Higher education

Hubei University

Hubei University, first established in 1931 and given its current name in August 1984, is a comprehensive university jointly constructed by Hubei Provincial People's Government and the Ministry of Education.

The university has three campuses in Wuhan, the provincial capital – Wuchang, Hankou and Yangluo – and covers more than 2,140 hectares and a building area of 710,000 square meters.

Its fixed assets are worth 1.38 billion yuan ($195.2 million). The library has 2.42 million paper books, 2.98 million electronic books and 311 databases in Chinese and foreign languages.

The university has more than 18,000 students on campus, with over 6,000 in doctoral and master's degree programs.

It offers 78 undergraduate majors and two, material science and chemistry, are ranked among the top 1 percent in ESI (Essential Science Indicators).

The university has 1,433 staff members, 855 of whom are professors, two are part of Yangtze River Scholar Program and 37 enjoy special allowances.

It has carried out academic communication and scientific research with over 150 universities and scientific institutions from more than 40 countries and regions such as the University of Memphis and Universidade de Sao Paulo. Starting from the 1960s, it has educated overseas students, with more than 200 currently enrolled.

Wuhan University

Wuhan University (WHU) is a comprehensive and key national university directly under the administration of the Ministry of Education. It is also one of the "211 Project" and "985 Project" universities with full support in the construction and development from the central and local government of China.

The history of Wuhan University can be traced back to Ziqiang Institute, which was founded in 1893 by Zhang Zhidong, the then governor of Hubei province and Hunan province in the late Qing Dynasty (1644-1911).

In the process of development and evolution, the institute changed its name several times before finally being named Wuhan National University in 1928. It is one of the earliest comprehensive national universities in modern China. By the end of 1946, the university had established six colleges, the colleges of liberal art, law, sciences, engineering, agriculture and medicine. In 2000, an amalgamation of the former Wuhan University, Wuhan University of Hydraulic and Electric Engineering, Wuhan Technical University of Surveying and Mapping, and Hubei Medical University was announced, which ushered in a new era in its 100-odd years of development.

For the past century, Wuhan University has built an elegant palatial architectural complex of primitive simplicity which sublimely blends the eastern architectural style with that of the west. It is honored as the "Most Beautiful University in China". Furthermore, Wuhan University's centennial humanistic accumulation boils down to its succinct motto, that is, "Self-improvement, Perseverance, Truth-seeking & Innovation."

Cherry trees were also introduced through other channels and replanted, so the number has increased to more than 1,000 in Wuhan University with four botanical species and more than a dozen cultivars.

Central China Normal University

Located in Wuhan, the capital of Hubei province and a major transport hub, Central China Normal University (CCNU) is a key comprehensive university directly under the administration of the Chinese Ministry of Education.

The picturesque campus of over 120 square kilometers is nestled on Guizi Hill, bordering South Lake. As one of the universities on the list of 211 National Education Priority Projects, CCNU is recognized as an important base for cultivating brilliant talents for the country, and as a superior training center for excellent teachers for higher learning institutions and high schools.

The university was among the first higher institutions in China entitled to offer doctoral and postgraduate degrees, to assess and confer the titles of professor, associate professor and doctoral supervisor. It has established a complete and optimized advanced education system from undergraduate to graduate programs, from doctoral to post-doctoral programs, and from full-time to adult-education programs.

Its research strength witnesses constant increases year by year. CCNU's national social science research work has ranked in the top 10 for three consecutive years, and its social science research work has been ranked by the Ministry of Education in the top six for four consecutive years. Ranking eighth in the Fourth Social Science Prominent Scientific Result Award, the university’s research results have won prizes, including two fist prizes in the Natural Science Award by the Chinese Ministry of Education and six first prizes in the Hubei Provincial Natural Science Awards.

The university has established close relations with many key universities and research institutes and has conducted school-to-school exchanges and extensive academic cooperation with more than 100 universities from over 70 countries such as the United States, Canada, Germany, Japan, Russia, France, New Zealand, Australia, South Korea and Vietnam.

Huazhong Agricultural University

Located in Wuhan, the biggest city and transport hub in Central China, Huazhong Agricultural University (HZAU) is a national key university of Project 211 directly under the Ministry of Education.

With a history tracing back to Hubei Farming School founded in 1898 by Zhang Zhidong, then governor of Hubei and Hunan provinces, HZAU enjoys a history of over 120 years. The university was given the title of National Civilized Unit in 2008 and 2011, and was ranked 11th in the nation among the 72 MOE universities in the latest Performance Appraisal in Higher Education by China's MOE National Institute for Education Research. It is one of the top universities in Wuhan.

Covering 495 hectares, the campus contains well-spaced teaching blocks and laboratory buildings and is surrounded on three sides by clear lakes and backed by green hills, making it an ideal place for teaching and research.

HZAU consists of 18 colleges and departments. Featuring life science, HZAU also gives much emphasis to the rational disciplinary construction of agriculture, sciences, engineering, arts, law, economics and management.

There are more than 2,600 faculty members, of whom 312 are professors, four academicians of the Chinese Academies of Sciences and Engineering, two academicians of the Academy of Sciences for the Developing World and one foreign associate of the US National Academy of Sciences.

HZAU has six national key (specialized) laboratories, four national research and development (R&D) centers, 19 provincial and ministerial key (open) laboratories, 24 provincial and ministerial R&D centers, and two provincial humanities and social science research bases. Significant results have been achieved in the fields of hybrid rapeseeds, green super rice, lean swine, animal vaccines, high-quality citrus, potato microtuber and transgenic cotton.

HZAU has constructed 32 national top-quality courses, and the annual employment rate of college graduates has been kept at around 94% for the past few years, taking the leading position among national colleges and universities, while 30 percent of graduates have entered postgraduate schools for further study right after graduation, and 60 percent of those are specializing in the fields of professional superiority and characteristics. HZAU has produced alumni distinguished in their respective fields, among whom are academicians of the two national academies, senior government officials and well-known entrepreneurs.

HZAU has established exchange and cooperation relationships with over 150 institutions in 40 countries and regions such as the United States, Canada, Russia, Sweden, Britain and France, and has developed joint training programs with many foreign universities. In addition, there are 20 international foundations and organizations that have developed cooperation programs with HZAU.

Hubei University of Chinese Medicine

Hubei University of Chinese Medicine, established in 1958, was the first provincial university of its kind in Hubei province able to confer first-level discipline doctor's degrees and the first university in China offering postgraduate education in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM).

Located in Wuhan, the capital city of Hubei province, the university covers 107 hectares and has an overall building area of 510,000 square meters. It has two campuses, Tanhualin and Huangjiahu, and the total value of teaching and research equipment at the university has reached about 189 million yuan ($26.76 million). The library has 1.53 million paper books and 4.14 million electronic books.

Currently the university has 1,185 staff members and 412 of them hold senior titles. The number of students on campus has reached 16,000, including 14,882 undergraduate students.

The university has opened 31 undergraduate majors, covering seven disciplines: medicine, science, engineering, management, literature, education and economics, and three of those are listed as distinctive majors by the Ministry of Education and four as provincial brand majors.

Being one of the universities in China able to enroll international students, the university has been a pioneer in this field in Hubei province.

It has established cooperation relationships with 67 universities, academic groups and research institutions from over 20 countries and regions.

Huazhong University of Science and Technology

Huazhong University of Science and Technology (HUST) was established in 1952, originally under the name of Huazhong Institute of Technology. In 2000, the university merged with Tongji Medical University founded in 1907 and Wuhan Urban Construction Institute was founded in 1952, to form the new Huazhong University of Science and Technology as it is known today.

HUST is located in Wuhan, the capital city of Hubei province, on the central banks of the Yangtze River. The university is composed of one main campus situated near the East Lake scenic spot and a satellite medical campus located in the central business district of Hankou on the other side of the Yangtze River.

HUST's picturesque environment covers an area of over 460 hectares, and the campus has 72 percent greenery coverage, earning it the honorary title of "University in the Forest".

A total of more than 55,000 full-time students are enrolled, including approximately 32,000 undergraduates, 16,000 master candidates and 6,000 doctoral candidates.

The university hosts around 3,000 full-time faculty members, more than 900 of which are professors and 1,300 associate professors. A large number of eminent scientists and professors are gathered here, including 15 academicians of the Chinese Academy of Science and the Chinese Academy of Engineering and 48 Changjiang Scholars Program for Distinguished Professors.

Being a comprehensive and multi-disciplinary research university, the university covers 12 major disciplines: philosophy, economics, law, education, literature, history, engineering, agriculture, medicine, management and arts, offering a variety of degree programs, including 94 undergraduate programs, 225 master programs, and 184 PhD programs.

The university has established partnerships with more than 100 renowned universities and research institutions worldwide. Over 1,500 scholars and experts visit and deliver lectures here annually. Currently around 3,000 international students are studying at HUST. The students from different parts of the world gather here for degree and non-degree programs. Some courses are taught in Chinese while most of the degree programs are taught in English. Scholarships are accessible to all the applicants.