East China University of Science and Technology

East China University of Science and Technology
华东理工大学
Motto 勤奋求实,励志明德
Motto in English
Diligence, Factuality, Aspiration and Virtue
Type Public
Established 1952 (1952)
President Qu Jingping (曲景平)
Academic staff
3,507
Students around 24,140
Undergraduates 15,460
Postgraduates 7,110
1,570
Other students
1,260 foreign students
Location Xuhui District, Shanghai,  People's Republic of China
Colors Blue and White          
Nickname Huali (华理)
Website www.ecust.edu.cn
Data as of May 2015

East China University of Science and Technology (simplified Chinese: 华东理工大学; traditional Chinese: 華東理工大學; pinyin: Huádōng Lǐgōng Dàxué, English acronym ECUST) is a research university located in Shanghai, China. Originally established as an institution highly specialized in the field of chemistry, it has evolved into a comprehensive university that covers all academic disciplines and offers a large variety of majors. The school encompasses two campuses and a science park in the Xuhui, Fengxian and Jinshan districts of Shanghai.

History

The history of ECUST can be dated back to Nanyang Public School and Aurora University. The university itself was founded in 1952 and originally named East China Institute of Chemical Technology (华东化工学院). It was the first single-subject institute in the People's Republic of China, consolidated by the chemistry departments of Aurora University, National Chiaotung University, Utopia University, Soochow University, and Yangtze University. The institute was located in the Jiangwan District of Shanghai, on the former campus of the School of Science of Tongji University. Professor Zhang Jiangshu (张江树), a highly renowned chemist and educator, was appointed as its first president. In 1954, the institute moved to Meilong District, on to the site that today is Xuhui Campus. During the first year of operations, the campus covered a floor space of 38,500 m² and an enrollment of 721 students. The first batch of post-graduates was admitted in 1956, as were foreign exchange students. Two years later, the autumn admission of the college had reached a number of 2,034 students, while the number of faculties was increased from three to five, offering 15 undergraduate courses and three majors for professional training.

The institute was designated as a national key university by the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party in 1960. Under orders of the central government, a branch campus was opened in Zigong, Sichuan Province in 1965. The name of the school was changed to Shanghai Institute of Chemical Industry (上海化工学院) and it was placed under the jurisdiction of the city of Shanghai during the tumultuous years of the Cultural Revolution. As for universities elsewhere in China, it proved to be a distrastrous undertaking for the Institute, resulting in the burning of 249 households, the destruction of 2.361 cultural artifacts and material losses close to 500,000 Yuan. After the reintroduction of the Gaokao in 1979 and the decision to revert to the original name, the university was able to resume on its gradual course of development. The Zigong branch was transformed into a new college, the Sichuan Institute of Chemical Technology, which later became the Sichuan University of Science and Engineering. In 1981, the first doctoral students were admitted, followed by the establishment of postdoctoral research stations in 1985.[1] In 1993, ECUST adapted its current name, and in 1996 became a member of Project 211. A MBA in cooperation with the University of Canberra was introduced in 2000, later complemented by separate MPA and EMBA programs.

The university introduced online education in 2002, being one of the first institutions in China to do so. After several years of trial runs starting at the turn of the century, a graduate school was formally established in 2004. The following years saw a rapid expansion, with the science park opening in 2005 and the new campus in Fengxian in 2007. A number of new academic departments were also established during that decade, namely the Sino-German College of Technology, the College of International Education and the School of Sports Science and Engineering. Since 2008, ECUST has become one of the universities participating in the "Innovation Platform for Key Disciplines" of Project 985. In December 2013, the Chemical Engineering and Technology major was accredited by ABET.

Campuses

River scenery on Xuhui Campus

As one of Garden Units of Shanghai, the university is known for its beautiful surroundings. Occupying more than 1,7 km² in total, ECUST is set within an elegant environment and green scenery. Both university grounds feature rivulets and tree-lined alleyways. The main campus is located on Meilong Road in Xuhui District, in the southwest of downtown Shanghai and 17 kilometers from Hongqiao Airport, with an area of approximately 415,000 m² and 21 dorms capable of accommodating 15,000 students. Most of the departments are easily reached from the Front Gate, behind which Pandeng Road directly leads to the Main Building. Out of the built-up space, classrooms take up 56,000 m² and laboratories 118,000 m². The campus houses the administrative offices of the university, Master's as well as PhD students, international exchange and language students, and is home to most of the research facilities.

The newest campus in Fengxian District was opened in September 2007. It is located in an area near the sea, adjacent to several other universities and colleges. Spread over an area of 600,000 m², it can accommodate up to 20,000 students. Since this campus houses the undergraduate students, it features a large number of lecture halls and classrooms. Buildings cover a total space of about 816,000 m², including sporting facilities like gymnasiums, swimming pools and a ground track field. The Fengxian Library of ECUST is found in the center of the campus, adjacent to a large lake.

Around 60 kilometres away from the main campus and located close to the border of Jiaxing in northern Zhejiang, the ECUST campus in Jinshan District is primarily known for its science park. Originally known as the Shanghai Petrochemical College (上海石油化工高等专科学校), it was integrated into ECUST as a department in 1996 and transformed into a branch campus in 2000. It covers a building space of almost 100,000 m², housing laboratories as well as many of the enterprises affiliated to ECUST. Practice classes for both undergraduate and gradudate students in chemical engineering and software management are also offered on the Jinshan campus, as is vocational training for non-university personnel. Busses commute frequently between Xuhui and Fengxian, and twice a day to Jinshan.

The Middle School Affiliated To ECUST (华东理工大学附属中学), was established in 1992 and is located in the south of Xuhui district, not far from the main campus. It is attended by 1,200 middle and high school students.[2]

Academics

Main Building on Xuhui Campus

As a member of Project 211, ECUST enjoy a high allocation of funds and is subordinate to the Ministry of Education. The university is regarded as one of the best in Greater China, being placed 51st in that region by the 2014 Shanghai Ranking.[3] It is especially renowned for its Chemical Engineering department, which is ranked among the Top 100 wordwide. Material Sciences and Chemistry are also of high renown.[4]

The university offers 13 first level and 81 second level doctoral programs, 25 first level and 147 second level master programs and 65 undergraduate programs. There are seven national key subjects and 10 Shanghai key subjects among the ECUST academic units. The total number of full-time students has reached around 24,140, including 15,460 undergraduates, 7,110 postgraduates studying for master's degrees and 1,570 Ph.D. candidates.

The East China University of Technology University Press, founded in 1986, focuses on publications in the technical and social sciences as well as foreign languages and elementary education.

Seven majors are distinguished as national key disciplines (国家级特色专业), those include:

Endeavour Wall on Xuhui Campus

The following majors are distinguished as key disciplines of the city of Shanghai(上海市重点学科):

Among the faculty of ECUST, four are fellows of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Chinese Academy of Engineering, while six work as scientists-in-chief of the National Basic Research Program.

Library

University Library on Fengxian Campus

The Library of East China University of Science & Technology (ECUST) was established in 1952 and is placed under direct auspice of the Ministry of Education of People’s Republic of China. Starting with the collections of the different departments that initially made up the foundation of the college, it has developed into a research library for multiple disciplines ranging from chemistry and chemical engineering to natural sciences, engineering, management and liberal arts. The library system of ECUST encompasses two branches among the major campuses. The library in Xuhui, built in 1987, houses most of the book collections, while the new nine-story library in Fengxian marks the center of the new campus and is geared towards undergraduate students. Together, they cover a floor space of almost 46,000 m² and offer 3,500 seats in the reading rooms. Electronic resources are abundant, with databases shared among several university library systems and access to academic journals. In total, more than 2,600,000 books and publications are available. The university maintains subscriptions for over 2,000 foreign journals in print and over 30,000 in digital form. The library is open each day of the week except on national holidays.

The library is a member of the Shanghai Library system and one of its main nodes where inter-library loan is possible. It plays an active part in the theory and practice of teaching literature search that have been set up at ECUST. In 2004, with the introduction of a master's degree in Information Science, this role was further strengthened. Also on offer are services to students and the wider public, including, but not limited to, a language training center and the provision of teaching material in foreign languages, a center for the distribution of cultural resources and book consulting services both in-person and online.[5]

Schools

Building of the School of Social and Public Administration on Xuhui Campus

The university departments are organized in 15 academic schools:

Besides those main academic schools, the university features a School of Online Education, the College of International Education, the College of Continuing Education, the Sino-German College of Technology, a Department of Excellent Students in Science and Technology and a Marxism Institute.

International Cooperation

Long-term academic relationships have been established with more than 60 universities, enterprises, and research institutes all over the world. The following degrees are offered jointly with partner universities:[6]

Athletics

The university has athletes and teams competing in more than 20 different sports. Its Table Tennis team is especially famous and regarded as one of the best university teams in China. It has continuously won gold medals in the World University Table Tennis Championships and hosted the competition in 2000. Famous table tennis players that attended ECUST include Tie Ya Na, Gao Jun and Qiao Yunping.[7]

References

  1. "华东化工学院大事记(1952~1992.06)". ECUST. Retrieved May 23, 2015.
  2. "学校简介". Middle School Affiliated to ECUST. Retrieved May 23, 2015.
  3. "Ranking of Top Universities in Greater China - 2013". Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU). Retrieved October 14, 2015.
  4. "East China University of Science and Technology Rankings". QS Top Universities. Retrieved May 23, 2015.
  5. "本馆简介". ECUST. Retrieved May 23, 2015.
  6. "Joint Program". ECUST. Retrieved May 23, 2015.
  7. "体育科学与工程学院简介". ECUST. Retrieved May 23, 2015.

External links

State Key Laboratories and Engineering Centers

Coordinates: 31°08′35″N 121°25′30″E / 31.14306°N 121.42500°E / 31.14306; 121.42500

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