Fudan University

Fudan University (simplified Chinese: 复旦大学; traditional Chinese: 復旦大學; pinyin: Fùdàn Dàxué), located in Shanghai, China, is one of the most prestigious and selective universities in China, and is a member in the C9 League and Universitas 21. Its institutional predecessor was founded in 1905, shortly before the end of China's imperial Qing dynasty. Fudan is now composed of four campuses, including Handan (邯郸), Fenglin (枫林), Zhangjiang (张江), and Jiangwan (江湾).

History

Fudan, formerly romanized as Fuh Tan, was initially known as Fudan Public School in 1905. The two Chinese characters Fu (复) and Dan (旦), literally meaning "(heavenly light shines) day after day", were chosen by the distinguished educator in modern Chinese history, Father Ma Xiangbo S.J., from the Confucian Classic Shangshu Dazhuan (Chinese: 尚书大传): "Itinerant as the twilight, sun glows and moon luminesces" (Chinese: 日月光华，旦复旦兮). In 1911 during the Xinhai Revolution the college was taken up as the headquarters of the Guangfu Army and closed down for almost one year. The university motto comes from Analects Book 19.6 (Chinese: 博学而笃志,切问而近思), which means "to learn extensively and adhere to aspirations, to inquire earnestly and reflect with self application".