American University

American University (AU) is a private federally chartered research university in Washington, D.C., United States, whose main campus covers 90 acres on Ward Circle in the Spring Valley and Tenleytown neighbourhoods of the city's northwest.美利坚大学（American University，简称 AU）是美国华盛顿特区的一所私立联邦特许研究型大学，主校区占地 90 英亩，位于城市西北部沃德圆环一带的泉谷与坦利镇社区。

Chartered by an Act of Congress in 1893 at the urging of Methodist bishop John Fletcher Hurst, it broke ground in 1902, opened as a graduate institution in 1914 and admitted its first undergraduates in 1925.该校于 1893 年应卫理公会主教 John Fletcher Hurst 之请、经美国国会法案特许设立，1902 年破土动工，1914 年以研究生院形式开办，1925 年招收首批本科生。

It comprises eight schools and colleges offering more than 160 academic programmes, enrols about 13,000 students from all 50 states and 124 countries, and ranks 646th in the QS World University Rankings 2027.该校由八个学院组成，开设 160 多个学术课程，在校学生约 13,000 人，来自全美 50 个州与 124 个国家，在 2027 年 QS 世界大学排名中位列第 646 位。

History

• American University was established in the District of Columbia by an Act of Congress in 1893, primarily through the efforts of Methodist bishop John Fletcher Hurst, who sought to train future public servants.美利坚大学于 1893 年经美国国会法案在哥伦比亚特区设立，主要出自卫理公会主教 John Fletcher Hurst 的努力，他志在培养未来的公职人员。
• The university was founded by the General Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church as a national Methodist institution, and it remains affiliated with the United Methodist Church, although religion is not a criterion for admission or employment.该校由卫理公会主教派教会总议会创办，是一所全国性卫理公会学府，至今仍与联合卫理公会保持隶属关系，但宗教信仰并非入学或聘用的条件。
• Hurst personally chose the university's site on the rural periphery of Washington, D.C., and ground was broken in 1902 after more than three decades devoted to securing financial support.Hurst 亲自选定位于华盛顿特区乡郊边缘的校址；在历经三十余年筹措经费之后，学校于 1902 年破土动工。
• The university was officially dedicated on 15 May 1914, and instruction began in October 1914 with 28 student enrollees, 19 of them graduates and the remainder special students.该校于 1914 年 5 月 15 日正式落成，1914 年 10 月开始授课，首批注册学生 28 人，其中 19 人为研究生，其余为特别学生。
• American University's first commencement was held on 2 June 1915.美利坚大学的首次毕业典礼于 1915 年 6 月 2 日举行。
• During World War I the U.S. military divided the campus in 1917 into Camp Leach, devoted to camouflage research, and Camp American University, an experiment station that became the birthplace of the American chemical weapons programme.第一次世界大战期间，美军于 1917 年将校园分为两处：负责伪装技术研发的利奇营，以及后来成为美国化学武器计划诞生地的美利坚大学营实验站。
• A major cleanup began in the 1990s to remove chemical weapon remnants, including more than 200 mustard-gas shells buried beneath the campus, and further material was located in June 2024.自 1990 年代起，校方展开大规模清理，以清除遗留的化学武器，包括埋于校园地下的 200 多枚芥子气弹；2024 年 6 月又发现了更多遗留物。
• Instruction was offered only at graduate level until 1925, when the College of Liberal Arts, later the College of Arts and Sciences, opened and began awarding undergraduate degrees.1925 年之前，该校仅开设研究生课程；这一年文理学院开办，并开始授予本科学位。
• What is now the School of Public Affairs was founded in 1934, partly to educate future federal employees in public administration.如今的公共事务学院创办于 1934 年，其部分初衷是为联邦政府培养公共行政人才。
• During World War II the campus hosted the U.S. Navy Bomb Disposal School and a WAVE barracks, and the Victory ship SS American Victory was named in the university's honour.二战期间，校园内设有美国海军拆弹学校与女子后备队营房；一艘胜利轮「美利坚胜利号」即以该校之名命名。
• In 1949 the university merged with the Washington College of Law, which had been founded in 1896.1949 年，该校与创办于 1896 年的华盛顿法学院合并。
• Three departments were reorganized as schools shortly afterwards, namely the School of Business Administration in 1955, the School of Government and Public Administration in 1957 and the School of International Service in 1958.此后不久，三个系升格为学院，即 1955 年的工商管理学院、1957 年的政府与公共行政学院以及 1958 年的国际服务学院。
• In the early 1960s the Department of Defense and the Central Intelligence Agency operated the Special Operations Research Office, a federally funded research and development centre, as a think tank at American University.1960 年代初，美国国防部与中央情报局在美利坚大学运营联邦资助的研发中心「特别行动研究办公室」，作为智库使用。
• President John F. Kennedy delivered the spring 1963 commencement address, in which he called on the Soviet Union to work with the United States toward a nuclear-test-ban treaty.总统约翰·F·肯尼迪于 1963 年春季毕业典礼上发表演讲，呼吁苏联与美国合作缔结核试验禁试条约。
• From 1965 to 1977 the College of Continuing Education operated as a degree-granting college, while the Lucy Webb Hayes School of Nursing offered undergraduate nursing study from 1965 until 1988.1965 至 1977 年间，继续教育学院作为可授学位的学院运作；露西·韦布·海斯护理学院则自 1965 年至 1988 年提供本科护理教育。
• In 1972 the School of Government and Public Administration, the School of International Service, the Center for Technology and Administration and the Center for the Administration of Justice were incorporated into the College of Public and International Affairs.1972 年，政府与公共行政学院、国际服务学院、技术与行政中心以及司法行政中心被并入公共与国际事务学院。
• The university bought the former Immaculata campus in 1986 to ease space shortages, later known as the Tenley Campus, and in the same year began the Adnan Khashoggi Sports and Convocation Center with five million dollars from Saudi trustee Adnan Khashoggi.1986 年，该校购入原圣母无染原罪学院校址以缓解空间不足，即后来的坦利校区；同年，在校董、沙特人 Adnan Khashoggi 捐资 500 万美元支持下，阿德南·卡舒吉体育与集会中心开工。
• In 1988 the College of Public and International Affairs was reorganized to create two free-standing schools, the School of International Service and the School of Public Affairs.1988 年，公共与国际事务学院重组，拆分为国际服务学院与公共事务学院两个独立学院。
• In 1997 American University of Sharjah, the only coeducational liberal arts university in the United Arab Emirates, signed a two-year academic management contract with AU that was later extended through 2009.1997 年，阿联酋唯一的男女同校文理学院沙迦美利坚大学与该校签署为期两年的学术管理合约，其后延长至 2009 年。
• In fall 2005 the Katzen Arts Center and the American University Museum opened, funded by Cyrus and Myrtle Katzen, and after President Benjamin Ladner was suspended over possible misuse of funds in 2005, Cornelius M. Kerwin became president permanently in 2007.2005 年秋，由 Cyrus 与 Myrtle Katzen 捐资的卡岑艺术中心与美利坚大学博物馆启用；2005 年校长 Benjamin Ladner 因涉嫌滥用经费被停职，其后 Cornelius M. Kerwin 于 2007 年正式出任校长。
• Sylvia Mathews Burwell became the 15th president in June 2017, the first woman to hold the office, and in 2019 the School of Education was separated from the College of Arts and Sciences.2017 年 6 月，Sylvia Mathews Burwell 成为该校第 15 任校长，也是首位出任该职的女性；2019 年，教育学院从文理学院中独立出来。
• On 22 April 2020 the university announced that it had divested its endowment of fossil fuels, and on 1 July 2024 Jonathan Alger became the 16th president, succeeded by interim president David Marchick in July 2026.2020 年 4 月 22 日，该校宣布已将捐赠基金从化石燃料中撤资；2024 年 7 月 1 日 Jonathan Alger 出任第 16 任校长，2026 年 7 月由临时校长 David Marchick 接任。

Academics

• The university is composed of eight divisions, referred to as colleges or schools, which house its academic programmes, with undergraduate and graduate courses usually organised within the same division.该校由八个被称为学院或学部的单位组成，承担其学术课程，本科与研究生课程通常在同一学院内组织。
• These are the College of Arts and Sciences, the Kogod School of Business, the School of Communication, the Baker School of Education, the School of International Service, the School of Professional and Extended Studies, the School of Public Affairs and the Washington College of Law.它们分别是文理学院、Kogod 商学院、传播学院、Baker 教育学院、国际服务学院、专业与进修学院、公共事务学院以及华盛顿法学院。
• American offers over 160 academic programmes, including 71 bachelor's degrees, 87 master's degrees and 10 doctoral degrees, as well as the JD, LLM and SJD programmes at the Washington College of Law.美利坚大学开设 160 多个学术课程，包括 71 个学士、87 个硕士与 10 个博士学位课程，华盛顿法学院另设法学博士、法学硕士与司法学博士课程。
• The university is classified as an R1 doctoral university with very high research activity by the Carnegie Foundation.该校被卡内基基金会列为科研活动极强的 R1 类博士型大学。
• Its student body of more than 13,000 represents all 50 U.S. states, the District of Columbia and some 124 countries, and nearly a fifth of the students are international.其一万三千余名学生来自全美 50 个州、哥伦比亚特区以及约 124 个国家，其中近五分之一为国际学生。
• The School of International Service is among the largest schools of international affairs in the United States and was founded in 1958.国际服务学院是美国规模最大的国际事务学院之一，创办于 1958 年。
• The School of Public Affairs was ranked 12th in the United States by U.S. News & World Report for 2026.在《美国新闻与世界报道》2026 年排名中，其公共事务学院位列全美第 12。
• The Jack I. and Dorothy G. Bender Library and Learning Resources Center is the main library, holding more than one million books and forming part of the Washington Research Library Consortium.杰克·I·与多萝西·G·本德图书馆与学习资源中心是主图书馆，藏书逾一百万册，并加入华盛顿研究图书馆联盟。
• The Washington College of Law maintains its own Pence Law Library, and the consortium operates a loan service between member institutions.华盛顿法学院设有自己的彭斯法律图书馆，联盟则在成员机构之间提供馆际借阅服务。
• Admission is considered more selective, and for the class entering in fall 2023 the university received 17,786 applications, admitted 8,427 students and enrolled 1,856.其招生被认为较为严格；2023 年秋季入学的一届共收到 17,786 份申请，录取 8,427 人，实际报到 1,856 人。
• The middle 50 per cent of admitted students scored between 670 and 740 on the SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing section and between 620 and 710 on Mathematics.录取学生的中间 50% 在 SAT 循证阅读与写作部分得分介于 670 至 740，数学部分介于 620 至 710。
• American University operates premier study-abroad programmes in Brussels, Madrid and Nairobi, and in 2026 U.S. News & World Report ranked it 5th in the United States for study abroad.美利坚大学在布鲁塞尔、马德里与内罗毕设有旗舰海外学习项目；2026 年《美国新闻与世界报道》将其海外学习项目列为全美第 5。
• The university is one of the top three feeder schools to the U.S. Department of State, a position reflecting its strength in international affairs.该校是美国国务院三大主要生源校之一，这一地位反映其在国际事务领域的实力。
• The School of Education separated from the College of Arts and Sciences in 2019 and houses the Institute for Innovation in Education and the Center for Postsecondary Readiness and Success.教育学院于 2019 年从文理学院独立，下设教育创新研究所与升学准备与成功中心。
• In February 2025 the school was renamed the Linda A. and H. Kent Baker School of Education after the largest individual gift in the university's history.2025 年 2 月，在学校史上最大一笔个人捐赠之后，该学院更名为琳达·A·与 H·肯特·贝克教育学院。
• The Sine Institute of Policy and Politics, announced on 24 September 2018, brings together scholars, journalists and experts to seek bipartisan policy solutions.2018 年 9 月 24 日宣布成立的西恩政策与政治研究所汇聚学者、记者与专家，寻求跨党派政策方案。
• Folio, a literary magazine founded in 1984, publishes fiction, poetry, visual art and creative non-fiction twice each year.创刊于 1984 年的文学杂志《Folio》每年两期刊登小说、诗歌、视觉艺术与创造性非虚构作品。

Campus

• American University has two contiguous campuses for academics and student housing, the main campus on Massachusetts Avenue and the East Campus on Nebraska Avenue.美利坚大学拥有两个相邻的校区用于教学与学生住宿，即位于马萨诸塞大道的主校区与位于内布拉斯加大道的东校区。
• The Washington College of Law occupies the Tenley Campus in Tenleytown, formerly the all-girls Immaculata Preparatory School, which the university purchased in 1987 and which has housed the law school since 2016.华盛顿法学院位于坦利镇的坦利校区，其前身为女子学校圣母无染原罪预备学校；该校址于 1987 年购入，自 2016 年起供法学院使用。
• The first design for the campus was produced by Frederick Law Olmsted, though it was significantly modified over time because of financial constraints.校园的首个设计方案出自 Frederick Law Olmsted 之手，但因经费限制，其后历经大幅修改。
• The campus occupies 90 acres adjacent to Ward Circle, the intersection of Nebraska and Massachusetts Avenues, surrounded by the residential neighbourhoods of northwest Washington.校园占地 90 英亩，毗邻内布拉斯加与马萨诸塞大道交汇的沃德圆环，四周是华盛顿西北部的住宅区。
• It includes a main quadrangle surrounded by academic buildings, nine residential halls, a 5,000-seat arena and an outdoor amphitheater.校园内有被教学楼环绕的主方庭、九座学生宿舍、一座可容纳 5,000 人的体育馆以及一处露天圆形剧场。
• The campus has been designated a public garden and arboretum by the American Public Gardens Association, with exotic plantings across its grounds.该校园获美国公共园林协会指定为公共园林与树木园，其园地间点缀着多种外来植物。
• Bender Arena, the principal indoor venue, opened on 23 January 1988, while Reeves Field serves the soccer team and features a six-lane track.主要室内场馆本德体育馆于 1988 年 1 月 23 日启用；里夫斯球场则供足球队使用，并设有一条六道跑道。
• The campus lies at approximately 38.94 degrees north and 77.09 degrees west, near the boundary between the Spring Valley and Tenleytown neighbourhoods.校园位于北纬约 38.94 度、西经约 77.09 度，地处泉谷与坦利镇社区交界一带。

Reputation

• In the QS World University Rankings 2027 American University is placed 646th in the world.在 2027 年 QS 世界大学排名中，美利坚大学位列世界第 646 位。
• The Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2027 places the university in the 701-800 band, after a 601-800 placement in 2026.2027 年泰晤士高等教育世界大学排名将该校列于第 701 至 800 区间，其 2026 年则位于第 601 至 800 区间。 ^[1]
• The U.S. News & World Report Best Global Universities ranking for 2026-2027 places American University 719th in the world.2026 至 2027 年版《美国新闻与世界报道》最佳全球大学排名将美利坚大学列为世界第 719 位。
• The Academic Ranking of World Universities 2026, compiled by ShanghaiRanking, places the university in the 801-900 band.由上海软科编制的 2026 年世界大学学术排名将该校列于世界第 801 至 900 区间。
• In U.S. News & World Report's 2026 national university rankings, the undergraduate programme is tied for 88th overall and 5th for study abroad.在《美国新闻与世界报道》2026 年全国大学排名中，其本科项目并列第 88 位，海外学习项目位列第 5。
• The OpenAlex database attributes 30,731 works to the university with 1,069,606 citations.OpenAlex 数据库为该校收录 30,731 篇成果、被引用 1,069,606 次。
• The Princeton Review named American University the most politically active school in the nation in 2008, 2010, 2012 and 2018.《普林斯顿评论》曾于 2008、2010、2012 与 2018 年将美利坚大学评为全美最具政治活力的学校。
• Its Model United Nations team has been ranked first in North America since the 2021-2022 academic year.其模拟联合国团队自 2021 至 2022 学年起在北美排名第一。
• American University is often counted, along with Georgetown University and George Washington University, among Washington's leading universities.美利坚大学常与乔治城大学、乔治·华盛顿大学一道，被视为华盛顿特区的顶尖学府。
• Alumni, faculty and affiliates of the university include eight foreign heads of state, more than 30 U.S. senators and representatives, two Nobel laureates and two Pulitzer Prize winners.该校校友、教师及相关人士中包括八位外国国家元首、30 余位美国参众议员、两位诺贝尔奖得主与两位普利策奖得主。

Student life

• The university's motto is the Latin phrase "Pro deo et patria", meaning "For God and Country".该校校训为拉丁文「Pro deo et patria」，意为「为了上帝与祖国」。
• American University hosts more than 150 recognised organisations, and its student government, the American University Student Government, has been ranked the most active student government in the United States.美利坚大学设有 150 多个获认可的学生组织；其学生自治组织「美利坚大学学生政府」被评为全美最活跃的学生自治机构。
• The university recognises eight student-run media organisations, including The Eagle newspaper, the radio station WVAU and the American Literary Magazine.该校认可八个学生自办媒体组织，包括《The Eagle》报、WVAU 电台与《American Literary Magazine》。
• The university owns WAMU, the flagship Washington affiliate of National Public Radio, which has distributed programmes such as The Diane Rehm Show and 1A.该校拥有全国公共广播电台在华盛顿的旗舰电台 WAMU，其制作过《The Diane Rehm Show》与《1A》等节目。
• While affiliated with the United Methodist Church, the campus hosts Catholic, Hillel and Jewish student groups, and Greek life is organised through a Panhellenic Association, an Interfraternity Council and an Intercultural Greek Collective.尽管与联合卫理公会保持隶属关系，校园内仍有天主教、希勒尔与犹太学生团体；希腊式社团则由泛希腊协会、校际兄弟会理事会与跨文化希腊联盟组织。
• In 2018 American University became the first university in the United States to achieve carbon-neutral status, after a 2014 solar farm project that supplies an equivalent of half its electricity.继 2014 年建成可提供约一半电力的太阳能农场之后，该校于 2018 年成为全美首所实现碳中和的大学。
• Its teams, the American Eagles, compete in NCAA Division I as members of the Patriot League, and Bender Arena, a multi-purpose facility opened on 23 January 1988, hosts many competitions.其「美利坚之鹰」校队以爱国者联盟成员身份参加美国大学体育协会一级联赛；1988 年 1 月 23 日启用的本德体育馆是多功能场馆，承办众多赛事。
• On 14 March 2008 the men's basketball team earned its first NCAA tournament berth by winning the Patriot League championship, and it repeated as champion on 13 March 2009.2008 年 3 月 14 日，男子篮球队赢得爱国者联盟冠军，首次晋级全国大学体育协会锦标赛；2009 年 3 月 13 日它再度夺冠。

Notable people

• John Fletcher Hurst, a Methodist bishop, founded the university in 1893 and chose its Washington site.卫理公会主教 John Fletcher Hurst 于 1893 年创办该校，并选定了其华盛顿校址。
• Cornelius M. Kerwin, a long-time administrator, served as president from 2007 to 2017, and Sylvia Mathews Burwell, a former U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, was the 15th president and first woman in the role from 2017.长期担任管理职务的 Cornelius M. Kerwin 于 2007 至 2017 年任校长；曾任美国卫生与公众服务部部长的 Sylvia Mathews Burwell 自 2017 年起出任第 15 任校长，也是首位女性校长。
• Julius Maada Bio, a graduate of the School of International Service, became President of Sierra Leone.国际服务学院毕业生 Julius Maada Bio 出任塞拉利昂总统。
• Keith Mitchell, who earned a doctorate in 1979, served as Prime Minister of Grenada, and Allen Chastanet was Prime Minister of Saint Lucia.1979 年获博士学位的 Keith Mitchell 曾任格林纳达总理，而 Allen Chastanet 曾任圣卢西亚总理。
• Ghazi Mashal Ajil al-Yawer served as president of Iraq in 2004-2005, and Sheikh Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, a 1992 graduate, is Crown Prince and Prime Minister of Bahrain.Ghazi Mashal Ajil al-Yawer 于 2004 至 2005 年出任伊拉克总统；1992 年毕业的谢赫 Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa 是巴林王储兼首相。
• Petra Kelly, a 1970 graduate, was a founder of Germany's Green Party.1970 年毕业的 Petra Kelly 是德国绿党的创始人之一。
• Alice Paul, who earned law degrees at the Washington College of Law in the 1920s, was a principal author of the Equal Rights Amendment and a leading suffragist.1920 年代在华盛顿法学院取得法学学位的 Alice Paul 是《平等权利修正案》的主要起草人，也是杰出的女性参政运动领袖。
• Robert Byrd, who studied at the Washington College of Law and graduated in 1963, served as a United States senator from West Virginia for more than 50 years.曾在华盛顿法学院就读、1963 年毕业的 Robert Byrd 任西弗吉尼亚州联邦参议员逾 50 年。
• Donna Shalala, a former U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, and Barry McCaffrey, a retired general who served as White House drug policy director, both studied at the university.曾任美国卫生与公众服务部部长的 Donna Shalala 与曾任白宫禁毒政策主管的退役将军 Barry McCaffrey 均曾在该校就读。
• Kenneth Duberstein, who graduated in 1966, served as White House Chief of Staff under President Ronald Reagan, and Ron Nessen was press secretary under President Gerald Ford.1966 年毕业的 Kenneth Duberstein 曾任罗纳德·里根总统的白宫幕僚长；Ron Nessen 曾任杰拉尔德·福特总统的新闻秘书。
• Dambisa Moyo, an economist and New York Times bestselling author who graduated in 1991 and earned an MBA in 1992, serves on corporate boards including those of Chevron and 3M.1991 年毕业、1992 年获工商管理硕士的经济学家与畅销书作家 Dambisa Moyo，出任雪佛龙与 3M 等公司董事。