Nanjing University

The university is a member of the C9 League. Established in 1902 as Sanjiang Normal School, Nanjing University underwent a number of name changes, such as Nanjing Higher Normal School, National Southeastern University and National Central University, until it was renamed Nanjing University in 1950. It merged with the University of Nanking in 1952. University has four campuses: the Xianlin campus in the northeast of Nanjing, the Gulou campus in the city center of Nanjing, the Pukou campus in the Pukou District of Nanjing, and the Suzhou campus in the city of Suzhou.

• Name — Nanjing University • Former Names — * Sanjiang or Liangjiang Normal College (1902–1914) • Nanking Higher Normal School (1915–1923) • National Southeastern University (1921–1927) • National Central University (1928–1949) • Motto — 诚朴雄伟励学敦行 • Motto Eng — Sincerity with Aspiration, Perseverance and Integrity • Type — Public • President — Tan Zhemin • Academic Staff — 2,197 • Undergrad — 13,934 • Postgrad — 12,793 • Doctoral — 8,948 • City — Nanjing • Province — Jiangsu • Country — China • Colors — purple Purple • Affiliations — C9, APRU, AEARU, WUN, Service-Learning Asia Network • Website — https: www.nju.edu.cn/en/

• Illustration — Old Great Hall (大禮堂) Its faculty, including part-time faculty, includes more than twenty Nobel Laureates engaged in teaching. The university is a Double First-Class Construction university in 15 academic disciplines.

Nanjing University's motto is "Sincerity with Aspiration, Perseverance with Integrity". The first part of the motto, "Sincerity with Aspiration," originated during the university's period as the historical National Central University, while "Perseverance with Integrity" draws inspiration from classical Chinese aphorisms. Historically, Li Ruiqing, president of Liangjiang Higher Normal School, the precursor to Nanjing University, inscribed the motto "One who chews on the roots of vegetables can accomplish great things". Later, during the National Central University era, President Luo Jialun formally adopted "Sincerity with Aspiration" as the university's motto. Following the establishment of the People's Republic of China in 1949, Nanjing University underwent a series of reorganizations and consolidations, and a formal motto was not established for an extended period. The current motto, "Sincerity with Aspiration, Perseverance with Integrity", was adopted during the university's centennial celebration in 2002 under the leadership of then-President Jiang Shusheng, following extensive consultation with faculty and students.

The school song of Nanjing University was composed in 1916 and originally served as the school song of Nanjing Higher Normal School, with the lyrics written by Jiang Qian and melody composed by Li Shutong (Hong Yi).

• Bcur N — 6 • Ws N — 10 • Cuaa N — 7 • Qs N — 7 • The N — 7 • Line 1 — 0 • Qs A — 24 • The A — 13 • Line 2 — 0 • Arwu W — 70 • Qs W — =90 • The W — 62 • Usnwr W — 77 As of 2025, Nanjing University was ranked 7th in China, 14th in Asia and 68th worldwide in terms of aggregate performance from the four most widely observed university rankings (THE+ARWU+QS+US News). Nanjing University ranked 7th in China, 13th in Asia and 62nd globally by Times Higher Education World University Rankings. It also ranked 6th in China, 12th in Asia and 70th globally by the 2026 Academic Ranking of World Universities. Regarding scientific research output, the Nature Index Annual Table 2025 ranked Nanjing University the 6th university in China and the Asia-Pacific region, and 7th in the world among global universities. Nanjing University consistently features in the top 150 global universities as ranked by the Academic Ranking of World Universities, the QS World University Rankings, the Times Higher Education World University Rankings, and the U.S. News & World Report. The joint THE-QS World University Rankings 2007 ranked Nanjing University 4th in China (after Peking, Tsinghua and Fudan), 17th in Asia and 125th in the world. The Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2011 placed Nanjing 120th in the world, 16th in Asia and 4th in China. In 2017, Nanjing University was ranked 91–100 for World Reputation Ranking by Times Higher Education, and 114 by QS World University Rankings. In 2017, its Graduate Employability rankings placed at #101 globally in the QS Graduate Employability Rankings. Nanjing University has been consistently ranked among the top 20 universities in the world by Nature Index since 2016 by Nature Portfolio. Chinese university ranking, conducted since 1999 by the higher education publisher Netbig, consistently ranked the university among the top 3 before 2005, and in the most recent ranking among the top 5. Academic Ranking of World Universities, conducted since 2003 by Shanghai Jiaotong University, suggested a domestic rank of number 2 to number 7.

• Illustration — The northwestern corner of Nanjing University's Gulou campus houses most of the university's foreign students: Center for Chinese and American Studies (front left), Zeng Xianzi building (back center), Xiyuan (right).

• Schools & Colleges & Standalone Institutes — Departments • College of First-Year Students — Bingwen Academy • Xingzhi Academy • Yuxiu Academy • Anbang Academy • Youxun Academy • Kaijia Academy • Jianxiong Academy • School of Liberal Arts — Department of Ancient Chinese Literature • Department of Chinese Classics • Department of Theatre, Film and Television • Department of Modern and Contemporary Chinese Literature • Department of Comparative Literature and World Literature • Department of Literary Theory • Department of Chinese Philology • Department of Linguistics and Applied Linguistics • School of History — Department of Chinese History • Department of World History • Department of Archaeology and Cultural Relics • School of Philosophy — No subdivisions • School of Journalism and Communication — Department of Radio, Film and Television • Department of Applied Communication • Department of Journalism and New Media • School of Law — No subdivisions • School of Business — Department of Economics • Department of International Economics • Department of Finance and Insurance • Department of Industrial Economics • Population Research Institute • Department of Business Administration • Department of Accounting • Department of Marketing and E-commerce • Department of Human Resource Management • School of Foreign Studies — Department of English • Department of French • Department of German • Department of Russian • Department of Japanese • Department of Spanish • Department of Korean • School of Government — Department of Politics • Department of Public Administration • Department of Social Security • Department of Emergency Management • School of International Studies — Department of International Politics • Department of Diplomacy and International Affairs • School of Information Management — Department of Library and Digital Humanities • Department of Archives and E-government • Department of Information Management Science • Department of Publishing Science • School of Social and Behavioral Sciences — Department of Sociology • Department of Psychology • Department of Social Work and Social Policy • School of Mathematics — No subdivisions • School of Physics — Department of Modern Physics • Department of Physics • Department of Optoelectronic Science • Department of Acoustics and Engineering • Center for Experimental Physics Education • School of Astronomy and Space Sciences — Department of Astronomy • Department of Space Science and Technology • School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering — Department of Chemistry • Department of Highpolymer Science and Engineering • Department of Chemical Engineering • School of Computer Science — No subdivisions • Software Institute — No subdivisions • School of Artificial Intelligence — No subdivisions • School of Electronic Science and Engineering — Department of Electronic Engineering • Department of Microelectronics and Optoelectronics • Department of Information Electronics • Department of Communication Engineering • College of Engineering and Applied Sciences — Department of Material Science and Engineering • Department of Quantum Electronics and Optical Engineering • Department of Biomedical Engineering • Department of Energy Science and Engineering • School of Environment — Department of Environmental Sciences • Department of Environmental Engineering • Department of Environmental Planning and Management • School of Earth Sciences and Engineering — Department of Earth and Planetary Science • Department of Hydro-science • Department of Geological Engineering and Information Technology • School of Geographic and Oceanographic Sciences — Department of Physical Geography • Department of Land Resources and Tourism • Department of Geographic Information Technology • Department of Coastal and Oceanographic • School of Atmospheric Sciences — Department of Meteorology • Department of Atmospheric Physics • School of Life Sciences — Department of Biology • Department of Biochemistry • Department of Ecology • Department of Physiology • Department of Biotechnology and Pharmacy • Medical School — No subdivisions • School of Management and Engineering — Department of Industrial Engineering and Operations Management • Department of Complex Project Management • Department of Financial Technology and Engineering • Department of Control Science and Intelligent Engineering • Kuang Yaming Honors School — No subdivisions • School of Architecture and Urban Planning — Department of Architecture • Department of Urban Planning and Design • School of Marxism — No subdivisions • School of Arts — Department of Art Theory and Creativity • Department of Art and Design • Education Research Institute & Tao Xingzhi Teacher Education College — No subdivisions • Department of Foreign Language Education — No subdivisions • Department of Physical Education — No subdivisions • Chinese Ideologue Research Center — Independent Research Institute • Institute for Advanced Studies in Humanities and Social Sciences — Independent Research Institute • Institute of Modern Biology — Independent Research Institute • Yangtze IDEL — Independent Research Institute

• Nanjing University ranks No.1 in the number of alumni elected as academicians of Chinese Academy of Sciences and/or Chinese Academy of Engineering graduated in recent more than 30 years since college admission entrance examination system was recovered in 1977 after Cultural Revolution. • In the first time Examination for senior civil service post of Republic of China (as recovery of and equivalent to Imperial examination) in 1931, top 100 were selected, all were males, among them 25 are graduates of Nanjing University, including Zhuangyuan (principal graduate) Chow Bangdao, who was later president of China Medical College and Political Deputy Ministry of Examination, ROC, and the school in the second place is Peking University, with 8 graduates. In the second time exam held in 1933, there were females passed, half of whom graduated from Nanjing University, as well as Zhuangyuan Lee Hsuehteng, who graduated from law school and later became Chief Justice of ROC Supreme Court. One-fourth of Chief Justices in the early 60 more years of Republic of China are National Central University (Nanjing University) alumni. • Of 53 first-time elected academicians of Academia Sinica in natural science including mathematics, 28 were graduates or once faculty members of Nanjing University.