Soochow University (Chinese: 苏州大学; Pinyin: Sūzhōu Dàxué; abbreviated SUDA) is a provincial public university in Suzhou, Jiangsu, China.
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History
The original Soochow University (simplified Chinese: 东吴大学; traditional Chinese: 東吳大學; pinyin: Dōngwú Dàxué; Wade–Giles: tung-wu ta hsüeh) was founded by Methodists in Suzhou in 1900 as a merger of three existing institutions: the Po-hsi Academy, the Kung-hsiang Academy, and the Chung-hsi Academy by David Lawrence Anderson who became its first president. Originally known as the Central University of China, it was renamed the Soochow University in the Republic of China period.
The university was split in 1949 as a result of the Chinese Civil War, and merged with the Southern Jiangsu College of Culture and Education and the Department of Mathematics and Physics at Jiangnan University to form the Jiangsu Teacher's College in 1952. The English name Soochow University was revived in 1982; however, the original Chinese name "東吳 (Tung-wu)" was not adopted, and the institution was given the Chinese name "蘇州 (Soochow)". The Suzhou College of Sericulture, Suzhou Institute of Silk Textile Technology and Suzhou Medical College were each merged into the university in 1995, 1997 and 2000 successively.
Members of the Soochow Alumni Association who fled to Taiwan after 1949 established the Soochow University in Taipei, starting with its College of Law in 1951 and becoming a full-fledged university with five schools in 1971.
Academics
The university is a member of the "2011 plan", a program launched in 2011 by the Chinese Ministry of Education. It is a member of SAP University Alliances.
In 2025, Soochow University was ranked in the 101-150 band by Academic Ranking of World Universities. The U.S. News & World Report 2025 ranked Soochow University #292 in the world, 67th in Asia and 40th in China. CWUR World University Ranking 2025 ranked Soochow University 210th worldwide and 28th nationwide.