Shanghai Jiao Tong University

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.

On December 25, 1954, Peng Kang, the university's Party Secretary, announced the adoption of the presidential responsibility system. On January 7, 1955, the university expanded its Shipbuilding College under the direct leadership of the Ministry of First Mechanical Industry. Faculty and students from the Dalian Institute of Technology's shipbuilding department joined Jiao Tong University between January 29–30. On June 22, 1955, the academic structure transitioned from a two-year specialization to a five-year degree program, and the two-year program was phased out by July. By June 29, the university's telecommunication and automotive programs were transferred to Chengdu and Changchun, respectively.

On March 13, 1956, Jiao Tong University initiated discussions to enrol its first cohort of graduate students in fields like mechanical engineering, metallurgy, and electrification. This pilot program evolved, and by 1958, the university had grown to include 6 departments and 15 majors, with 5,000 students at that time. In March 1958, the Shanghai Shipbuilding Institute and Nanyang College of Technology officially merged with Jiao Tong University.

Relocation and splitting up

During a May 24–25, 1955 meeting, Jiao Tong University's committee decided to follow central government instructions to relocate the university. On August 20, an office was established in Xi'an to begin preparations, and the relocation plan was announced on November 24. In January 1956, a delegation was sent to inspect the Xi'an site. The relocation began in earnest by 1957, with the Shanghai Municipal Party Committee agreeing to the move on June 22. However, just a week later, the university decided to operate campuses in both Shanghai and Xi'an, with only select departments relocating. In September, many Civil Engineering faculty and students transferred to the Xi'an campus, which was formally separated into Xi'an Jiaotong University on July 31, 1959, with the Shanghai campus renamed Shanghai Jiaotong University.

Period of Shanghai Jiao Tong University

In 1961, Shanghai Jiaotong University came under the dual leadership of the National Defense Science and Technology Commission (NDSC), the Ministry of Education, and the Shanghai Municipal Party Committee. On June 10, the Minyan Road branch campus was handed over to Shanghai Institute of Technology, and by January 10, 1962, the preparatory department followed. On August 29, 1962, Shanghai Jiaotong University was restructured into 8 departments including Shipbuilding, Radio Engineering, and Electrical Engineering. In 1970, SJTU was placed under the Sixth Ministry of Machinery Industry's leadership. In 1978, the university re-established departments in Applied Mathematics, Applied Physics, and Engineering Mechanics, followed by the reconstruction of the Department of Civil Engineering in 1985. The Minhang Campus was officially opened in 1987. In 1999, Shanghai Agricultural College merged into SJTU. In 2005, the former Shanghai Jiao Tong University and the former Shanghai Second Medical University () merged to establish the new Shanghai Jiao Tong University.

Partnership with the University of Michigan

In 2024, five Shanghai Jiao Tong University students who participated in an exchange program with the University of Michigan were charged in the United States with espionage-related offenses after being caught during exercises at Camp Grayling which included Taiwanese forces. In January 2025, the University of Michigan ended its partnership with Shanghai Jiao Tong University. This follows the termination of other relationships between US and Chinese universities by the US partner, notably between Georgia Tech and Tianjin University, and between UC Berkeley and Tsinghua University, both in 2024-5.

Rankings

Subject rankings

Notable alumni

Main article: List of Shanghai Jiao Tong University alumni

References

References

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