Zhengzhou University, in central China, has traditionally been strong in chemistry, materials and engineering.
In 2017 China’s largest university set out a plan to reshape itself as a ‘Double First Class’ — or world class — institution, under Chinese government plans to have numerous universities and disciplines listed among the world’s best by 2050.
Zhengzhou University (ZZU) charted a development strategy to become a ranking-busting, comprehensive, research-oriented university by the middle of the century.
With 74,000 students and post-graduates, 7,000 staff and 51 departments, ZZU has long been known in China for its strength in chemistry, materials and engineering. Now it has its sights on the world.
The strategic shift appears to have paid off, and is fuelling a rise through Chinese and global rankings. ZZU has nearly quadrupled its international collaborations since 2018, driving a commensurate increase in citation count (see ‘A global strategy for growth’).
Chemistry, materials science, clinical medicine, engineering and pharmacology & toxicology now rank in the top 0.1% of disciplines in the Essential Science Indicators (ESI) rankings. Today it also hosts international students from 103 nations.
Seeking to build on this momentum, ZZU recently launched its ‘global talents’ recruitment programme (see box, below).
Located in Henan province, ZZU sits at what university staff describe as the “the pivot and centre of China.”
They say it is the ideal location for a university “committed to developing a new path of internationalization and turning high-quality global resources into a new impetus for the development of the university.”
Seeking a rapidly growing research environment?
Credit: Macbrian Mun/Moment/Getty
Zhengzhou University is looking for: ‘Global Top Scholars/Talents’ who have made significant contributions in their field; ‘Leading Academics/Scholars’ who are at least associate professors and have made profound achievements; and ‘Outstanding Young Scholars’, who are early- to mid-career researchers with PhDs from top universities that show potential to be leading academics.
To find out more, visit http://international.zzu.edu.cn or send a resume with cover letter stating the research discipline to rcb@zzu.edu.cn (Top Scholars/ Scholars) or rczp@zzu.edu.cn (Young Scholars).
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