Nankai University
Encyclopedia
Nankai University commonly known as Nankai, is a public research university based in Tianjin
Tianjin
' is a metropolis in northern China and one of the five national central cities of the People's Republic of China. It is governed as a direct-controlled municipality, one of four such designations, and is, thus, under direct administration of the central government...

 on mainland China. Founded in 1919 by educators Zhang Boling
Zhang Boling
Zhang Boling was the founder of Nankai University and the Nankai system of schools.-Biography:...

 (1876-1951) and Yan Fansun (1860-1920), Nankai University is a member of the Nankai
Nankai
Nankai is a famous family of schools in China founded by Zhang Boling and Yan Fansun . The schools include:* Nankai High School in Tianjin .* Nankai University in Tianjin ....

 serial schools. It is the alma mater of former Chinese Premier and key historical figure Zhou Enlai
Zhou Enlai
Zhou Enlai was the first Premier of the People's Republic of China, serving from October 1949 until his death in January 1976...

. Nankai University is regarded as one of the top and first class universities in China.

History

The university was founded as a private institution in 1919. Nankai's scale was relatively small at its inception partly because it received no funding from the government but instead was funded by foreign charitable funds and local entrepreneurs, with only 3 departments (liberal arts, science, and business) and 96 students. It was noted particularly for its courses which were taught in full English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...

 using foreign curricula and textbooks. By 1937, Nankai had expanded into a university of 3 colleges, 13 departments, and 2 research institutes, boasting 429 students and 110 faculty and staff members. It was compared to be “The North Star of Higher Learning”. In accordance with its motto of “Dedication to the public interests, acquisition of all-round capability and aspiration for progress with each passing day”, the University has produced batches of prominent talents such as late Premier Zhou Enlai, Dr. Shiing-Shen Chern
Shiing-Shen Chern
Shiing-Shen Chern was a Chinese American mathematician, one of the leaders in differential geometry of the twentieth century.-Early years in China:...

, Dr. Ta-You Wu
Ta-You Wu
Wu Ta-You was a Chinese-born atomic and nuclear theoretical physicist who worked in the United States, Canada, mainland China, and Taiwan. He has been called the "Father of Chinese Physics."...

 and Mr. Cao Yu
Cao Yu
Cao Yu , born as Wan Jiabao , was a renowned Chinese playwright, often regarded as China's most important of the 20th century. His most well-known works are Thunderstorm , Sunrise and Peking Man...

. The well-known Nankai Institute of Economics was established in 1927 and soon became one of the most prominent in China being the first non-foreign entity to calculate a Chinese Consumer Price Index.

In July 1937, during the Sino-Japanese War, Nankai campus was severely damaged by Japanese bombings. About two-thirds of the school buildings were destroyed including its library which was deliberately burnt down
Destruction of Libraries
This is a list of destroyed libraries that have been deliberately or accidentally destroyed or badly damaged. Sometimes libraries are purposely destroyed as a form of cultural cleansing...

 by the Japanese Imperial Army. A number of the school's artifacts, including the university bell were looted and remain in Japanese museums till this day. In August 1937, Nankai University, Peking University
Peking University
Peking University , colloquially known in Chinese as Beida , is a major research university located in Beijing, China, and a member of the C9 League. It is the first established modern national university of China. It was founded as Imperial University of Peking in 1898 as a replacement of the...

 and Tsinghua University
Tsinghua University
Tsinghua University , colloquially known in Chinese as Qinghua, is a university in Beijing, China. The school is one of the nine universities of the C9 League. It was established in 1911 under the name "Tsinghua Xuetang" or "Tsinghua College" and was renamed the "Tsinghua School" one year later...

 united together and formed the National Changsha Provisional University, which later moved to Kunming
Kunming
' is the capital and largest city of Yunnan Province in Southwest China. It was known as Yunnan-Fou until the 1920s. A prefecture-level city, it is the political, economic, communications and cultural centre of Yunnan, and is the seat of the provincial government...

 and was renamed the National Southwestern Associated University
National Southwestern Associated University
When the Second Sino-Japanese War broke out between China and Japan in 1937, Peking University, Tsinghua University and Nankai University, merged to form Changsha Temporary University in Changsha, and later National Southwestern Associated University in Kunming...

. In 1946, after the war, Nankai returned to Tianjin
Tianjin
' is a metropolis in northern China and one of the five national central cities of the People's Republic of China. It is governed as a direct-controlled municipality, one of four such designations, and is, thus, under direct administration of the central government...

 and was reformed into a national university by the government. At that time, Nankai had four schools (Liberal Arts, Science, Political Science and Economics, and Engineering) and 16 departments.

After the establishment of the People's Republic of China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...

, Nankai was readjusted and became a comprehensive university with emphasis on the arts and sciences, with 14 departments and 3 professional specialties in total. Since then, leading scholars as Zheng Tianting, Lei Haizong, Wu Tingqiu and many overseas scholars from US, Europe and Japan have come to join the university.

From 1966 to 1976 the School's normal life was out of order due to the Cultural Revolution. Even worse, in 1976 a catastrophic earthquake broke out in Tangshan bordering Tianjin, causing damage of varying degrees to the School's buildings.

However, Nankai University soon stepped into a new era after China's Open and Reform policy. After 1980, in order to meet the demands for socialist modernization, the School added a batch of new specialties and institutes. In Arts, applied specialties on financing were set up and the School of Economics was reopened in 1983, while in Sciences, interdisciplinary, marginal and high and new technological specialties were added. By the late 1980s, Nankai University had grown to be a comprehensive university embracing Humanities, Natural Sciences, Applied Sciences, Life Sciences, Managements and Art.
In 1994 Tianjin Foreign Trade College was incorporated into Nankai University.
In the past few years, to cater to demands of fast social economic development, the University has created various brand-new modes of running school which have extended its education far into all walks of life. In 1999 under the combined efforts of Nankai University and TEDA, TEDA College was set up, which was entitled the SAR of higher education. In 2000 the State Ministry of Education signed an agreement with Tianjin Municipal Government on jointly establishing and developing Nankai University. Experimental cooperation between Nankai University and Tianjin University was initiated on the principle of independent school-running and close cooperation. In 2002 under the cooperative efforts of Nankai University, Shen Zhen Municipal Government and UC Berkeley, Financial Engineering College was established in Shenzhen.

Presidents

  • Zhang Boling
    Zhang Boling
    Zhang Boling was the founder of Nankai University and the Nankai system of schools.-Biography:...

    : 1919-1948
  • He Lian : 1948-1957 (acting)
  • Yang Shixian: 1957-1969, 1979-1981
  • Zang Boping: 1978
  • Teng Weizao: 1981-1986
  • Mu Guoguang: 1986-1995
  • Hou Zixin] 1995-2006
  • Rao Zihe: 2006-2011
  • Gong Ke: 2011-

Present

A key multidisciplinary university directly under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Education, Nankai University has long been given much attention by the central government. Nankai University is considered a comprehensive university with a complete curriculum that includes the humanities, natural sciences, technology, life sciences, medical sciences and the arts. The University believes in the equal importance of the sciences and the liberal arts, laying a strong foundation with practical and creative characteristics. Nankai University has a well-balanced faculty team in age and specialties, being equipped with excellent academic capability and creative spirit.

Nankai, as of the end of 2009, has 22 colleges and schools, and offers 73 bachelor's degree programs, 208 master's degree programs, and 122 Ph.D. programs. The total enrollment stood at approximately 12,000 undergraduate students and 10,000 graduate students.10% of the students are international students, mainly from South Korea, Japan, Africa and Europe. Nankai is always listed among the top ten universities in China in various rankings. Nankai's mathematics, chemistry, history, business and economics programs are among the best in China. In 2008, the quality of chemistry research was ranked 1st in China according to the statistics of the Ministry of Education. Economics, mathematics and history were ranked 2nd among more than 2000 Chinese universities. Chern, Shiing-Shen
Shiing-Shen Chern
Shiing-Shen Chern was a Chinese American mathematician, one of the leaders in differential geometry of the twentieth century.-Early years in China:...

 established the world's largest mathematics institute (in terms of office area) in Nankai University. The university is also very well known for its quality of undergraduate teaching. Many of the undergraduate lectures are selected as national elite lectures by the Higher Education Division of the Ministry of Education.

Nankai University has broadened international communications by establishing exchanges and collaborative relationships with more than 200 universities and academic institutions. Nobel Laureates Chen Ning Yang, Tsung-Dao Lee
Tsung-Dao Lee
Tsung-Dao Lee is a Chinese born-American physicist, well known for his work on parity violation, the Lee Model, particle physics, relativistic heavy ion physics, nontopological solitons and soliton stars....

, Samuel Chao Chung Ting, Robert A. Mundell, and Reinhard Selten
Reinhard Selten
-Life and career:Selten was born in Breslau in Lower Silesia, now in Poland, to a Jewish father, Adolf Selten, and Protestant mother, Käthe Luther. For his work in game theory, Selten won the 1994 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences...

 as well as former President of Korea Kim Dae Jung
Kim Dae Jung
Kim Dae-jung was President of South Korea from 1998 to 2003, and the 2000 Nobel Peace Prize recipient. He came to be called the "Nelson Mandela of Asia" for his long-standing opposition to authoritarian rule.-Early life:...

 and former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger
Henry Kissinger
Heinz Alfred "Henry" Kissinger is a German-born American academic, political scientist, diplomat, and businessman. He is a recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize. He served as National Security Advisor and later concurrently as Secretary of State in the administrations of Presidents Richard Nixon and...

 were all conferred Honorary Professorships by Nankai University. Many other world-known scholars and entrepreneurs have been invited as Visiting Professors at Nankai University. Nankai University, attracting a large number of talented mathematicians known at home and abroad, has thus become one of the most famous centers for mathematics worldwide. Also, Nankai established dozens of Confucius Institute
Confucius Institute
Confucius Institutes are non-profit public institutions that aim to promote Chinese language and culture, support local Chinese teaching internationally, as well as facilitating cultural exchanges. They are sometimes compared to language and culture promotion organizations such as France's...

s all around the world.

The University has signed an MoU with the University of Mumbai
University of Mumbai
The University of Mumbai , is a state university located in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. It was known as the University of Bombay until 1996 when the city of Bombay was renamed as Mumbai. The affiliated colleges of the university are spread throughout the city of Mumbai and four coastal districts in...

.

Colleges and schools

  • Business School
  • College of Chemistry
  • College of Chinese Language and Culture
  • School of Economics
  • College of Environmental Science and Engineering
  • College of Foreign Languages
  • College of History
  • College of Ideological and Cultural Education
  • College of Information Technology and Science
  • Law School

  • College of Life Sciences
  • School of Literature
  • School of Mathematical Sciences
  • School of Medicine
  • School of Pharmacy
  • School of Philosophy
  • School of Physics
  • College of Software
  • TEDA College
  • Zhou Enlai School of Government Administration


Rankings

Nankai University is often ranked among the top twenty universities in China. In the ranking of top 50 universities in China published by Renmin University of China
Renmin University of China
Renmin University of China; RUC, also known as People's University of China , colloquially Renda , is a major research university in Haidian District, Beijing, China. Its campus neighbors those of Peking University and Tsinghua University....

 in June 2011, it was ranked 10th. In the Netbig ranking
Chinese university ranking (Netbig)
The Chinese university ranking is a ranking of universities in mainland China by Netbig, an internet company focused on higher education. It's conduct annually since 1999, and generally released in July, around the time of college entrance examination....

 of 2011 it was ranked 10th as well. In the QS World University Rankings
QS World University Rankings
The QS World University Rankings is a ranking of the world’s top 500 universities by Quacquarelli Symonds using a method that has published annually since 2004....

 of 2011 it was ranked 73 among Asian universities, and 11th in China. In the Chinese Academy of Management Science ranking
Chinese university ranking (Chinese Academy of Management Science)
The Chinese university ranking is a ranking of universities in Mainland China compiled by Wu Shulian, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of Management Science.-Introduction:...

 of 2009 it was ranking 15th.

Notable alumni

  • Zhou Enlai
    Zhou Enlai
    Zhou Enlai was the first Premier of the People's Republic of China, serving from October 1949 until his death in January 1976...

    , first Premier of the People's Republic of China
    Premier of the People's Republic of China
    The Premier of the State Council of the People's Republic of China , sometimes also referred to as the "Prime Minister" informally, is the Leader of the State Council of the People's Republic of China , who is the head of government and holds the highest-ranking of the Civil service of the...

  • Ta-You Wu
    Ta-You Wu
    Wu Ta-You was a Chinese-born atomic and nuclear theoretical physicist who worked in the United States, Canada, mainland China, and Taiwan. He has been called the "Father of Chinese Physics."...

    , Former President of the Academia Sinica
    Academia Sinica
    The Academia Sinica , headquartered in the Nangang District of Taipei, is the national academy of Taiwan. It supports research activities in a wide variety of disciplines, ranging from mathematical and physical sciences, to life sciences, and to humanities and social sciences.Academia Sinica has...

    , "Father of Chinese Physics"
  • Shiing-Shen Chern
    Shiing-Shen Chern
    Shiing-Shen Chern was a Chinese American mathematician, one of the leaders in differential geometry of the twentieth century.-Early years in China:...

    ,Leading differential geometers of 20th century
  • Chen Ning Yang, Leading theoretical physicist and Nobel Prize winner of 1957.(with National Southwestern Associated University
    National Southwestern Associated University
    When the Second Sino-Japanese War broke out between China and Japan in 1937, Peking University, Tsinghua University and Nankai University, merged to form Changsha Temporary University in Changsha, and later National Southwestern Associated University in Kunming...

    )
  • Tsung-Dao Lee
    Tsung-Dao Lee
    Tsung-Dao Lee is a Chinese born-American physicist, well known for his work on parity violation, the Lee Model, particle physics, relativistic heavy ion physics, nontopological solitons and soliton stars....

    , Leading theoretical physicist and Nobel Prize winner of 1957.(with National Southwestern Associated University
    National Southwestern Associated University
    When the Second Sino-Japanese War broke out between China and Japan in 1937, Peking University, Tsinghua University and Nankai University, merged to form Changsha Temporary University in Changsha, and later National Southwestern Associated University in Kunming...

    )
  • Cao Yu
    Cao Yu
    Cao Yu , born as Wan Jiabao , was a renowned Chinese playwright, often regarded as China's most important of the 20th century. His most well-known works are Thunderstorm , Sunrise and Peking Man...

    , China's most important playwright of 20th century
  • Liu, Tungsheng, Tyler Laureate, Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement
    Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement
    The Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement is an award for environmental science, environmental health and energy. Tyler Laureates receive a $200,000 annual prize and a gold medallion...

  • Fan Zeng
    Fan Zeng
    Fan Zeng was an advisor to Xiang Yu during the Chu–Han contention period of Chinese history.-Starting his career:Fan Zeng was a native of Juchao . He had a keen interest towards military strategy and politics...

    , artist and calligrapher.
  • Mu Dan
    Mu Dan
    Mu Dan was one of the most important poets of 20th century China. Born Zha Liangzheng in Tianjin, China in 1918, he matriculated the prestigious Tsinghua University at the age of 17, and graduated from National Southwestern Associated University in 1940...

    , one of the most famous China Enlightenment poet and translator of 20th century, representative of the Jiuye Poet Society, member of China Expeditionary Force in World War II
    World War II
    World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

  • Ray Huang
    Ray Huang
    Ray Huang was a Chinese historian and philosopher. He was an officer in the Nationalist army and fought in the Burma campaigns. He earned a Ph.D in history from the University of Michigan, worked with Joseph Needham and is a contributor of Needham's Science and Civilisation in China...

    , historian especially on Ming Dynasty
    Ming Dynasty
    The Ming Dynasty, also Empire of the Great Ming, was the ruling dynasty of China from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol-led Yuan Dynasty. The Ming, "one of the greatest eras of orderly government and social stability in human history", was the last dynasty in China ruled by ethnic...

    , promote so-called 'macro-history" view, his works are very popular in both mainland China and Taiwan and always on best sellers.
  • Choi Yong-Kun
    Choi Yong-kun
    Choi Yong-kun was the Korean People's Army chief commander from 1948 to 1953 North Korean defence minister from 1953 to 1957, and the President of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly of North Korea from 1957 to 1972. Choi Yong-kun was born in T'aech'ŏn County in North Pyongan,...

    , the Korean People's Army chief commander, and the President of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly of North Korea, the highest post held by a North Korean politician.

External links

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