A Survey of Wuhan University

A Survey of Wuhan University

Wuhan University is a key university directly under the administration of the Education Ministry of the

People's Republic of China. It is located in Hubei Province's capital Wuhan known as "The thoroughfare

leading to nine provinces". The university has rolling physical features with the scenic Luojia Hill in it and

the beautiful East Lake by its side, seeming in picturesque disorder. Its campus is wooded and green,

and has fragrant flowers everywhere all the year round, the buildings are in special architectural styles,

magnificent and mansion-looking. For the above reasons, Wuhan University is widely known as one of

the most beautiful universities in the world.

The university dates back to Ziqiang Institute, which was founded in 1893 by Zhang Zhidong, governor

of Hubei and Hunan Provinces in late Qing Dynasty after his memorial to the throne was approved by the

Qing Government. Later, it changed its name several times before it was named National Wuhan

University in July 1928. During the War of Resistance Against Japan, Wuhan University moved to

Leshan, Sichuan Province and returned to Luojia Hill after the victory of the war. By the end of 1946, the

university had six colleges, i.e., the colleges of liberal arts, law, sciences, engineering, agriculture and

medicine. Wuhan University had a glorious revolutionary tradition and enjoyed a very high academic

status, with Wang Shijie, Wang Xinggong and Zhou Gengsheng as its successive presidents. Zhou Enlai,

Dong Biwu, Chen Tanqiu, Deng Yingchao and Luo Ronghuan, et al. were once engaged one after

another in revolutionary activities here, while a great number of well-known scholars like Gu Hongming,

Zhu Kezhen, Wu Baoliang, Zha Qian, Gui Zhiting, Ye Yage, Li Siguang, Wen Yiduo, Huang Kan, Yu Dafu,

Shen Congwen, Zhu Guangqian, Liu Ze, Liu Yongji, Ye Shengtao, Yang Duanliu and Li Jiannong taught

here successively. In 1948, Oxford University of Britain wrote an official letter to the Ministry of Education

of the Chinese National Government, confirming that bachelors of liberal arts and sciences graduated

from Wuhan University and with average grades above 80 could enjoy "the senior status of Oxford".

Since the founding of the People's Republic of China, the Chinese Communist Party and the

Government have attached great importance to Wuhan University. Mao Zedong, Ye Jianying, Peng

Dehuai, Zhang Wentian, Lu Dingyi and others had inspectioned the university personally. In 1952, after a

general reshuffle of the colleges and departments of the higher educational institutions throughout the

country, Wuhan University became a key university of liberal arts and sciences directly under the

administration of the Ministry of Higher Education. Professor Li Da, Delegate to the First Congress of the

Chinese Communist Party and a celebrated philosopher, economist and academician of the Chinese

Academy of Sciences, held the post of president of the university for 14 years, during which the quality of

teaching and the level of scientific research were further enhanced.

Since the start of China's reform and open policy, the university has achieved the

-world's-attention-attracting achievements through its courageous reforming, opening up, and advancing

in every aspect. Approved by the State Council, was founded on August 2nd,

2000 the new Wuhan University----an amalgamation of the

original Wuhan University, Wuhan University of Hydraulic and

Electrical Engineering, Wuhan Technical University of Surveying

and Mapping, and Hubei Medical University. The new Wuhan

University (named Wuhan University hereinafter) has a vast

range of prospects of development because it is a combination of 4 first-rate universities in China or in

the province(Three are China's key universities of "211 Project", and one is key one of Hubei Province),

whose favorable opportunities, terrain and the union arising from the fore out of Chinese universities and

colleges. Wuhan University of Hydraulic and Electrical Engineering was the country's best university of

comprehensive strength, Wuhan Technical University of Surveying and Mapping was the best university

with the disciplines of survey and cartography in the world, Hubei Medical University was the province's

one key medical university as was established before 1949 and has kept developing until now.The

university is a natural whole with the discipcins of philosophy, economics, law, education. Literature,

history, sciences, engineering, agriculture, medicine and management, 45,000-odd students including

12,000-odd postgraduates. It has been authorized by the State Council to set up graduate schools,with