacific Uninet, and the China-UK Higher Education Humanities Alliance, and serves as the chair unit of the "Double First-Class" University Alliance of the Middle Reaches of the Yangtze River. Wuhan University traces its roots to the Ziqiang Academy (Self-Strengthening Academy) founded in 1893 by Zhang Zhidong, the Governor-General of Huguang, under the approval of the Qing court. After a series of transformations, it was officially named National Wuhan University in 1928, becoming one of the first national universities in modern China. In 1960, it was designated as a national key comprehensive university, and in 1995, it was selected for "Project 211." In 2000, Wuhan University merged with Wuhan University of Hydraulic and Electric Engineering (founded in 1954), Wuhan Technical University of Surveying and Mapping (founded in 1956), and Hubei Medical University (founded in 1943) to form the new Wuhan University. In 2001, it was included in "Project 985," and in 2017, it was selected for the national "Double First-Class" initiative. As of December 2024, the university covers a total area of 3,693,800 square meters, with a total building area of 3,174,500 square meters. It has 4,213 full-time faculty members (including professors and associate professors in medical fields) and 55,973 full-time students. As of October 2025, the university holds 7,314,500 paper books. It comprises 6 academic divisions and 41 schools, offering 130 undergraduate programs. It has 58 first-level master's degree authorization points, 53 first-level doctoral degree authorization points, 47 postdoctoral research stations, 36 professional master's degree categories, and 10 professional doctoral degree categories. The university is home to 12 academicians of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and 6 academicians of the Chinese Academy of Engineering. In 1893, Zhang Zhidong, the Governor-General of Huguang, submitted a memorial to Emperor Guangxu requesting the establishment of the Ziqiang Academy, which was approved. Thus, the Ziqiang Academy was founded in Wuchang, Hubei, as the predecessor of Wuhan University. The academy offered four courses: foreign languages, mathematics, natural sciences, and commerce, aiming to cultivate talents in foreign languages and business. It was the first modern specialized higher education institution in China. In 1913, based on the campus, books, and faculty of the former Foreign Language Academy, the National Wuchang Higher Normal School was established, with four departments: English, Natural History, Mathematics and Physics, and History and Geography. On November 2 of the same year, the school held its opening ceremony at the former site of the Hubei Foreign Language Academy. In 1922, the four departments were expanded into eight departments: Education and Philosophy, Chinese Literature, English, Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry, History and Sociology, Biology, and Geology. The following year, the National Wuchang Higher Normal School was renamed National Wuchang Normal University. In 1926, National Wuchang University, National University of Commerce, Provincial Medical University, Provincial Law University, Provincial Liberal Arts University, and private Wenhua University merged to form National Wuchang Zhongshan University. It comprised a university division and six faculties: Liberal Arts, Science, Law, Economics, Medicine, and Preparatory Studies, with 17 departments and 2 sections. (Panoramic view of National Wuchang Higher Normal School; Gate of National Wuchang Normal University; Campus panorama of National Wuchang Normal University; Announcement by the Ministry of Education on the establishment of Wuchang Higher Normal School; Report on the opening ceremony.)