thumb|East campus

thumb|West campus

Yanshan University () is a provincial public university in Qinhuangdao, Hebei, China. It is affiliated with the Province of Hebei.

In 2023, it has a student population of 40,000 and a staff population of 3,200 (2,058 are teachers, including 568 professors and 678 associate professors).

History

Harbin Institute of Technology (HIT) (1920-1960)

thumb|[[Harbin Institute of Technology (Harbin Sino-Russian Industrial School) in 1920]]

The origin of Yanshan University can be traced back to the Harbin Institute of Technology (Harbin Sino-Russian Industrial School), founded in 1920. In 1958, the Department of Heavy Machinery of Harbin Institute of Technology and its related specialties moved to the strategic industrial town of Fulaerji, Qiqihar in northeast China's Heilongjiang Province and was renamed the School of Heavy Machinery of the Harbin Institute of Technology.

Northeast Heavy Machinery Institute (1960-1997)

The School of Heavy Machinery of the Harbin Institute of Technology gained independence in 1960 and was renamed as the Northeast Heavy Machinery Institute. Later, in 1961, it merged with the Shenyang College of Heavy Machinery and the Lanzhou Petroleum Industry Institute. In 1978, it was recognized as one of the 88 key national institutions for higher education. From 1984 onwards, some of the departments and staff of the Northeast Heavy Machinery Institute started moving southward to Qinhuangdao, a coastal city in Hebei Province.

In 2023, based on the volume and citations on published research papers, engineering, materials science, chemistry, and computer science of YSU are among the top 1% of ESI (Essential Science Indicators by Clarivate) rankings worldwide.

YSU played a role in the design and production of Comac C919, as well as contributing to the design of the Shenzhou spacecraft, the Chinese high-speed rail, and the commissioning and design of FAST(Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical Telescope).

  • Journal of Yanshan University (Philosophy and Social Science)

Education Quality

Until 2023, Yanshan University has a student population of 40,000 and a total staff population of 3,200 (2,058 are teachers, including 568 professors and 678 associate professors).

!

!Year

!Ranking

|-

| rowspan="3" |Shanghai Ranking (Academic Ranking of World Universities)

|2021

|901

|-

|2022

|801

|-

|2023

|801

|-

| rowspan="3" |Best Global Universities Rankings (U.S. News & World Report)

|2021

|1360

|-

|2022

|1358

|-

|2023

|1407

|-

| rowspan="3" |World University Rankings (Times Higher Education)

|2021

|1001

|-

|2022

|1201

|-

|2023

|1501

|}

Domestic Ranking

In the fourth round of national discipline evaluation of China, eight disciplines achieved grades of B or higher, with mechanical engineering earning a grade of A and ranking in the top 10% nationwide. Materials science and engineering received a grade of B+ and ranked in the top 20% nationwide.

The school consists of three postdoctoral research stations:

There are two post-doctoral research stations in the school:

School of Materials Science and Engineering

In 2023, the school currently enrols 1,600 students including 820 undergraduates, 560 master students, and 220 PhD students. Since 2007, over 50% undergraduates in the school were entitled into graduate programs. The school employs 122 faculty members and staff, including 56 professors (51 PhD supervisors), 11 associate professors, and 12 senior engineers.

International Relations

The University of Toledo

Qinhuangdao and Toledo established sister city ties in 1985, leading to a partnership between Yanshan University (YSU) and the University of Toledo (UToledo) since 1986. In 2008, they established the Confucius Institute at UToledo to promote Chinese culture and education. About 30,000 students took Chinese courses, with cultural activities reaching 100,000 locals. Managers from both universities participated in important events, and more than 200 people engaged in two-way exchange delegations. In 2016, YSU's School of Humanities and Law and UToledo's Law School signed a cooperation agreement. A master program and a health care training program were also established.

BRICS

Yanshan University is currently part of the BRICS Universities League.

Notable alumni

<!-- Only for persons with their own article on ENWP -->

  • Ding Xuexiang, director of the General Office of the Chinese Communist Party, member of the 19th Party Politburo and member of the Secretariat of the Chinese Communist Party.

Controversies

Zifeng Li's Controversial Research

Prof. Zifeng Li's 2021 research, titled Advancing Newtonian Physics by Upholding a Materialist Perspective on Spacetime and Energy-Matter, aimed to challenge Einstein's theory of relativity but faced skepticism due to the established verification of the theory. His work was recommended for Hebei Province Science and Technology Award despite facing several unsuccessful grant applications. Furthermore, the academic community have questioned the integrity of Prof. Li's research practices. Reportedly, Prof. Zifeng Li steadfastly rejects relativity, using his position to promote his theories in class. Allegedly, students who disagreed were unfairly graded, leading to a severe teaching incident. YSU criticized Li, imposing a 3-year undergraduate teaching suspension in 2017.

Campus & Environment

The Yanshan University campus covers an area of 820 acres with a total construction area of nearly one million square meters.

References

  • Yanshan University official website