Project 985

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Project 985 (Chinese: 985工程; pinyin: 985 gōngchéng) is a project first announced by CPC General secretary and Chinese President Jiang Zemin at the 100th anniversary of Peking University on May 4, 1998 to promote the development and reputation of the Chinese higher education system (and codenamed after the date of the announcement, 5/98 or 98/5, according to the Chinese date format).^[1] The project involves both the national and local governments allocating large amounts of funding to certain universities^[2] in order to build new research centers, improve facilities, hold international conferences, attract world-renowned faculty and visiting scholars, and help Chinese faculty attend conferences abroad.^[3]

When first announced in 1998, the project funding was made available to an elite group of 9 universities.^[3] These 9 universities made up the C9 League in 2009, which is referred to as the Chinese equivalent of the US Ivy League.^[4] By the end of the first phase of the project, 35 universities were sponsored. In the second phase of the project, four more universities (China Agricultural University, East China Normal University, National University of Defense Technology and Northwest A&F University) were added to the project, bringing the total number to 39. It was announced in 2011 that the project will not admit other universities.^[5]

List of sponsored universities

There are 39 universities sponsored by Project 985.^[6][7] The project also assigned goals and funding to each university.^[8]

Tier 1

Goal: To become top universities in the world

• Peking University (RMB1.8 billion)
• Tsinghua University (RMB1.8 billion)

Tier 2

Goal: To become world-class universities^{[citation needed]}

• Fudan University (RMB1.2 billion)
• Harbin Institute of Technology (RMB1 billion)
• Nanjing University (RMB1.2 billion)
• Renmin University of China (unknown)
• Shanghai Jiao Tong University (RMB1.2 billion)
• University of Science and Technology of China (RMB900 million)
• Xi'an Jiao Tong University (RMB900 million)
• Zhejiang University (RMB1.4 billion)

Tier 3

Goal: To become top universities in China and well-known in the world^{[citation needed]}

• Beijing Institute of Technology (RMB1 billion)
• Beijing Normal University (RMB1.2 billion)
• Beihang University (RMB900 million)
• Central South University (RMB400 million)
• Minzu University of China (unknown)
• China Agricultural University (unknown)
• Chongqing University (RMB540 million)
• Dalian University of Technology (RMB400 million)
• East China Normal University (RMB600 million)
• Huazhong University of Science and Technology (RMB600 million).
• Hunan University (RMB400 million)
• Jilin University (RMB700 million)
• Lanzhou University (RMB450 million)
• Nankai University (RMB700 million)
• Northwestern Polytechnical University (RMB900 million)
• Northeastern University (RMB400 million)
• Northwest A&F University (unknown)
• Ocean University of China (RMB300 million)
• Southeast University (RMB600 million)
• Shandong University (RMB1.2 billion)
• Sichuan University (RMB720 million)
• South China University of Technology (RMB400 million)
• Sun Yat-sen University (RMB1.2 billion)
• Tianjin University (RMB700 million)
• Tongji University (RMB600 million)
• University of Electronic Science and Technology of China (RMB360 million)
• Wuhan University (RMB800 million)
• Xiamen University (RMB800 million)

Other Tier

Goal: Special

• National University of Defense Technology (unknown)

References

See also

• C9 League
• Project 211
• 863 Program
• Chinese university ranking
• Science and technology in China