# Wuhan University

Wuhan University (WHU; 武汉大学) is a public university in Wuhan, Hubei, China. It is affiliated with and funded by the Ministry of Education of China. The university is part of Project 985, Project 211, and the Double First-Class Construction.

## History

In 1926, National Wuchang University, National Wuchang University of Commerce, Hubei Provincial Medical University, Hubei Provincial University of Legislation, Hubei Provincial University of Liberal Arts, and the private Wuchang Zhonghua University were merged into National Wuchang Sun Yat-sen University (also known as National Second Sun Yat-sen University). The school has an undergraduate department and 6 subjects including liberal arts, science, law, economics, medicine, and preparatory courses, 17 departments, and 2 departments.
In 1928, the Nanjing National Government officially established the National Wuhan University based on the former National Wuchang Sun Yat-sen University, with four colleges: liberal arts, law, science, and engineering.
In 1949, National Wuhan University was taken over by the Communist Party and renamed Wuhan University.

## Academics

In 2018, Wuhan University's student body consisted of 29,405 full-time undergraduates and 19,699 full-time master's degree candidates, 7,163 Ph.D candidates and 2,453 international students.

### Reputation and rankings

Wuhan University is ranked in the top 200th global universities by major international universities rankings, including the Academic Ranking of World Universities, the QS World University Rankings, the Times Higher Education World University Rankings, the Center for World University Rankings, and the U.S. News & World Report.
In 2024, U.S. News & World Report ranked it 108th in the world, 21st in Asia and 11th in China.
In 2024, Academic Ranking of World Universities ranked it # 89 in the world and 15th in Asia. In 2020, it ranked 23rd in Greater China (including Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan).
It came 157th in the 2022 Times Higher Education World University Rankings where it ranked 25th in Asia and 8th in China.

#### Research

Regarding scientific research output, the Nature Index 2023 ranked Wuhan University the No.14 university in the Asia Pacific region, and 33rd in the world among the global universities. The 2023 CWTS Leiden Ranking ranked Wuhan University 22nd in the world by total publications and 45th in the world based on the number of their scientific publications belonging to the top 1% in their fields for the time period 2018–2021.

## Campus

The university has rolling physical features with the scenic Luojia Hill and the beautiful East Lake. Its campus is heavily wooded and green, with fragrant flowers everywhere year-round. Wuhan University is widely known as one of the most beautiful universities in China, especially for its cherry blossom garden. A cherry blossom festival is held every spring.
Most stylish old buildings were designed by F. H. Kales (1899–1979). Educated in MIT, Kales was a pioneer to blend western architectural styles with traditional Chinese elements, which is most evident from his roof designs.
Wuhan University boasts a campus covering an area of 5508 mu and has a floor area of 2.42 square kilometres. The university's libraries have a collection of approximately 5.4 million volumes and subscriptions to more than 10,000 Chinese and foreign periodicals.
* Luojia Hill (Luojiashan)
* Former School of Science
* Administration Building, Former School of Engineering
* Former Dorm for male students
* Wuhan's blue roof tiles
* 2nd Classroom Building
* 3rd Classroom Building
* Former Law School Building
* Student Club
* Student Union and Debate Team

## Cooperation

Wuhan University has established cooperative relationship with more than 300 universities and research institutes in over 40 countries and regions.
* School of Information Management at Wuhan University signed a cooperation agreement with Royal School of Library and Information Science in Denmark in 2009.
* Wuhan University has collaborated with Duke University and the city of Kunshan to establish Duke Kunshan University.

## Notable alumni

As of 2017 at least 29 billionaires had graduated from Wuhan University, ranking third place in the South Central China region and 9th nationally.
* Li Zhongchu, billionaire businessman
* Govornor RIAK BIM, Govornor of Unity State, South Sudan
* Guo Moruo, Chinese author, poet, historian, archaeologist, and government official from Sichuan, China
* Bin Jiang, professor, in GIS at Högskolan i Gävle (HIG)
* Chen Tanqiu, Chinese revolutionary, founding member of the Chinese Communist Party
* Shen Congwen, Chinese writer
* Wen Yiduo, Chinese poet and scholar
* Li Long Lam, archaeologist
* Li Siguang, founder of geomechanics
* Li Zhongchu, billionaire businessman
* Ling Shuhua, Chinese modernist writer whose short stories became popular during the 1920s and 30s
* Wan Exiang, professor of international law at Wuhan University, vice president of the Supreme People's Court of China, and vice president of the Revolutionary Committee of the Kuomintang
* Wang Yanyi, Chinese immunologist and current Director General of the Wuhan Institute of Virology
* Su Xuelin, Chinese author and scholar
* Xiaokai Yang, Chinese-Australian economist
* Wang Tieya, eminent Chinese jurist and former judge of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia
* Li Haopei, Chinese jurist, diplomat and academic
* Chao Yao-dong, Taiwanese politician, economist and former Minister of Economic Affairs (1981–84)
* Wu Mi, one of the founders of Chinese comparative literature
* Chi Li, contemporary Chinese writer
* Zheng Lihui, Chinese gymnast, was part of the Chinese team that won the gold medal in the team event at the 2000 Summer Olympics
* Xiao Hailiang, Chinese diver who became an Olympic champion in the 3m Springboard Synchronized event at the 2000 Summer Olympics
* Li Da, Chinese marxist philosopher
* Karim Massimov, Prime Minister of Kazakhstan (2007–2012)
* Lei Jun, founder of Xiaomi Tech, one of China's largest technology companies
* Liu Jingnan, GPS engineer, member of Chinese Academy of Engineering, former president of Wuhan University
* Xiaolin Wu, computer engineer
* Yi Zhongtian, writer, historian and professor at Xiamen University
* Tiare Aguilera Hey, Rapa Nui politician
* Wang Zhi'an, journalist and former China Central Television television host
* Chiao-Min Chu, engineer and a fellow member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers