Huazhong University of Science and Technology

The Huazhong University of Science and Technology (HUST; ) is a public university located in Wuhan, Hubei, China. It is affiliated with the Ministry of Education of China. The university is part of Project 985, Project 211, and the Double First Class University Plan. History Founding (1952–1954) In 1952, the Central Government of China sought to construct a new higher education system for the rapid development of economy, science and technology after Chinese Civil War. Three technical institutes were planned to be established in Wuhan, including Huazhong Institute of Technology (HIT, 华中工学院), South-Central China Institute of Power Engineering and South-Central China Institute of Water Conservancy and Electric Power. In March 1953, the institute's charter was signed by the South-Central China Government under the approval of the Central Government of China. In the original planning, the land south of the Yujia Hill was chosen for the three campuses. Physicist was appointed as chair of the three-institute initiative. Economist Zhang Peigang was appointed as chief in planning to lead the HIT initiative. In June 1953, the land south of the East Lake was chosen as the campus of South-Central China Institute of Water Conservancy and Electric Power. The same year, the South-Central China government decided not to establish an independent South-Central China Institute of Power Engineering. All the programs related to power engineering were administered by Huazhong Institute of Technology. The institute formally opened on October 15, 1953. Early development (1954–1966) All the programs and departments at HIT were organized and formed from the programs related to electrical engineering, power engineering, electricity and mechanical engineering in Wuhan University, Hunan University, Guangxi University and South China Institute of Technology. HIT's first classes were held in spaces at those institutions. There were eight undergraduate programs, 314 full-time faculty members and 2,639 undergraduate students at that time. The first president is physicist Qian Zha, Dean of School of Engineering of Wuhan University. The first provost is Gancai Liu.