Tianjin University

Tianjin University (Chinese: 天津大学, abbreviated as TJU or Tianda) is a national public research university in Tianjin, China, tracing its origin to Peiyang University, which was founded on 2 October 1895 and is regarded as the first modern university in the country.天津大学（英文名 Tianjin University，简称天大）是中国天津市的一所国立公立研究型大学；其前身为 1895 年 10 月 2 日创办的北洋大学，被视为中国第一所现代大学。

Founded in the late Qing dynasty by imperial approval with Sheng Xuanhuai as its first superintendent, the institution developed from the Peiyang study halls into a comprehensive university spanning engineering, science, medicine, economics, law and the humanities.该校在清末依皇帝御笔朱批创设，由盛宣怀出任首任督办，从北洋时期的学堂逐步发展为涵盖工程、理学、医学、经济、法学与人文学科的综合性大学。

It is supervised by the Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, was among the first institutions selected for the national Project 211 and Project 985, and is currently a Class A university in the Double First-Class initiative.学校由中华人民共和国教育部主管，曾在国家 211 工程与 985 工程中列入首批重点建设行列，现为「双一流」建设高校中的 A 类高校。

History

• After China's defeat in the First Sino-Japanese War of 1894 and 1895, the government pursued self-strengthening through modern education, leading the Guangxu Emperor to approve on 2 October 1895 the founding of Peiyang Western Study School in Tianjin.甲午战争战败之后，清廷以兴学育才作为自强之道；1895 年 10 月 2 日，光绪皇帝御笔朱批，批准在天津创设北洋大学堂。
• The new school was inaugurated with Sheng Xuanhuai as its first superintendent and Charles Daniel Tenney as head tutor, opening with a first-class college for undergraduates and a second-class preparatory college.学堂由盛宣怀担任首任督办、丁家立担任首任总教习，开办时设头等学堂（本科）与二等学堂（预科）。
• Its four initial fields of study were law, engineering, mining and machinery, reflecting the late Qing demand for practical talent to build railways, mines and modern industry.头等学堂最初设律例、工程、矿务、机器四门学科，回应清末兴办铁路、矿务与近代工业对实用人才的迫切需求。
• In 1900 the school was forced to close when the Eight-Nation Alliance invaded Tianjin and Beijing during the Boxer Rebellion, interrupting teaching for several years.1900 年八国联军入侵津京，学堂被迫停办，教学因此中断数年。
• It reopened in April 1903 at the Xigu arsenal in Tianjin, restoring classes after the disturbances of the Boxer period.1903 年 4 月，学堂在天津西沽武库复校，在庚子之乱后重新开课。
• Following the founding of the Republic of China in 1912, the institution was renamed Peiyang University School in January of that year under new national education regulations.1912 年中华民国成立后，学堂于同年 1 月依据新的教育规程更名为北洋大学校。
• In 1913 it was given the national title Imperial Peiyang University, formally placing it under state administration during the early republican era.1913 年，学校定名为国立北洋大学，在民国初年正式纳入国家办学体系。
• Between 1914 and 1920 the legal scholar Zhao Tianlin served as president and, drawing on the school's practical tradition, summed up its guiding principle in the four characters shi shi qiu shi, or seeking truth from facts.1914 至 1920 年，法学家赵天麟出任校长，他总结北洋大学的办学经验，将校训概括为「实事求是」四字。
• In 1928 the university was renamed the Second College of Engineering of National Beiping University when the Nationalist government experimented with the university district system.1928 年，国民政府试行大学区制，学校一度更名为国立北平大学第二工学院。
• The following year, under the University Organisation Law, it was renamed National Peiyang Institute of Technology and continued as a specialised engineering institution.1929 年依据《大学组织法》，学校更名为国立北洋工学院，继续作为专门的工程类高校办学。
• In September 1935, marking the fortieth anniversary of its founding, the school adopted the Peiyang school song composed by Xiao Youmei with lyrics by Liao Fushu, a song still in use today.1935 年 9 月，在建校四十周年之际，学校确立由萧友梅作曲、廖辅叔作词的《北洋校歌》，此歌沿用至今。
• After the Marco Polo Bridge Incident of 7 July 1937, the university was ordered to relocate inland, and on 10 September it joined Peking University, Beijing Normal University and the Beiping Research Institute to form the National Xi'an Provisional University.七七事变爆发后，学校奉教育部令西迁，于 9 月 10 日与北平大学、北平师范大学及北平研究院共同组建国立西安临时大学。
• In 1938 the provisional university was reorganised into the National Northwest Associated University, from which the Peiyang engineering faculty was combined into the National Northwest Institute of Technology at Chenggu in Shaanxi.1938 年，临时大学改称国立西北联合大学；其中北洋工学院与北平大学工学院等合组为国立西北工学院，校址设于陕西城固。
• Wartime alumni pressed for the restoration of the old institution, and in December 1942 the government upgraded the engineering college of Yingshi University in Zhejiang to form a separate National Peiyang Institute of Technology.抗战期间校友吁请复校，1942 年 12 月国民政府将浙江省立英士大学升格，并将其工学院划出、独立为国立北洋工学院。
• In 1944 Li Shutian established the Xijing branch of the Peiyang Institute of Technology in Xi'an, extending teaching to the wartime northwest.1944 年，李书田在西安筹建北洋工学院西京分院，把办学延伸至战时西北。
• After the victory over Japan in 1946 the scattered branches returned to Tianjin and the institution was restored under its old name Peiyang University.1946 年抗战胜利后，各地师生返回天津，学校恢复国立北洋大学之名。
• In 1951 Peiyang University merged with the Hebei Institute of Technology and was designated by the state as Tianjin University, giving the institution its present name.1951 年，北洋大学与河北工学院合并，由国家定名为天津大学，学校自此沿用现名。
• During the nationwide departmental reorganisation of 1952, Tianjin University transferred out many of its faculties, its science college went to Nankai University, and the engineering colleges of Nankai University and Jingu University were merged into it.1952 年全国高校院系调整中，天津大学调出十余个系组，其理学院并入南开大学，南开大学与津沽大学的工学院则并入天津大学。
• Under the same 1952 adjustment the university moved from Xigu to a newly built campus at Qilitai on Weijin Road in Tianjin, the site of its present main campus.同年调整还决定学校由西沽迁往七里台另建新校舍，即今日的卫津路校区。
• In 1959 Tianjin University was named one of the first national key universities by the central government, confirming its leading role in engineering education in the new China.1959 年，天津大学被中共中央确定为首批全国重点大学，确立了其在新中国工程教育中的领先地位。
• In 1995 the university marked its centenary, and around that period it became one of the earliest universities included in the national Project 211 for building key institutions in the twenty-first century.1995 年学校迎来百年校庆；这一时期它成为最早一批入选 211 工程、面向 21 世纪重点建设的高校之一。
• Tianjin University was subsequently selected for Project 985, the programme launched in 1999 to concentrate resources on a small group of leading universities.此后天津大学又入选 985 工程；该计划于 1999 年启动，旨在集中资源重点支持一批领先高校。
• In 2015, on its 120th anniversary, the university opened the new Beiyangyuan campus and formally set out its institutional character, including the mission of strengthening the nation through education.2015 年 120 周年校庆之际，学校启用北洋园校区，并正式确立「兴学强国」的使命等一系列天大品格。
• In September 2017 Tianjin University was listed as a Class A university in China's Double First-Class initiative, which replaced the earlier 211 and 985 designations.2017 年 9 月，天津大学入选国家「双一流」建设高校名单，位列 A 类；该计划接续了此前的 211 与 985 工程。
• In November 2024 the Ministry of Education approved Tianjin University as a pilot institution for its interdisciplinary centre programme, recognising work connecting engineering with medicine, the sciences and the humanities.2024 年 11 月，天津大学获批成为教育部学科交叉中心试点建设高校，肯定其在医工、理工与人文交叉方面的探索。
• On 2 October 2025 the university celebrated its 130th anniversary, having trained more than 300,000 graduates who have contributed to the country's industrial and scientific development.2025 年 10 月 2 日，学校迎来建校 130 周年；建校以来已培养 30 余万名毕业生，为国家工业与科学发展作出贡献。

Academics

• Tianjin University pursues a development policy described as strengthening engineering, deepening science, revitalising the humanities, promoting medicine and encouraging interdisciplinary fusion, giving it a broad academic profile.学校奉行「强工、厚理、振文、兴医、交叉融合」的发展理念，形成了工科优势明显、多学科协调发展的学科格局。
• As of the end of 2025 the university offered 77 undergraduate programmes, 53 first-level master's programmes, 43 first-level doctoral programmes and 40 postdoctoral research stations.截至 2025 年底，学校设有 77 个本科专业、53 个一级学科硕士点、43 个一级学科博士点和 40 个博士后科研流动站。
• Four disciplines are recognised as Double First-Class construction disciplines, namely chemistry, materials science and engineering, chemical engineering and technology, and management science and engineering.学校有 4 个学科入选国家「双一流」建设学科，分别为化学、材料科学与工程、化学工程与技术、管理科学与工程。
• In the fourth round of national discipline evaluation, 14 first-level disciplines were rated Class A, with chemical engineering and technology placed in the highest A-plus band and ranked first nationally for the fourth consecutive time.在第四轮全国一级学科评估中，学校有 14 个学科进入 A 类；其中化学工程与技术获评最高的 A+ 档，并连续四轮位居全国第一。
• The A-rated disciplines include mechanical engineering, optical engineering, instrument science and technology, and management science and engineering, while mechanics, materials science and engineering, power engineering, architecture, civil engineering, hydraulic engineering and environmental science also reached Class A.A 档学科包括机械工程、光学工程、仪器科学与技术、管理科学与工程等；力学、材料科学与工程、动力工程及工程热物理、建筑学、土木工程、水利工程、环境科学与工程等学科亦进入 A 类。
• Eighteen subject areas at Tianjin University rank in the top one per cent of the Essential Science Indicators, five in the top one per thousand, and engineering, chemistry and materials science in the top one in ten thousand worldwide.学校有 18 个学科领域进入 ESI 全球前百分之一，其中 5 个进入前千分之一，工程、化学、材料科学 3 个领域进入前万分之一。
• The university leads China's new engineering education movement as the chair unit of the national working group and the originator of the Tianjin University Action and the Tianjin University Plan for new engineering disciplines.作为全国新工科建设工作组组长单位，学校提出新工科「天大行动」，并率先发布新工科建设「天大方案」。
• Tianjin University operates 11 national key laboratories, one national major science and technology infrastructure for large-scale seismic engineering simulation, and 19 national-level research platforms in total.学校建有 11 个全国重点实验室、1 个国家重大科技基础设施即大型地震工程模拟研究设施，以及共 19 个国家级科研平台。
• The Tianjin Collaborative Innovation Centre for Chemical Science and Engineering, led by the university, was among the first fourteen such centres approved under the national 2011 programme.由学校牵头的天津化学化工协同创新中心，是全国首批 14 个「2011 协同创新中心」之一。
• Medicine is pursued through 13 affiliated hospitals and medical centres, reflecting the university's strategy of combining engineering with medicine and the life sciences.学校现有 13 家附属医院及医学中心，体现其推进医工交叉与生命科学融合的战略。
• In subject rankings chemical engineering placed 28th in the world in the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2024, and three disciplines reached the global top 50 in the 2025 edition.在学科排名中，化学工程在 2024 年 QS 世界大学学科排名位列世界第 28 位；2025 年版中更有 3 个学科进入全球前 50。
• The university has cooperation agreements with about 260 universities, research institutes and companies in 50 countries and regions, and it leads the China-ASEAN Engineering University Alliance.学校与 50 个国家和地区的约 260 所高校、研究机构和企业建立了合作关系，并牵头建设中国—东盟工科大学联盟。
• Its international profile includes a China-France joint research centre on cultural heritage and cities established with the French embassy in Beijing, and a joint campus programme with the University of Liverpool.学校与法国驻华大使馆在天津共建中法文化遗产与城市研究中心，并与利物浦大学合作举办中外合作办学机构。
• In 2022 Tianjin University won one special prize and two first prizes in the national teaching achievement awards, the highest total number of awards in the country that year.2022 年，学校获国家级教学成果奖特等奖 1 项、一等奖 2 项，获奖总数位列当年全国第一。
• As of 2025 the university employed 5,020 staff, including 12 academicians, 411 national-level talent recipients and 1,087 professors, supporting both teaching and research.截至 2025 年，学校有教职工 5020 人，其中院士 12 人、国家级人才 411 人、教授 1087 人，支撑教学与科研工作。

Campus

• Tianjin University has three campuses, the historic Weijin Road campus in Nankai district, the modern Beiyangyuan campus in the Haihe Education Park of Jinnan district, and the Binhai Industrial Research Institute campus in the Binhai New Area.天津大学设有三个校区，分别为位于南开区的卫津路校区、位于津南区海河教育园的北洋园校区，以及位于滨海新区的滨海工业研究院校区。
• The Weijin Road campus covers about 1.29 million square metres and has been the university's main seat since the 1952 relocation from Xigu to Qilitai.卫津路校区占地约 128.85 万平方米，自 1952 年由西沽迁至七里台以来一直是学校的主校区。
• The Beiyangyuan campus, opened in 2015 on the 120th anniversary, extends over about 2.44 million square metres and houses most first- and second-year teaching as well as several research institutes.北洋园校区于 2015 年 120 周年校庆时启用，占地约 243.6 万平方米，承载了大部分本科一二年级教学与多个研究机构。
• The Binhai Industrial Research Institute campus occupies about 309,000 square metres and supports applied research and technology transfer linked to industry in the Binhai New Area.滨海工业研究院校区占地约 30.9 万平方米，支撑与滨海新区产业相衔接的应用研究与技术转化。
• The university library system serves all campuses, with its main collections held in the Beiyangyuan campus library, offering millions of volumes in engineering, science and the humanities.学校图书馆系统服务各校区，主馆藏书集中于北洋园校区图书馆，馆藏数百万册，覆盖工程、理学与人文学科。
• Landmarks include the Xuanhuai Square, the university history museum, the Feng Jicai Institute of Literature and Art, and the large seismic engineering simulation facility on the Beiyangyuan campus.校园地标包括宣怀广场、校史博物馆、冯骥才文学艺术研究院，以及北洋园校区内的大型地震工程模拟研究设施。
• Most students live in university dormitories organised by college, while the Beiyangyuan campus provides a self-contained living environment with dining halls, sports grounds and a lake.多数学生住在按学院划分的校内宿舍；北洋园校区形成相对独立的生活环境，配有食堂、体育场与人工湖。

Reputation

• In the QS World University Rankings 2027 Tianjin University is placed equal 235th in the world, appearing among the leading Chinese universities in the ranking.在 2027 年 QS 世界大学排名中，天津大学并列世界第 235 位，位列该榜单中领先的中国高校之列。
• The Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2027 places it equal 196th in the world, an improvement on its previous standing.2027 年泰晤士高等教育世界大学排名将天津大学列为世界并列第 196 位，较其此前名次有所提升。
• The Academic Ranking of World Universities 2026 ranks Tianjin University 98th in the world, its first appearance inside the global top one hundred.2026 年世界大学学术排名将天津大学列为世界第 98 位，这是该校首次跻身全球百强。
• The U.S. News Best Global Universities ranking for 2026 to 2027 places the university 166th in the world, with strong results in engineering and chemistry.2026 至 2027 年版美国新闻与世界报道最佳全球大学排名将天津大学列为世界第 166 位，其在工程与化学领域表现突出。
• Within China the university is a Class A Double First-Class institution and its chemical engineering and technology discipline has been rated first nationally in four successive rounds of official evaluation.在国内，天津大学是「双一流」A 类建设高校；其化学工程与技术学科在连续四轮官方学科评估中位居全国第一。
• The OpenAlex scholarly database attributes 175,561 works to Tianjin University with 13,194,114 citations, one of the largest research outputs among Chinese universities.OpenAlex 学术数据库为天津大学收录 175561 篇成果、被引用 13194114 次，是中国高校中科研产出规模最大的机构之一。
• In the ShanghaiRanking global subject rankings the university's chemical engineering discipline has been ranked second in the world, underscoring its specialised strength.在软科世界一流学科排名中，天津大学的化学工程学科位列世界第二，突显其专长优势。
• The university has produced a large number of academicians of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Chinese Academy of Engineering, reflecting its role in training national scientific talent.学校培养了大批中国科学院与中国工程院院士，体现其在培养国家科技人才方面的作用。

Student life

• The university motto is shi shi qiu shi, commonly translated as seeking truth from facts, a phrase first proposed by president Zhao Tianlin and drawn from the Han dynasty Book of Han.学校校训为「实事求是」，意为追求真理；该语由校长赵天麟首倡，出自《汉书·河间献王传》。
• The official school song, the Peiyang school song adopted in 1935, was confirmed as the university anthem by Article 82 of the Tianjin University Charter approved in 2014.学校正式校歌为 1935 年确立的《北洋校歌》，2014 年经教育部审核的《天津大学章程》第八十二条确认沿用。
• The institutional character pairs the motto with a rigorous style of scholarship, a tradition of patriotic dedication and a pursuit of ceaseless innovation, alongside the mission of strengthening the nation through education.「天大品格」将「实事求是」的校训与「严谨治学」的校风、「爱国奉献」的传统、「矢志创新」的追求，以及「兴学强国」的使命相结合。
• The university anniversary is celebrated on 2 October, the date of its founding in 1895, when alumni return for reunions and public lectures.学校以 10 月 2 日建校纪念日为校庆日，校友于此期间返校参加聚会与公开讲座。
• Its official colour is Peiyang Blue, used in the university emblem and on ceremonial occasions, linking the modern institution with its Peiyang origins.学校的标准色为「北洋蓝」，用于校徽与典礼场合，将今日的天大与其北洋渊源相联系。
• Student life is marked by seasonal events such as the spring crabapple blossom festival and the autumn fruit festival, along with the Beiyang lecture series and hundreds of student societies.校园生活以海棠季、水果节等季节性活动为特色，并伴有北洋大讲堂系列讲座与数百个学生社团。
• Sports play a significant role, with the university's teams competing in national and regional university leagues and the Beiyangyuan campus providing extensive training facilities.体育活动在学校生活中地位突出，校队参加全国及地区性大学联赛，北洋园校区提供了完善的训练设施。

Notable people

• Sheng Xuanhuai, a late Qing official and industrialist, served as the first superintendent of Peiyang Western Study School and is regarded as the founder of the institution.盛宣怀是清末官员与实业家，出任北洋大学堂首任督办，被视为学校的创办人。
• Charles Daniel Tenney, an American educator who served as the school's first head tutor, helped draft its regulations on the model of Western universities and shaped its early curriculum.丁家立是美国教育家，担任学堂首任总教习，参照西方大学模式协助拟定章程，并塑造了学校早期课程。
• Zhao Tianlin, president from 1914 to 1920, proposed the university motto seeking truth from facts and is remembered for consolidating the school's practical ethos.赵天麟于 1914 至 1920 年任校长，提出「实事求是」校训，并因巩固学校务实风气而为人铭记。
• Mao Yisheng, a civil engineer who graduated from the university in 1916, became renowned for building the Qiantang River Bridge and is regarded as a founder of modern bridge engineering in China.茅以升是 1916 年毕业于该校的土木工程师，因主持修建钱塘江大桥而闻名，被视为中国现代桥梁工程的奠基人之一。
• Zhang Tailai, a political leader who studied at Peiyang University, was an early member of the Communist Party of China and a leader of the 1927 Guangzhou Uprising.张太雷是曾就读于北洋大学的政治活动家，是中国共产党早期成员，也是 1927 年广州起义的领导人之一。
• Ma Yinchu, an economist and former president of Peking University who studied at Peiyang, is known for his pioneering work on population theory in China.马寅初是曾在北洋就读的经济学家、曾任北京大学校长，以在中国开创人口理论研究而知名。
• Xu Zhimo, a leading modern Chinese poet who studied at the university, is celebrated for introducing new poetic forms and for works such as Farewell to Cambridge.徐志摩是曾在该校就读的中国现代诗人代表，以引入新的诗歌形式与《再别康桥》等作品著称。
• Wu Ziliang, a materials scientist who graduated from the university, contributed to China's nuclear and space programmes and was awarded the Two Bombs and One Satellite Merit Medal.吴自良是毕业于该校的材料科学家，为中国核与航天事业作出贡献，获授「两弹一星」功勋奖章。
• Chai Liyuan, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, became president of Tianjin University in January 2025.柴立元是中国工程院院士，于 2025 年 1 月出任天津大学校长。