Shanghai Jiao Tong University

Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU) is a public university in Shanghai, China. It is affiliated with the Ministry of Education of China. The university is part of Project 211, Project 985, and the Double First-Class Construction.^[7] It is a member of the C9 League.^[8]

Shanghai Jiao Tong University

上海交通大学
Former names	Nanyang Public School Nan Yang College of Chiao Tung National Chiao Tung University Jiao Tong University
Motto	饮水思源 (Yǐnshuǐsīyuán) 爱国荣校 (Àiguóróngxiào)[1]
Motto in English	Gratitude and Responsibility[2]
Type	Public
Established	1896; 128 years ago (1896)
President	Ding Kuiling[3]
Party Secretary	Yang Zhenbin
Academic staff	3,061[4]
Undergraduates	16,221[5]
Postgraduates	21,768[6]
Location	Shanghai , China 31°12′03″N 121°25′47″E
Campus	340 hectares (840 acres)
Affiliations	C9, Universitas 21, Double First-Class Construction Project 985, Project 211
Website	sjtu.edu.cn en.sjtu.edu.cn
Chinese name
Simplified Chinese	上海交通大学
Traditional Chinese	上海交通大學
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Shànghǎi Jiāotōng Dàxué Wade–Giles Shang-hai Chiao-t'ung Ta-hsüeh Wu Shanghainese Romanization Zånhae Jiohton Da-oh

SJTU was founded as Nanyang Public School in 1896. It was merged into Jiao Tong University in 1921, before gaining its current name in 1959. The university currently has 33 schools, 12 affiliated hospitals, 2 affiliated medical research institutes, 23 directly affiliated units, and 5 directly affiliated enterprises.^[9]

History

Public School to Industrial School

Nanyang Public School in 1898

Nanyang Public School was founded in 1896, making it one of the earliest universities in China. Sheng Xuanhuai requested the Qing government open the school in October. The proposal was approved by the Guangxu Emperor in December, and Sheng became the school’s first president.^[10] As a member of Westernization Movement, Sheng aimed to weaken the imperial examination while promoting a Western academic model and a more practical approach to education. The university initially focused on business and political sciences to support the country’s development and the Self-Strengthening Movement.^[11]

In 1905, Nanyang Public School was transferred to the Ministry of Commerce and renamed High Industrial School. In 1907, it was handed to the Ministry of Posts and Communications and renamed Shanghai High Industrial School of the Postal Transmission Department. It was known as Grand Nanyang University from 1911 to 1912. After the Republic of China was established in 1912, it was transferred to the Ministry of Communications and renamed the Shanghai Special Industrial School.^[11][12]

Main gate of Xuhui campus

Tang Wenzhi was the school’s president from 1907 to 1920. During this period, the school organized its curriculum based on Western engineering higher education. The school expanded its civil, mechanical, and electrical engineering programs and introduced a 4-year traffic management program as well as new industrial economy and factory management courses. Moreover, specialized coursework replaced general education requirements, and experiments and practice were prioritized in the curriculum. ^[11]

From 1908 to 1920, foreign instructors, largely Americans, accounted for about half of the school's faculty in the disciplinary specialities, with American academics leading both the Departments of Civil Engineering and Electrical Engineering, as the university lacked qualified faculty. However, in the 1920s, many returned student-educators replaced their foreign counterparts.^[11]

Post-1949 Developments

School of Mechanical Engineering, Minhang Campus

On May 25, 1949, the People's Liberation Army (PLA) captured the western part of Shanghai, allowing Jiao Tong University to gradually resume operations. Classes restarted on June 2, and on June 15, the Shanghai Military Commission officially assumed control of the university.^[13] On August 20 of that year, Jinan University's Science College merged into Jiao Tong University, with students relocating to the campus by September 9. Following the establishment of the People's Republic of China, Jiao Tong University introduced new majors in December 1950, including automotive engineering, highway management, construction equipment, and civil engineering. On March 1, 1951, the Department of Telecommunication Management was renamed the Department of Telecommunication Engineering Management.^[14]By July 28, 1952, the university's faculties were reorganized into three main areas: Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, and Shipbuilding. Subsequently, on August 21, the Mechanical Engineering department from the former East China Traffic College was integrated into Jiao Tong University.^[15]

On December 25, 1954, Peng Kang, the university's Party Secretary, announced the adoption of the presidential responsibility system.^[16] On January 7, 1955, the university expanded its Shipbuilding College under the direct leadership of the Ministry of First Mechanical Industry. Faculty and students from the Dalian Institute of Technology's shipbuilding department joined Jiao Tong University between January 29-30. On June 22, 1955, the academic structure transitioned from a two-year specialization to a five-year degree program, and the two-year program was phased out by July. By June 29, the university's telecommunication and automotive programs were transferred to Chengdu and Changchun, respectively.^[17][18][19]

On March 13, 1956, Jiao Tong University initiated discussions to enroll its first cohort of graduate students in fields like mechanical engineering, metallurgy, and electrification. This pilot program evolved, and by 1958, the university had grown to include 6 departments and 15 majors, with 5,000 students at that time. In March 1958, the Shanghai Shipbuilding Institute and Nanyang College of Technology officially merged with Jiao Tong University.^[20]

Relocation and Splitting Up

Antai College of Economics and Management

During a May 24-25, 1955 meeting, Jiao Tong University's committee decided to follow central government instructions to relocate the university. On August 20, an office was established in Xi'an to begin preparations, and the relocation plan was announced on November 24. In January 1956, a delegation was sent to inspect the Xi'an site. The relocation began in earnest by 1957, with the Shanghai Municipal Party Committee agreeing to the move on June 22. However, just a week later, the university decided to operate campuses in both Shanghai and Xi'an, with only select departments relocating.^[21] In September, many Civil Engineering faculty and students transferred to the Xi'an campus, which was formally separated into Xi'an Jiaotong University on July 31, 1959, with the Shanghai campus renamed Shanghai Jiaotong University.^[22][23]

Period of Shanghai Jiao Tong University

Old library on Xuhui campus

In 1961, Shanghai Jiaotong University came under the dual leadership of the National Defense Science and Technology Commission (NDSC), the Ministry of Education, and the Shanghai Municipal Party Committee.^[24] On June 10, the Minyan Road branch campus was handed over to Shanghai Institute of Technology, and by January 10, 1962, the preparatory department followed. On August 29, 1962, Shanghai Jiaotong University was restructured into 8 departments including Shipbuilding, Radio Engineering, and Electrical Engineering. In 1970, SJTU was placed under the Sixth Ministry of Machinery Industry's leadership. In 1978, the university re-established departments in Applied Mathematics, Applied Physics, and Engineering Mechanics, followed by the reconstruction of the Department of Civil Engineering in 1985. The Minhang Campus was officially opened in 1987.^[25] In 1999, Shanghai Agricultural College merged into SJTU.^[26] In 2005, the former Shanghai Jiao Tong University and the former Shanghai Second Medical University (上海第二医科大学) merged to establish the new Shanghai Jiao Tong University.^[27][28]

In 2024 five Shanghai Jiao Tong University students who participated in an exchange program with the University of Michigan were charged with espionage related offenses after being caught during exerscises at Camp Grayling which included Taiwanese forces.^[29]

Rankings

University rankings

BCUR National[30]	Domestic	4
Wu Shulian National[31]	Domestic	4
CUAA National[32]	Alumni	5
QS National[33]	General	5
THE National[34]	General	5
QS Asia (Asia version)[35]	General	14
THE Asia (Asia version)[36]	General	7
ARWU World[37]	Research	38
QS World[38]	General	45
THE World[39]	General	52
USNWR World[40]	General	54

Subject rankings

QS World University Rankings by Subject 2024[41] Subject Global National Arts & Humanities  144  7 Linguistics  101–150  5–6 Architecture and Built Environment  =44  4 Art and Design  101–150  5 English Language and Literature  101–150  4–6 Modern Languages  79  4 Philosophy  151–200  4–8 Engineering and Technology  =37  3 Engineering – Chemical  69  6 Engineering – Civil and Structural  32  3 Computer Science and Information Systems  27  3 Data Science and Artificial Intelligence  38  2 Engineering – Electrical and Electronic  27  3 Engineering – Mechanical  =21  2 Life Sciences & Medicine  88  3 Agriculture and Forestry  =98  10 Anatomy and Physiology  36  2 Biological Sciences  =66  5 Dentistry  51–100  4–5 Medicine  =83  4 Nursing  101–150  5–7 Pharmacy and Pharmacology  =73  5 Psychology  101–150  5–7 Natural Sciences  67  6 Chemistry  =36  5 Earth and Marine Sciences  151–200  8–14 Environmental Sciences  =61  3–4 Geography  101–150  8–10 Geology  151–200  11–16 Geophysics  151–200  11–13 Materials Sciences  =25  3 Mathematics  =37  3 Physics and Astronomy  56  3 Social Sciences & Management  63  4 Accounting and Finance  47  3 Business and Management Studies  =42  3 Communication and Media Studies  151–200  5–8 Economics and Econometrics  57  4 Education and Training  201–250  7 Hospitality and Leisure Management  101–150  4–5 Law and Legal Studies  =92  6 Library and Information Management  51–70  4–6 Politics  151–200  6 Social Policy and Administration  101–130  5–6 Sports–Related Subjects  101–140  2–4 Statistics and Operational Research  36  3 THE World University Rankings by Subject 2024[42] Subject Global National Arts & humanities  126–150  4 Business & economics  25  3 Clinical & health  52  4 Computer science  30  3 Engineering  23  3 Law  71  2 Life sciences  =48  4 Physical sciences  36  6 Social sciences  101–125  3–5

ARWU Global Ranking of Academic Subjects 2023[43] Subject Global National Natural Sciences Mathematics  101–150  11–18 Physics  41  4 Chemistry  12  6 Earth Sciences  151–200  20–27 Geography  151–200  17–25 Oceanography  8  2 Engineering Mechanical Engineering  3  2 Electrical & Electronic Engineering  24  6 Automation & Control  2  1 Telecommunication Engineering  15  6 Instruments Science & Technology  9  9 Biomedical Engineering  2  1 Computer Science & Engineering  10  3 Civil Engineering  15  11 Chemical Engineering  15  12 Materials Science & Engineering  16  6 Nanoscience & Nanotechnology  8  6 Energy Science & Engineering  5  4–5 Environmental Science & Engineering  30  10 Food Science & Technology  30  20 Biotechnology  3  2 Aerospace Engineering  14  8 Marine/Ocean Engineering  1  1 Transportation Science & Technology  13  10 Metallurgical Engineering  4  4 Textile Science and Engineering  35  22 Life Sciences Biological Sciences  51–75  2–5 Human Biological Sciences  101–150  3–8 Medical Sciences Clinical Medicine  151–200  3–6 Public Health  101–150  9–13 Dentistry & Oral Sciences  76–100  6–7 Nursing  151–200  27–30 Medical Technology  51–75  1–2 Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences  13  2 Social Sciences Economics  101–150  14–23 Statistics  76–100  9–15 Law  201–300  5–8 Political Sciences  301–400  14–25 Education  151–200  11–14 Communication  201–300  9–18 Psychology  301–400  13–19 Business Administration  101–150  8–15 Finance  76–100  15–18 Management  37  6 Public Administration  101–150  4–8 Library & Information Science  51–75  16–20

Notable alumni

Main article: List of Shanghai Jiao Tong University alumni

See also

• National Chiao Tung University
• Beijing Jiaotong University
• Xi'an Jiaotong University
• Southwest Jiaotong University

References

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External links

• Official website (in English)