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. It is a member of the C9 League.

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.

History

Public school to industrial school

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. 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.

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.

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. Specialized coursework replaced general education requirements, and experiments and practice were prioritized in the curriculum.

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.

Post-1949 developments

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. 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. 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.

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