Yunnan University (YNU)

Yunnan University is one of the largest universities within China. It is also one of the most prestigious universities within China. The main part of the University is located in Kunming. Yunnan University was founded in 1922 and was originally called University of the Eastern Land. Today, Yunnan University is one of the national universities dedicated to focusing on the China Western Development program.

Notable Campuses & Programs within China

Yunnan University became very famous during World War II due to the Chinese scholars that taught there from Beijing and Nanjing. During this time, there was also a distinct French influence. In fact, the former President earned his PhD from the Sorbonne, which made the Yunnan University famous for its French language and civilization research. The school of foreign language was honored as “Chevalier des Palmes Académiques” (Knight of the Academic Golden Palm) in 2011.

Yunnan University has 19,872 students, which includes 9,919 Undergraduates, 2,853 Post-Graduates, 684 Doctoral candidates, 1842 Master’s candidates, and 170 Law students. The school is divided into academic disciplines that consist of: Liberal Arts, Law, Science, Technology, Economics, and Management.

One of Yunnan University’s primary sites is the Yunnan University Science Park that was developed as an experimental center for research and development. Yunnan University also has an impressive herbarium, which is believed to be the second oldest in the province. The herbarium specializes in Pteridophytes from Southwestern China.

In terms of academic departments, Yunnan University has departments in: Dianchi, Economy, Adult Education, Humanities/Liberal Arts, Life Science/Chemistry, Information, Science, Developmental Research, Occupational Technology, Law, Public Management, Business Administration/Tourism Management, Foreign Languages, College of Modern Design Arts, Medicine, International Relations, International Cultures, Tourism/Culture, and Software Engineering.

Yunnan has an impressive amount of Scientific and Technological research regularly happening on its campus. It is also one of the first universities to issue a public technology corporation on the Chinese stock market. The revenues from these projects have led to more research grants by the government for incredible research projects.

Recently, Yunnan University has developed a second campus that is 45 minutes away from its original campus. The original campus now hosts most of the Graduate students while the new campus is catered towards the Undergraduate students. Additionally, Yunnan University is quite famous for its impressive library. The library has a collection of over 1.2 million books, which include historical literature. The computer system that the library has in place allows for easy research steps for both students and faculty. In addition to the library, Yunnan University has also developed a publishing house that has published over two million copies of distinguished academic works.

Final Remarks

Yunnan University is a great choice for Chinese and foreign students that are looking to have a school with a strong research background with a great deal of history and prestige. The alumni networking opportunities within this school are an excellent asset to students that decide to attend Yunnan University. Be sure to consider Yunnan University when deciding where to study in China for your post-secondary education.