Henan University

Henan University is a national "double first-class" university and a provincial and ministerial co-construction university. Founded in 1912, it was originally named Henan Preparatory School for Studying in Europe and America. It was built on the site of the former Henan Gongyuan, the final place of the Chinese imperial examination. The last two national examinations in 1903 and 1904 were held here, and the imperial examination system that lasted for thousands of years came to an end here. In 1912, a group of Henan benevolent people represented by Lin Boxiang founded the Henan Preparatory School for Studying in Europe and America in the dawn of the victory of the Revolution of 1911, which became one of the three major training bases for studying abroad in China at that time. After going through the stages of Zhongzhou University, National Fifth Sun Yat-sen University, and Provincial Henan University, it was renamed National Henan University in 1942, becoming a comprehensive university with six colleges including liberal arts, science, engineering, agriculture, medicine, and law. It was one of the national universities with strong academic strength and a good reputation at home and abroad at that time. After the founding of New China, after the adjustment of colleges and departments, the Agricultural College, Medical College, and Administrative College of Henan University were independently set up as Henan Agricultural College, Henan Medical College, and Henan Administrative College respectively. The water conservancy, finance and economics departments were also transferred to Wuhan University, Zhongnan University of Economics and Law and other universities, and the school headquarters was renamed Henan Normal College. After going through the stages of Kaifeng Normal College and Henan Normal University, the name of Henan University was restored in 1984. In October 2008, the People's Government of Henan Province and the Ministry of Education signed a co-construction agreement, and Henan University officially entered the ranks of provincial and ministerial co-construction universities. In September 2016, the school was selected into the national "111 Plan". In September 2017, it was selected into the national "Double First-Class" construction university.

Over the past 100 years since its founding, Henan University has strictly adhered to the school motto of "Enlightening the people with virtue and striving for perfection". Under the careful casting of generations of scholars, it has gradually formed the excellent school spirit of "unity, diligence, rigor and simplicity" and the spirit of Henan University, which is forward-looking, open, facing the world, adhering to truth, pursuing progress, unyielding, self-improvement, inclusive, tolerant, not flashy, rigorous and simple, and has realized its own value in the process of promoting social development, scientific and technological progress, economic construction and educational revitalization. Under the guidance of a large number of experts, scholars and academicians, such as Fan Wenlan, Feng Youlan, Dong Zuobin, Feng Jinglan, Luo Zhanglong, Guo Shaoyu, Luo Tingguang, Xiao Yishan, Fan Yingchuan, Mao Lirui, Jiang Liangfu, Ji Wenfu, Ren Fangqiu, and Dang Hongxin, Henan University has trained nearly 600,000 talents of various types. Among the alumni of Henan University, there are 57 academicians and members of the academic department, and nearly 150 leading cadres at the provincial and ministerial levels or above. Many alumni such as Hou Jingru, Yuan Baohua, Wang Guoquan, Zhao Yimin, Yin Da, Deng Tuo, Bai Shouyi, Yang Tingbao, Gao Jiyu, Yao Xueyin, Zhou Erfu, Wu Qiang, Ma Ke, Zhao Jiuzhang, Liang Guanglie, etc. have become famous social figures at home and abroad.

At present, Henan University mainly has three campuses, namely Kaifeng Minglun Campus, Jinming Campus and Zhengzhou Campus, with a total area of ​​more than 5,500 acres. Among them, the modern building complex of Minglun Campus is a national key cultural relic protection unit.

Henan University is a comprehensive university with 12 disciplines including literature, history, philosophy, economics, management, law, science, engineering, medicine, agriculture, education, and art. The school currently has 37 colleges (teaching and research departments), 98 undergraduate majors, 43 first-level disciplines authorized to confer master's degrees, 20 first-level disciplines authorized to confer doctoral degrees, and 19 postdoctoral research mobile stations. Biology has been selected as a national first-class discipline, and seven disciplines including chemistry, materials science, clinical medicine, engineering, botany and zoology, pharmacology and toxicology, environmental science and ecology have entered the top 1% of the ESI world ranking. The school currently has more than 4,400 faculty and staff, including 21 full-time and part-time academicians, 42 leading talents such as Yangtze River Scholars, National Outstanding Young Scholars, and "Ten Thousand Talents Program". There are nearly 50,000 full-time students, including nearly 11,000 graduate students and more than 800 international students.

The university has two national key laboratories, including the National Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology and the National Key Laboratory of Crop Adaptation and Improvement, one National Field Scientific Observation and Research Station for Forest Ecosystem in Dabie Mountain, Henan, three national and local joint engineering research centers (engineering laboratories), including the National and Local Joint Engineering Research Center for Nanohybrid Material Application Technology, the National and Local Joint Engineering Research Center for High-efficiency Display and Lighting Technology, and the National and Local Joint Engineering Laboratory for Antibody Drug Development Technology, one National Edible Fungus Processing Technology Research and Development Professional Center, four key laboratories (engineering centers) of the Ministry of Education, 11 provincial key laboratories (research institutes) of Henan Province, and two national key social science research platforms, including the Yellow River Civilization Provincial and Ministry Co-construction Collaborative Innovation Center and the Yellow River Civilization and Sustainable Development Research Center. In addition, there are national-level education, research and training bases, including the National Ministry of Education Sports and Art Teacher Training Base, the State Sports General Administration Social Science Research Base, the National College Students Cultural Quality Education Base, and the National Chinese Excellent Culture and Art Inheritance Base. Henan University Press is established, and academic journals such as "Historical Monthly" and "Journal of Henan University" have a great influence in the academic community. The library has 5.2 million paper books and more than 7 million electronic books. The university has established friendly cooperative relations with more than 170 universities in more than 40 countries and regions, and is a member of the World Association of Universities and the Association of Asia-Pacific Universities.

In recent years, leaders such as Xi Jinping, Li Keqiang, Jiang Zemin, Jia Qinglin, Li Lanqing, Wu Guanzheng, and Li Changchun have visited the university and placed high hopes on the development of Henan University. In July 2004, when Comrade Jiang Zemin visited, he personally wrote the inscription "Keep pace with the times, pioneer and innovate, and make Henan University a first-class university in the country." In September 2012, Comrade Wen Jiabao, then member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Premier of the State Council, wrote the inscription "Run Henan University well and revitalize the education in the Central Plains" for the 100th anniversary of the founding of Henan University. The Henan Provincial Party Committee and the Provincial Government have always attached great importance to the construction of Henan University, and have always given key support to Henan University as a key university in Henan Province.

Since entering the ranks of national "double first-class" universities, the school has adhered to the development positioning of "Chinese characteristics, world-class, and Central Plains style", and in accordance with the development ideas of "one main line, three fundamentals, six first-class, and six projects" proposed at the 11th Party Congress of the school, adhered to the connotation development, continued reform and innovation, and strived to become a comprehensive, research-oriented, and world-class university with great international influence by the middle of this century.

(September 7, 2021)