Shandong University

Shandong University
山东大学
Official Seal of Shandong University
Former names
Shandong Imperial University (Chinese: ; pinyin: Shāndōng Dàxué Táng)
Shandong Provincial University
National Shandong University (simplified Chinese: ; traditional Chinese: ; pinyin: Guólì Shāndōng Dàxué)
Motto学无止境 气有浩然
Motto in English
Noble in Spirit, Boundless in Knowledge
TypeNational university
Established1733 (1733). Reformed as university in 1901.
AffiliationMinistry of Education of the People's Republic of China
Officer in charge
Ren Youqun
PresidentLi Shucai
Vice-presidentWu Zhen, Liu jianya, Yi Fan, Zhu Dejian, Cao Xianqiang, Wang Meiqin
Academic staff
4,600 (in 2021)
Administrative staff
7,898
Students67,122 (in 2021)
Undergraduates41,565
Postgraduates25,557 (in 2021)
Location, ,
China

36°40′25″N 117°3′14″E / 36.67361°N 117.05389°E / 36.67361; 117.05389 (central campus)
CampusJinan (6), Weihai (1), Qingdao(1)
Colors 
NicknameShanda (Chinese: ; pinyin: Shāndà)
Website山东大学 (in Chinese)
Shandong University (in English)
Chinese name
Simplified Chinese山东大学
Traditional Chinese山東大學
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinShāndōng Dàxué

Shandong University (山东大学; SDU) is a public university in Jinan, Shandong, China. It is affiliated with the Ministry of Education of China. The university is part of Project 211, Project 985, and the Double First-Class Construction.

Shandong University derives its official founding date from the Imperial Shandong University (官立山東大學堂), which established in Jinan in November 1901 on the request of Yuan Shikai, then Governor of Shandong, as the second modern national university in the country. The precursor institution of Shandong University Medical School, Cheeloo University, was founded by American and English mission agencies in the late 19th century as Tengchow College of Liberal Arts in Penglai. Tengchow College was the first modern institution of higher learning in China.

Shandong University has eight campuses, all but two of which are located in the provincial capital city of Jinan. The rest are located in Weihai and Qingdao respectively.

Shandong University is constantly ranked the best university in Shandong province, and one of the top-ranked universities in the People's Republic of China. It is classified as a Double First Class University and was formerly part of both the Project 985 and Project 211 national key initiatives. Shandong University is among the Chinese universities with the most comprehensive range of academic disciplines, representing a typical comprehensive university that covers all major fields of study except military science.

As of 2024, twenty of its disciplines are ranked among the top 1% worldwide according to the ESI (Essential Science Indicators) rankings, with five disciplines ranked in the top 0.1%. The university has also signed intercollegiate cooperation agreements with more than 300 universities and institutions in over 30 countries and regions.