Zhejiang University

Zhejiang University is located in the coastal city of Hangzhou, the capital of Zhejiang Province, which lies 180 km away from Shanghai, a metropolitan city in the southeast of China.  Zhejiang University, Hangzhou University, Zhejiang Agricultural University and Zhejiang Medical University, the four universities that together make up Zhejiang University, have grown out of the same ancestry, the Qiushi (with the literal meaning of "seeking truth" in Chinese) Academy, which was founded a century ago as one of the earliest institutions of higher learning in China.  As a result, they have all inherited from it the spirit of "Qiushi" while building up their own distinctive features in teaching and research.   Zhejiang University consists of six campuses, namely Yuquan, Xixi, Huajiachi, Hubin, Zhijiang, and Zijingang, occupying a total area of 5,330,000 square meters and a floor space of 2,008,000 square meters.

Under the direct administration of China's Ministry of Education, Zhejiang University is a key comprehensive university and has eleven fields of learning, namely philosophy, literature, history, education, science, economics, law, management, engineering, agriculture and medicine.  Known as the "Cambridge of the East" in China's modern history of higher education, Zhejiang University's undergraduate and graduate programs are both consistently ranked as among the best in the nation.

To continually achieve excellence in the missions of education, research, and social service, Zhejiang University attaches great importance to exchange and cooperation with international partners.  At present, the university has cooperative relationships with over 110 universities, governmental organizations and businesses from various parts of the world.  Now the university is focusing on continuing to give priority to education and research, seeking to contribute to the nation's economic development, and to make every effort to develop itself into one of the top universities in the world.  Presently, the total number of full-time students has reached over 42,916, where approximately 1400 are foreign students.

cZhejiang University is now a key comprehensive university whose fields of study cover eleven branches of learning, namely philosophy, literature, history, education, science, economics, law, management, engineering, agriculture and medicine.  The university has 115undergraduate specialties, is entitled to confer masters degrees in 312programs, and doctoral degrees in 237programs.  

International students are welcomed to enroll in undergraduate, master-level and doctoral programs in a wide range of disciplines, with courses offered in both English and Chinese.  Preparatory language courses are offered by the International College to improve the Chinese language proficiency of non-language students before they begin studying their desired specialties in other schools or departments.

At the moment, there are 1400 students studying Chinese language and culture.  Students are from Japan, America, Germany, Australia and over 100 other countries worldwide. 

The International College organizes offers semester and one year programs in elementary, intermediate and advanced level Chinese classes for students.  Students entering the school have to take a test to assess their level and place them in a class, usually composed of 15 to 20 students.  The spring semester starts around mid-February and the fall semester in mid-September.  Every semester has 18 weeks of classes, with 20 hours of classes a week.  Key courses include basic, intermediate and advanced Chinese, listening, speaking, practical writing, reading comprehension, newspaper reading.  Optional HSK pre-test training classes are also offered.

Flexible short-term programs from 4 to 12 weeks for group or individual learns are also available.  Courses can cover subjects such as Chinese language, culture, economics, traditional medicine, agriculture, are offered in Chinese or English, and accompanied by field activities such as sightseeing, visits to factories, companies or educational institutions.  For further information on short term programs, please contact China Travel. 

Students can also choose from a range of elective courses, including Chinese calligraphy, Chinese painting, tai chi, kung fu, business Chinese conversation, a survey of China, ancient Chinese language, Chinese literature, Chinese history, appreciation of classic Chinese movies, Chinese characters input and process, study of Chinese characters, and Chinese culture. 

In addition, the school offers a lecture series providing students with the chance to learn about a range of topics related to Chinese arts and culture, social science, economics and business.  Away from the classroom, field trips, which can include visits, tours, interviews, and sightseeing, are organized once or twice each semester.

There are over 8,400faculty and staff members, including 14 members of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and ninemembers of the Chinese Academy of Engineering.  The international education centre has 26 professional teachers of Chinese language and culture and 40 part-time teachers, of whom half are professors. 

Library

Zhejiang University Library is composed of one general library and five branch libraries located at Yuquan (Science & Technology), Xixi (Arts and Humanities), Huajiachi (Agriculture), Hubin (Medical Science), and Zijingang campuses.  The Zijingang branch library was established in October 2003, and contains the latest technology for users' services.  Together with other libraries, it aims to provide the University's faculty, students and researchers with comprehensive access at any time to its entire collection. 

The libraries have a collection of more than 5.5 million volumes, including around 3.5 million books and over 1.17 million periodicals, as well as more than 20,000 items of video and microfilm.  The whole collection covers a wide variety of disciplines, and is especially strong on Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Medical, Agriculture, Biological Science, Local Literature, Dun Huang Study, and Psychology.  There are more than two hundred databases covering all kinds of subjects, including more than 120,000 electronic books, journals, magazines and dissertations. 

International students should pay a RMB 300 deposit when applying for a library card.  The library is open from 8 am – 11 pm during term times, and in vacation periods only in the mornings. 

Recreation Facilities

The campus has full sports equipment including a swimming pool, tennis courts, basketball courts and a gym, all at reasonable prices.  Students have a wide choice of extracurricular classes, as based on their own interests and level of Chinese.

Laundry

There are plenty of laundries and drycleaners both inside and outside the university campus for the convenience of students.

Money & Banking

Just at the bridge gate of the campus you can find a branch of the Bank of China, several other Chinese banks, and a branch of Western Union, all of which provide a range of services for international students, including money transfer and currency exchange. 

Medical Care

Zhejiang University hospital has foreign doctors and international standard equipment, and is located in the medical college belonging to the university.  Hangzhou has many other high-quality hospitals within a short distance of the university, namely Hangzhou First People's Hospital and Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital.  Both of these hospitals have English speaking doctors and staff, are open 24 hours, have well-stocked pharmacies and accept both cash or credit card.

Hangzhou First People's Hospital
Address:  No. 261 Huansha Road, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province
Tel:  (86571) 8706–5701

Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital
Address:  No. 158 Shangtang Road, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province
Tel:  (86571) 8523–9988

Food & Groceries

The campus has many different grocery stores open during the day and night, as well as bookshops, and different styles of dining cafeterias.  In the area around the university, there are plenty of cafes, restaurants, bars, and KTV bars open from 10 am until late. 

Postal Services

A post office is available on campus, allowing students to easily send and receive mail and packages from all over the world. 

International students' dormitories provide each student with basic bedding, air-conditioning, hot water, telephone and internet connection (at extra cost).  Both single rooms and double rooms are available.  The cafe on the third floor of the international teaching building has three computers available for students' use at minimal cost.

The school is situated in the west of Hangzhou, in the West Lake area. 

Distance from the airport: About one hour by taxi. 

Distance from the train station: About 30 minutes by taxi.