Sichuan University is an institution that comprises three former national universities: the former Sichuan University, the former Chengdu University of Science and Technology, and the former West China University of Medical Sciences. The history of Sichuan University dates back to the Sichuan Chinese and Western School founded by Lu Chuanlin, Governor of Sichuan, in 1896 on Emperor Guangxu. It is the earliest modern institute of higher education in Southwest China. The former Chengdu University of Science and Technology was one of the earliest multidisciplinary engineering universities established through a restructuring program of colleges and universities. The former West China University of Medical Sciences, original West China Union University, was established by western Christian missionaries in Chengdu in 1910. It was one of the first universities in the western tradition and one of the pioneering universities to offer postgraduate programs in China.
In 1994, the former Sichuan University and the former Chengdu University of Science and Technology merged into Sichuan United University, and then in 1998, it was renamed Sichuan University. CPC and state leaders, including Jiang Zemin and Li Peng, wrote congratulatory messages and gave their best wishes to the two universities' merger. The second merger took place in 2000 when Sichuan University and the former West China University of Medical Sciences joined together. Sichuan University is a pioneer in the institutional reform of higher education. It's one of the first universities being reformed and has made historic contributions to higher education reforms in China, commented Li Lanqing, a former Vice Premier. During the May 12th Wenchuan earthquake relief period, CPC and state leaders including Wu Bangguo and Wen Jiabao visited Sichuan University.
Sichuan University has a comprehensive range of disciplines covering 12 categories: humanities, science, engineering, medicine, economy, management, law, history, philosophy, agriculture, education, and art. It consists of 34 colleges, including a postgraduate college and an overseas education college. The state has authorized a total of 45 disciplines to grant doctoral degrees. The university offers 354 doctoral programs, 438 master programs, 32 professional master's programs, 138 undergraduate programs, and 37 post-doctoral research stations. It also has 46 national key disciplines and four national key cultivated disciplines.
Universities are the lighthouses of human civilization and serve as fundamental engines for social and economic development. As one of China's earliest modern universities, Sichuan University, founded in 1896, has consistently embodied the ideals of embracing all schools of thought, cultivating the country's pillars, promoting academic progress, directing social development, and working for the wellbeing of humankind. Sichuan University has made significant contributions to China's socioeconomic development and the broader advancement of human civilization at various stages of its history.
As we mark our 120th anniversary, Sichuan University is at a turning point. The university has impressive academic strengths across disciplines, including medicine, biological sciences, basic and applied sciences, engineering, social sciences, arts, and humanities. We also benefit from deep and multi-faceted partnerships with the industry, as well as an incredibly well-connected and dynamic alumni network. But we face multiple challenges too. As the world is changing rapidly, we need to fundamentally transform our research and educational models to serve our students and society more effectively in the next 120 years.
We are developing new models for multidisciplinary, multisectoral, and multinational collaborations, focusing on innovation. We envision a future in which our professors and students are increasingly engaged in collaborating with multiple sectors of society and with partners worldwide on concrete projects that address fundamental challenges facing humanity.
Moving to such a project-based approach, which diversifies from the traditional classroom-based models of knowledge transmission, will require enormous changes in all aspects of the university's administration. But the ultimate benefit will also be enormous. It will enable us to make more significant contributions to society and enlarge Sichuan University's leadership role worldwide in the next 120 years. Sichuan University has exhibited great strength in research and made remarkable achievements over the years. It has 13 key national laboratories and engineering centers, four state-level international scientific and technological cooperation bases, 11 key laboratories and six engineering research centers under the Ministry of Education's supervision, and three critical laboratories under the Ministry of Health's supervision. It also has nine national centers for talent training, research, and teaching, 8 National Experimental Teaching Demonstration Centers, 19 National Engineering Practice Education Centers, 3 National Experimental Teaching Center Of Virtual Simulation, 1 National Teacher Teaching Development Demonstration Center, 1 National Base of Culture-Oriented Quality Education for College Students, 9 National Off-campus Practice Education Bases for College Students, four key National Research Bases for Philosophy and Social Sciences, 3 National Drug Clinical Trial Institutes. Since 2005, the university has won 41 awards in three major national award categories for science and technology. In 2016, the university's research funding increased to 1.86 billion RMB, the number of papers published ranked the 5th, and the number of SCI papers ranked the 6th in China. In the field of humanities and social sciences, the university's experts compiled, edited, and published several extensive collections and anthologies, including a Chinese Dictionary, The Complete Works of Song Dynasty, A History of Chinese Taoism, and Ru Zang(Collected Works of Confucianism).
