The University of Science and Technology of China is a new type of university established by the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) after the founding of the New China. The University was founded in Beijing in September of 1958. Since 1978, the University has initiated and implemented a series of open and reform measures with a forward-looking sense and innovative spirit. The University recovered from the Cultural Revolution and achieved rapid development thereafter. During the period of the 7th and the 8th National Five-year Plan, USTC has been one of the universities enjoying the nation's priority construction.
In 1995, USTC was approved by the Central Government as one of the first batch of universities obtaining the support of construction in the National 9th Five-year Plan and the "Project 211". In 1999, USTC was singled out as one of the 9 universities enjoying priority support from the nation's "Plan of Vitalizing Education Action Geared to the 21st Century", obtaining unified support and guidance from the CAS, the Ministry of Education, and the Anhui Provincial Government.
The campuses cover an area of 1.33 million square meters, with 800,000 square meters of building area. The library has a collection of 1.51 million books, 2800 kinds of journal in the language of Chinese or English, 600,00 electronic books and 10,300 electronic journals in Chinese or in English. The library has established more than 30 network data retrieval systems including SCI, EI, CA, ISTP, INSPEC.
The University has more than 3,600 faculty and staff numbers, 22 CAS and CAE academicians, 432 professors. The number of students accepting normal higher education at USTC totals around 13,794, 8,243 undergraduate students, 3,873 master degree students, and 1,498 Ph.D. students among them. Besides, the University has 1,575 professional master degree students, 110 post-doctoral fellows and 134 guest professors.
STC possesses 9 schools, 23 departments, the Special Class for the Gifted Young, the Experimental Class for the Teaching Reform, the Graduate School, School of Management (Beijing), the Software School, School of Network Education, and School of Continuing Education. The University offers 43 undergraduate specialties, 17 first-category Ph.D. degree programs, 89 second-category Ph.D. degree programs, 105 second-category master degree specialties. USTC also boasts of 3 professional master degree specialties of MBA, MPA and Master of Engineering, 17 post-doctoral mobile stations, 45 specialties for the post-doctoral mobile stations.
USTC actively encourages and push forward transfer of the research results and the industrialization of high and new technology. The University-Region (Enterprise) Cooperation Committee was established for the strengthening of the cooperation with the local governments and enterprises. The University has established and developed the relationship of cooperation with some famous large and medium-sized enterprises such as the Daqing Petroleum Administration, Sinopec, the Bao Steel Group, Legend Group, and Haier Group. In total, 16 local governments and enterprises have become members of the USTC-Region (Enterprise) Cooperation Committee. Some research results incubation bases have been established, such as the Hefei National University Garden of Science and Technology, the Luohe Hi-tech Garden, the Guiyang Industrial Garden of Science and Technology, the Shanghai Research and Development Center, and the Shenzhen Futian Base of Industry, Teaching and Research. The Anhui Provincial Government and USTC have jointly presented the "Province-University Cooperation Program", fostering the industrialization of technological results. USTC also actively files applications for the "Seed Funds" established by prefectures and cities in China, sparing no efforts in making contribution to the regional economic construction and social development.
The University has concluded agreements of cooperation and exchange with around 100 universities and research institutions in more than 30 nations and regions. Around 300 international experts and scholars will visit USTC every year for lecturing and collaborative research. USTC has sent around 10,000 individual visits to more than 30 nations and regions for study and cooperative research.