New York University Shanghai
New York University Shanghai (NYU Shanghai) is China's first Sino-US research university and the third degree-granting campus of New York University (NYU). Jointly established by NYU and East China Normal University with the support of the city of Shanghai in 2012, it was the first US university to receive independent registration from China's Ministry of Education. While classes are in English, some proficiency in Chinese is required for graduation. Upon graduation, students will receive a bachelor's degree conferred by New York University - the same degree awarded at the New York campus  - as well as a Chinese degree recognized by the Chinese government. Students are required to study away at one of NYU's 12 Global Academic Centers and 2 degree-granting campuses in order to foster cross-cultural understanding and communication. History. The school opened to students in September 2013. Of the class of 294 students, 51% came from The People's Republic of China, with the remaining 49% coming from other countries around the world. During the 2013–2014 academic year, NYU Shanghai students studied at East China Normal University while the official NYU campus in Pudong was built. The Pudong  campus was completed in the summer of 2014. Students moved into the new building at the start of the fall 2014 semester. Currently, the NYU Shanghai campus in Pudong serves NYU Shanghai students, study abroad students from New York, Abu Dhabi, and non-NYU affiliated colleges in other countries, as well as a number of NYU law students. In 2018, the university introduced a "civic education” course at the behest of the Chinese Communist Party. The annual two-week course, executed during the University's Christmas break every year, is mandatory for all Chinese passport holders attending NYU Shanghai and  includes lessons such as "Promoting the Prosperity and Development of Socialist Culture with Chinese Characteristics." These additions have been criticized as a step away from the university's academic freedom. During the 2019 - 2020 academic year, the commencement ceremony was moved online due to the ongoing COVID-19 public health restrictions. Jack Ma, the founder of Alibaba and the commencement speaker of the ceremony, called upon students to find “a common path forward, a common path for cooperation” between China and the United States in his commencement speech. He was also a recipient of NYU Shanghai Chancellor's Medal of Honor . In 2021, in response to a discrimination lawsuit brought by an NYU Shanghai professor, the university has stated that it not controlled by NYU. Timeline. Sept 2012: NYU Shanghai's registration as an independent institution approved by China's Ministry of Education. Sept 2013: NYU Shanghai opens its doors to its first undergraduate class. Jan 2014: NYU Shanghai's Chancellor Yu awarded 2013 Shanghai Education Notable Person of the Year Award. May 2015: Chancellor Yu Lizhong delivers speech at the United Nations titled "Education for the Globalized World". March 2019: First NYU Shanghai Student wins the prestigious Knight-Hennessy Scholarship . May 2019: NYU Shanghai breaks ground on new Qiantan campus. May 2019: 2003 Economics Noble Laureate Robert Engle was appointed as the co-director of Volatility Institute at NYU Shanghai. April 2019: NYU Shanghai has accepted 966 international students from a pool of 13,807 applications worldwide for the Class of 2023, resulting in an international acceptance rate of 7%. Oct 2019: Five Nobel Laureates, among 35 other international scholars, gathered at NYU Shanghai to issue a joint statement amidst the worsening US-China trade tensions. June 2020: Chancellor Yu Lizhong retires. Tong Shijun, a professor of philosophy at East China  Normal University (ECNU) was named as the new Chancellor of NYU Shanghai. Logo. NYU Shanghai's logo is adapted from NYU's torch logo, using the top half of the torch to form the petals of a magnolia flower, the official flower of Shanghai. The logo is meant to represent NYU's footing in Shanghai. Administration. Yu Lizhong, former president of the East China Normal University (ECNU), was named Chancellor of NYU Shanghai. Jeffrey S. Lehman, former president of Cornell University and dean of the University of Michigan Law School, was named Vice Chancellor. Yu Lizhong also served as Party  Committee Secretary of the university. In June 2020, Yu Lizhong retired from his position as Chancellor of NYU Shanghai after an 8-year reign at the post. Tong Shijun, a professor of philosophy at East China Normal University (ECNU) was named as the new Chancellor of NYU Shanghai. Campus. Since late summer of 2014, NYU Shanghai has been based in Pudong, Shanghai, at 1555 Century Ave. The main campus is contained in a single building, the Academic Center, a new 15-story building with two underground floors. On May 30, 2019, the groundbreaking ceremony was held for the 114,000 square  meters new campus in Qiantan. The Qiantan campus building will also be located in Pudong, and is being designed and built by architectural firm Kohn Pedersen Fox (KPF). The design features four buildings arranged in a pinwheel shape reminiscent of NYU Shanghai's logo, that are connected as one building above the fifth floor. The university hopes to move up to 4,000 undergraduate and graduate students into the new campus and is expected to be completed by 2022. NYU Shanghai has three dormitories, two of which are in Shanghai's Jinqiao, and one in Aidongcun neighborhood, which are north and  south of the campus respectively. Both are also located within Pudong. Students travel between the Academic Center and the dorms via the subway or on NYU shuttle buses. There is also an academic library that offers virtual and in-person reference services. Academics. Undergraduate programs. NYU Shanghai offers 19 majors, and numerous multidisciplinary minors and specializations. In order to graduate, undergraduate students have to spend at least one semester studying away in New York, Abu Dhabi or at one of NYU's eleven study away centers in cities around the world. In April 2019, NYU Shanghai has accepted 966 international  students from a pool of 13,807 applications worldwide for the Class of 2023, resulting in an international acceptance rate of 7%. For the Class of 2024, NYU Shanghai admitted 1,533 students from a total pool of over 13,000 applicants. The admitted Class of 2024 was one of NYU Shanghai's most geographically diverse classes, with students coming from 44 US states and 96 countries around the world. Graduate and advanced education programs. The school also offers Masters programs and PhD programs. As of 2021, NYU Shanghai offers 7 master's and 11 PhD programs jointly with other NYU Schools. PhD  Programs. NYU Shanghai's PhD programs are offered jointly with other schools and departments of NYU, including the NYU Graduate School of Arts and Science, the NYU Tandon School of Engineering, and the NYU Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service, in the following subjects: Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Data Science, Electrical Engineering, Mathematics, Neural Science, Physics, Public Administration, Sociology, Transportation Planning and Engineering. Research centers. NYU Shanghai houses 10 research institutes in collaboration with East China Normal University (ECNU), they are listed as follows. Athletics. NYU Shanghai's mascot is a purple Qilin designed by a student and  decided by a popular vote, beating out other designs including a panda, dragon, lion, and original creature named Spark. NYU Shanghai offers competitive sports teams for badminton, tennis, basketball, fencing, flag football, soccer, and volleyball, competing against local universities and high schools in various leagues and city-sponsored events. NYU Shanghai also offers recreational activities such as yoga retreats, outdoor hikes, go-karting, and basketball tournaments, as well as semester-long group fitness classes including yoga, aerobics, cardio, strength conditioning, tai chi, and various dance classes such as traditional Chinese dance, K-pop dance, hip-hop dance, and salsa. These  fitness classes meet weekly and offerings change from semester to semester.