Fudan University
Fudan University is a leading public research university in Shanghai, founded in 1905 and known for broad strengths across the humanities, social sciences, medicine, science, engineering and management.
Last updated October 9, 2026
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Overview
Fudan University is a public comprehensive research university based in Shanghai, China. It is directly administered by the Ministry of Education and is jointly developed with the Shanghai municipal government. The institution is one of China's most prominent universities and belongs to the C9 League, a group of leading Chinese research universities. It has also been included in major national higher-education initiatives, including Project 985, Project 211 and the Double First-Class University Plan. The university traces its origins to the educational movement surrounding the former Aurora Academy. In 1905, after a dispute over the governance of Aurora led a large group of students and teachers to leave, educator Ma Xiangbo and his supporters established a new school. The name Fudan was drawn from a classical Chinese phrase commonly interpreted as referring to the recurring brilliance of the sun and moon. It also conveyed aspirations for educational renewal and national revitalization. The institution initially operated as Fudan Public School and later developed into a university-level institution. Fudan established its university division in 1917. During the Republican era it experienced financial and political difficulties, temporary interruptions and relocations associated with war, and repeated institutional restructuring. During the War of Resistance against Japan, parts of the university moved inland before returning to Shanghai. The 1952 nationwide reorganization of higher education brought substantial numbers of scholars and academic resources from universities in Shanghai and neighboring provinces into Fudan. This strengthened the institution's humanities, social-science and natural-science capabilities and helped establish its national research profile. A major modern turning point was the 2000 merger between Fudan University and Shanghai Medical University. The merger created a broader academic and medical system and integrated the university's research, teaching and affiliated-hospital capabilities with the medical institution's long-standing clinical and biomedical base. Fudan now operates across four principal campuses: Handan, Fenglin, Zhangjiang and Jiangwan. Its academic scope includes liberal arts, social sciences, economics, management, law, international studies, journalism and communication, mathematics, physics, chemistry, life sciences, materials, information science, engineering, medicine and public health. The Fudan brand is associated with selective undergraduate and graduate education, high-level research, international collaboration and a strong alumni network. The university's business and management education is represented by Fudan University's School of Management, while its journalism and communication programs include a long-established advertising education program. The advertising program was established in 1994, formed an advertising department in 2001 and has emphasized integration of theory, industry practice, digital media, data skills, creativity and commercial communication. Its stated educational direction has expanded from narrowly defined advertising toward broader business communication in a technology-driven media environment. Fudan's international profile is supported by partnerships with universities and institutions in many countries and regions, international conferences, visiting scholars and student exchange. Its public identity combines traditional Chinese scholarship, modern scientific research, professional education and service to national and social development. As a university rather than a consumer-goods company, its brand outputs are degrees, research, clinical and public-service capabilities, executive and professional education, publications, cultural influence and an extensive community of alumni. The institution remains active and continues to position itself as a globally engaged, research-intensive Chinese university.
History
Fudan University's origins lie in the educational reforms of early twentieth-century Shanghai. Ma Xiangbo founded Aurora Academy in 1903, but a governance dispute involving foreign administrators led a large group of teachers and students to leave in 1905. The departing community organized a new school with support from educators, public figures and local authorities. The institution first operated as Fudan Public School. Its name was associated with a classical phrase about the renewed brightness of the sun and moon and carried broader aspirations for educational revival and national strengthening. The early school faced the practical difficulties common to private education in a politically unstable period. It moved between temporary premises, relied on changing sources of financial support and underwent repeated administrative adjustments. A board involving figures such as Wang Chonghui and other public leaders helped reorganize the institution, while Li Denghui became an important early university administrator. The university division was established in 1917, marking a transition from a secondary and preparatory institution toward a fuller university structure. Fudan's development during the Republican period was interrupted by political upheaval and war. The institution experienced financial strain after the Second Revolution and later had to operate under wartime conditions. During the War of Resistance against Japan, the university relocated inland, including periods in Jiangxi and Chongqing, before returning to Shanghai. These disruptions nevertheless helped shape a strong institutional identity centered on self-reliance, scholarship and national service. The 1952 nationwide reorganization of Chinese higher education was a decisive turning point. Academic departments and scholars from institutions in Shanghai, Zhejiang, Jiangsu, Anhui and surrounding areas were reassigned among universities. Fudan received substantial academic resources, especially in the humanities, social sciences and natural sciences. It consequently became one of China's major centers for broad-based teaching and research. In the decades after the reform and opening of China, Fudan expanded beyond its earlier reputation as primarily a liberal-arts and science institution and developed into a multidisciplinary research university. The medical side of the modern university has a related but distinct history. The predecessor of Shanghai Medical University was established in 1927 under the leadership of physician and medical educator Yan Fuqing. Shanghai Medical University developed medical schools, research institutions and affiliated hospitals with national importance. In 2000, Fudan University and Shanghai Medical University merged. The combination broadened Fudan's academic structure and linked general university research with medical education, biomedical science and clinical services. In the twenty-first century, Fudan has participated in China's major national university-development programs and strengthened its international links. It operates four main campuses in Shanghai and supports a wide range of schools, departments, laboratories, research centers and affiliated hospitals. Its academic portfolio covers the humanities, social sciences, management, law, journalism, international studies, mathematics, physical sciences, life sciences, engineering, information technology, medicine and public health. The university's advertising education illustrates its more recent professional and interdisciplinary development. The advertising major in the School of Journalism was established in 1994, and an advertising department followed in 2001. The program has moved through phases of curriculum building, closer industry engagement, interdisciplinary teaching reform and digital-media transformation. It now presents advertising as part of a wider field of business communication, combining humanistic education, commercial insight, creativity, aesthetic judgment, technology and data analysis. Today, Fudan remains a public research university directly administered by China's Ministry of Education. Its brand is expressed through degree programs, research achievements, medical and public-service institutions, international partnerships, professional schools and alumni networks rather than through conventional consumer products. The university's continuing identity rests on academic selectivity, multidisciplinary research, international engagement and the combination of traditional intellectual culture with contemporary science, technology and professional practice.
- 2001
Advertising department formed
[3]Fudan established an advertising department within its journalism and communication structure.
- 2000
Merger with Shanghai Medical University
[2]Fudan University merged with Shanghai Medical University, creating a broader integrated university and medical system.
- 1994
Advertising major established
[3]The School of Journalism established its advertising program.
- 1952
National higher-education reorganization
[2]Fudan received academic staff and resources during China's nationwide restructuring of universities, strengthening its research position.
- 1927
Medical predecessor established
[2]The predecessor of Shanghai Medical University, later merged into Fudan, was established under Yan Fuqing.
- 1917
University division established
[2]Fudan began operating a university division, marking an important step in its development as a higher-education institution.
- 1905
Fudan Public School established
[2]After a dispute at Aurora Academy, departing students and teachers organized a new school that became the institutional predecessor of Fudan University.
- 1903
Aurora Academy founded
[2]Ma Xiangbo founded the institution that preceded the later establishment of Fudan.
Products and positioning
A globally engaged, research-intensive Chinese public university combining comprehensive academic education, advanced research, medical education and professional schools.
Higher education
Undergraduate education
Fudan offers undergraduate education across the humanities, social sciences, sciences, engineering, medicine and professional fields. Its academic model combines disciplinary foundations with research exposure, liberal education and specialized training. The journalism school's advertising program is one example of a professional major that integrates communication theory, market understanding, creativity, data and digital-media practice.
Higher education
Graduate and doctoral education
Graduate education includes master's and doctoral programs, professional degrees and research training across the university's academic divisions. The advertising discipline has been described as supporting undergraduate, master's and doctoral-level development, with emphasis on marketing communication planning, application, management and research.
Medicine and health · 2000
Medical education and clinical system
Through the Shanghai Medical College and affiliated institutions, Fudan provides medical education, biomedical research, public-health training and clinical services. This capability derives substantially from the institutional heritage of Shanghai Medical University and its affiliated hospitals.
Business education
School of Management programs
Fudan University's School of Management provides business and management education and research, including marketing-related teaching and research. The school has promoted international academic engagement and professional links with business organizations.
Controversies
2021
Teacher kills college Party secretary on campus; sentenced to death with reprieve in 2024 first-instance trial
In June 2021, Fudan young researcher Jiang Wenhua stabbed to death the college Party secretary on campus, triggering discussions about campus safety and appointment management. In February 2024, the Shanghai No. 2 Intermediate People's Court sentenced him in first instance to death with a two-year reprieve and restriction on commutation for intentional homicide. This entry concerns a crime by a specific individual and a related campus incident.
2013
Dormitory poisoning kills classmate; Lin Senhao later executed
In 2013, Fudan student Lin Senhao poisoned a dormitory water dispenser, causing a classmate's death, triggering discussions about campus safety, laboratory hazardous chemicals management, and student relations. A court sentenced him to death for intentional homicide, and the sentence was carried out in 2015 after review. The perpetrator was a specific student; the school is not listed as a party to the intentional homicide.
2019 constitution change and student protests
In December 2019 Fudan removed 'academic independence and freedom of thought' from its constitution and added a pledge to follow Communist Party leadership, prompting student protests and concerns about diminishing academic freedom.
Controversy over Budapest campus
The 2024 agreement to open a Fudan campus in Budapest, costing 540 billion HUF with 450 billion paid by the Hungarian state from a Chinese loan, was denounced by Hungarian education professionals and politicians over economics, higher education and national security concerns.
Marketing campaigns
- Advertising education and industry-practice program
China · International advertising and communication education
Fudan's advertising program has emphasized combining academic theory with practical work through cooperation with advertising agencies, companies, competitions, workshops and other industry activities. Its curriculum and stated training goals cover advertising planning, creative development, marketing communication, public relations, research, media and digital technology.
Outcome. The program has developed into a multi-level educational platform and has highlighted alumni employment and achievements across advertising, automotive marketing, technology, internet and business-development fields.
- Digital-era business communication education
China · Digital media and global communication education
The advertising department has repositioned its teaching around digital media, media convergence, data processing, technological change and broader commercial communication. Its educational framework stresses the combination of business, humanities, art and technology.
Outcome. The initiative broadened the program's stated scope beyond conventional advertising toward multidisciplinary business communication and digitally capable marketing practice.
Brand decisions
2000
Merger with Shanghai Medical UniversityM&ABackground
Fudan and Shanghai Medical University were consolidated as part of a broader effort to develop stronger comprehensive universities and integrate medical education with general university research.
Action taken
The two institutions merged to form the modern Fudan University system.
Aftermath
Fudan expanded its medical, biomedical, public-health and affiliated-hospital capabilities while retaining its comprehensive research-university structure.
1994
Launch of advertising majorProduct launchBackground
The growth of China's media and commercial communication sectors created demand for specialized advertising education.
Action taken
Fudan's School of Journalism established an advertising major and later developed it into a dedicated department.
Aftermath
The program evolved toward integrated marketing communication, interdisciplinary study and digital-media practice.
1952
Participation in nationwide higher-education restructuringStrategyBackground
China reorganized university departments and redistributed academic staff and resources among institutions.
Action taken
Fudan incorporated academic resources and scholars from universities in Shanghai and neighboring regions.
Aftermath
The reorganization substantially strengthened Fudan's humanities, social-science and natural-science research base.
Recent events
- 2025
Fudan hosts international finance and artificial-intelligence symposium[5]
Other
Fudan University School of Management hosted an international symposium addressing finance and artificial intelligence, reflecting the school's international academic and research orientation.
- 2023
Fudan advertising program marks three decades of development[3]
Other · Product generation
Fudan's journalism school described the advertising program's development since its establishment in 1994, including the creation of an advertising department in 2001 and successive phases emphasizing curriculum construction, industry practice, interdisciplinary reform and digital transformation.
Fudan advertising alumni and industry partners highlighted at anniversary event[12]
Campaign · Other
An anniversary event presented alumni careers and cooperation with advertising competitions, workshops and industry partners as examples of the program's integration of classroom learning with commercial communication practice.
Sources12 sources
- 1Fudan University governance and leadershipfudan.edu.cn
- 2Fudan University reference articlezh.wikipedia.org
- 3Fudan University School of Journalism advertising departmentxwxy.fudan.edu.cn
- 4Fudan University School of Managementfdsm.fudan.edu.cn
- 5Fudan University international finance and artificial-intelligence symposiumfdsm.fudan.edu.cn
- 6复旦大学 Fudan University official websitefudan.edu.cn
- 7复旦简介fudan.edu.cn
- 8Fudan University - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org
- 9Dormitory poisoning kills classmate; Lin Senhao later executedchina.caixin.com
- 10Dormitory poisoning kills classmate; Lin Senhao later executedchinanews.com
- 11Teacher kills college Party secretary on campus; sentenced to death with reprieve in 2024 first-instance trialm.thepaper.cn
- 12复旦大学广告学校友与业界伙伴在周年活动上受到关注5iidea.com
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