As one of the national key universities directly under the State Ministry of Education (MOE) as well as one of the State '211 Project' and '985 Project' universities enjoying privileged construction, the present Sichuan University (SCU) was first incorporated in April, 1994 with Chengdu University of Science and Technology (CUST), then a national key university under the MOE, and then reincorporated again in Sept, 2000 with the West China University of Medical Science (WCUMS), a key university directly subordinate to the State Ministry of Health in 2000. The former Sichuan U
As one of the national key universities directly under the State Ministry of Education (MOE) as well as one of the State '211 Project' and '985 Project' universities enjoying privileged construction, the present Sichuan University (SCU) was first incorporated in April, 1994 with Chengdu University of Science and Technology (CUST), then a national key university under the MOE, and then reincorporated again in Sept, 2000 with the West China University of Medical Science (WCUMS), a key university directly subordinate to the State Ministry of Health in 2000. The former Sichuan University was one of the earliest institutes of higher learning in China, with a history dating back to Sichuan Zhong-Xi Xuetang (Sichuan Chinese and Western School), established in 1896. The predecessor of CUST is Chengdu Engineering College, set up in 1954 as the result of the nation-wide college and department adjustment. WCUMS originated from the private Huaxi Xiehe University (West China Union University), established in 1910 by five Christian missionary groups from U.S.A., UK and Canada.
At present, Sichuan University is a first class comprehensive research university in Western China. The University has established 30 Colleges, a College of Graduate Studies, a School of Overseas Education and two independent colleges, Jin Cheng and Jin Jiang College. These colleges cover 11 areas of study including: Humanities, Science, Medicine, Economics, Management, Law, History, Philosophy, Agriculture, and Education. At Sichuan University there are 46 key disciplines at the national level, 66 key disciplines at the provincial level, 27 first class Ph.D. disciplines as well as 229 other P.h.D. disciplines, 346 Master’s Degree disciplines, 813specialized degree programs, 126 Undergraduate disciplines, 28 post-doctorate interim-positions, 6 National Innovative Training Bases for Scientific Research and Curriculum Study, and a National Base for the Education of University Students in Culture and Ethics.
SCU has fostered co-operative ties with more than 150 world renowned universities, educational organizations and foundations from 42 countries and regions. It has co-established with them such platforms for high-level academic exchanges as “Sino-US Institute for University Design”, “Jiuzhaigou International Laboratory for Ecology, Environment, and Sustainability”, “Sino-German Institute for Energy Research”, and “Western China Poverty-Alleviation International Research Center”, and other international level co-operative platforms. SCU is a member of the “10+10” alliance consisting of the 10 campuses in the University of California system and 10 Chinese Universities. Moreover, it is also co-training students with universities such as the University of Washington, Nottingham University, and Monash University in forms of “2+2”, “3+1”, and “2+1+1”, in order to enhance its international competitiveness.
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