University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences
The University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (UCAS; ) is a public university for graduate education, under the direct leadership of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS). The predecessors of UCAS are the Graduate University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (GUCAS) and the Graduate School of the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC), which was founded in 1978 as the first graduate school in China by approval of the State Council of China. UCAS produced the first doctoral graduate in science, the first doctoral graduate in engineering, the first female  doctoral graduate and the first graduate with double doctoral degrees in China. In 2014, UCAS began to recruit undergraduates. It is a Chinese state Double First Class University. UCAS ranked 1st globally in Nature Index 2021 Young Universities in Leading 150 Young Universities and ranked 18th in NTU Rankings 2019, placing it 1st in China. UCAS also ranked 63th in CWUR World University Rankings 2022-2023, placing it 3rd in China only after Tsinghua University and Peking University, and ranked 101-125th in Times Higher Education World Reputation Rankings, placing it 8th in China. History. In 1978, the Graduate School  of the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) was founded in Beijing, as the first graduate school in China. In 1986, the Graduate School of USTC was renamed Graduate School (Beijing) of USTC, while USTC established a new Graduate School in Hefei, Anhui province. In 2000, the Graduate School (Beijing) of USTC was renamed Graduate School of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (GSCAS). In 2005, GSCAS was renamed Graduate University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (GUCAS). In 2012, GUCAS was renamed University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (UCAS). In 2014, UCAS began to recruit undergraduates. On  November 7, 2014, the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences officially participated in the activities of the C9 League, an alliance of elite Chinese universities offering comprehensive and leading education. However, it was not an official member. Academics. Institutions. Founded in 1978, UCAS is the first graduate school in China with the ratification of the State Council. Backed by more than 110 institutes of the CAS, which are located at more than 20 cities all over the country, UCAS is headquartered in Beijing with 4 campuses, and 5 branches in Shanghai, Chengdu, Wuhan, Guangzhou and Lanzhou. From UCAS, graduated China 's first doctoral student in science, first doctoral student in engineering, first female doctoral student and first student with double doctoral degrees in China. On the 20th anniversary of UCAS in 1998, Chinese President and General Secretary of the Communist Party Jiang Zemin of the People's Republic of China wrote this inscription for the University: "Revitalizing China through science and education, and emphasizing the cultivation and nurturing of talented people." By 2004, 50,000 graduate students had graduated from UCAS, among whom there are nearly 20,000 PhD. students.. UCAS offers programs in nine major academic fields: science, engineering, agriculture, medicine , philosophy, economics, literature, linguistics, education and management science. The university is authorized to grant advanced degrees in 26 primary academic disciplines which include master's degree conferring rights in 130 secondary disciplines, and Doctoral degree rights in 114 secondary disciplines. UCAS was the first university in China to start the master's degree program in English Applied Linguistics (with reference to TESOL in foreign countries). Since 1978, the program has educated more than 100 English teachers who are now working at various universities and graduate schools. UCAS has the leading position in English teaching and researching in China. Back in  1993, there were four teachers, who were also the UCAS graduates, joined the national team to set up China's first English Curriculum for Non-English Majored MS and PhD Students, issued by Chinese Commission of Education and published by Chongqing University Press. The faculty of the university is composed of over 300 members of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and/or the Chinese Academy of Engineering. UCAS offers "General Scholarship for Graduate Students", "CAS Scholarship", "CAS President Scholarship" and various other sponsored scholarships. The financial aid system of "research assistantship", "administration assistantship" and "teaching assistantship" has been put into practice  in UCAS. At present, with annual enrolments of more than 10,000 students, UCAS has over 30,000 ongoing students, among whom 51% are PhD students. UCAS offers programs for international students and students from Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan. It also provides financial aid for these students by setting up "UCAS International Students Scholarship" and "UCAS Scholarship for Students from Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan". Reputation and rankings. UCAS is included in the Double First Class University Plan designed by the central government of China. UCAS ranked 63th in CWUR World University Rankings 2022-2023, placing it 3rd in China only  after Tsinghua University and Peking University. UCAS is ranked 18th in NTU Rankings 2019, placing it 1st in China. In the "Nature Index 2021 Annual Tables" by Nature Research, UCAS ranks 9th globally among academic institutions, 4th in the Asia-Pacific, and 3rd in China (behind the University of Science and Technology of China and Peking University). UCAS ranks 31th globally, 17th in Asia, and 15th in the mainland China according to the CWTS Leiden Ranking 2021 based on the number of their scientific publications in the period 2016–2019. As of 2021, UCAS is ranked 159th globally, 21st in Asia  and 8th in China by the "U.S. News & World Report" Best Global University Ranking, with its "Agricultural Science", "Biology and Biochemistry", "Biotechnology and Applied Microbiology", "Cell Biology", "Chemical Engineering", "Chemistry", "Computer Science", "Condensed Matter Physics", "Electrical and Electronic Engineering", "Energy and Fuels", "Engineering", "Environment/Ecology", "Food Science and Technology", "Geoscience", "Material Science", "Mechanical Engineering", "Microbiology", "Molecular Biology and Genetics", "Nanoscience and Nanotechnology", "Optics", "Pharmacology and Toxicology", "Physical Chemistry", " plant and animal science" and "Polymer Science" subjects, placed in the global top 100. Internationally, UCAS was regarded as one of the most reputable Chinese universities by the "Times Higher Education World  Reputation Rankings" where, it ranked 101-125th globally. UCAS faculty are all based upon the research professors in the Chinese Academy of Sciences, which has been consistently ranked the No. 1 research institute in the world by "Nature Index" since its inception in 2016, by Nature Research. This makes UCAS arguably the best graduate school in China and one of the best in the world. Students. Even though UCAS mainly caters to graduate education, the university started enrolling undergraduate students in 2014. In 2015, there are 44,464 graduate students and 664 undergraduates students attend the academy. UCAS, through its various  departments and research institutes of the CAS across the country, offers the following programs to foreign students in a wide range of specialties and research fields: Master Program, PhD. Program, Program for Regular Visiting Students, and Program for Senior Visiting Students. Asteroid. Asteroid 189018 Guokeda was named in honor of the university. The official was published by the Minor Planet Center on 25 September 2018 ().