WHEN Wang Shenghong, the president of Fudan University, receives his counterparts from foreign universities, a necessary question he often has to answer is: why is the university named Fudan?

“Our university has a very resounding name,?Wang said at a news conference called for the centenary celebrations of Fudan University held December 30. The name was derived from a quotation in the Chinese classic “Shangshu?(Book of Documents): ri yue guang hua, dan fu dan xi (Brilliant is the sunlight and the moonlight, again the morning glory after a night).

When Wang explained this to the president of Japan’s Waseda University, the president immediately went to the Waseda library to verify the fact. After finding the quotation from the book, he told Wang that it was a very good name.

The year marks the 100th anniversary of Fudan University. “As the first-ever private institution of higher learning in China, set up in 1905, the development of Fudan is a symbol of the rejuvenation and expansion of higher education in the New China and the history of Fudan is part of modern China’s history,?said Qin Shaode, the university’s Party secretary.

Initially named Fudan Public School, Fudan University was based upon Zhendan Public School (Aurora University) founded by Ma Xiangbo (1840-1939), the pioneer of modern Chinese educational reform, in 1903.

The Chinese characters zhen dan mean the morning sun from the east. They reflected Ma’s aspiration to save the country through education and to enable Chinese youth to gain a fundamental understanding of Western culture.

When some French priests tried to take control of Zhendan, 130 enraged students left the school and urged Ma to create Fudan Public School.

Fudan began with the ideal of saving the country through education and operating universities independent of foreign influence.

The creation of Fudan set a precedent of rebelling against the spread of foreign control over education in China. It also made the first steps towards the construction of China’s modern education system.

Notable steps

Looking back on Fudan’s 100-year history, Wang said Fudan underwent three important changes after China’s liberation in 1949.

The first turning point happened in 1952. In order to train more qualified people to meet the needs of China’s large-scale economic development, the new government made important adjustments to higher education.

Fudan was diversified through the addition of professors, subjects and facilities from 19 other universities. Many talented professors gathered in Fudan and greatly enhanced its academic development.

The implementation of China’s opening-up policy in the early 1980s impelled Fudan’s second leap toward becoming a comprehensive university with liberal arts and science education. “It was a period of fast-development in the fields of human sciences, sociology, natural sciences, technology and management,?Wang said.

In April, 2000, Fudan University merged with Shanghai Medical University, founded in 1927 as the first medical school run and taught by Chinese.

“The newly enlarged Fudan University hopes to enter a new era as a world-class university,?Wang said.

The 18th president of Fudan University, Wang said that realizing this ambitious dream required the unremitting efforts of students and teachers at Fudan.

The president serves as the soul of a university, with his/her personality, morality and educational ideas usually having a profound influence on the university culture.

For generations, the presidents of Fudan University have devoted their energy to improving the University’s academic standards and influence in China and the world.

Li Denghui, the sixth president of Fudan University said at a graduation ceremony that the spirit of Fudan was defined by three esses ?study, service and sacrifice. He cautioned the students earnestly against doing things that bring shame to Fudan. Instead, he said, they should aim to add to the prestige of the university.

Not only a famous mathematician and educator, but also the 14th president of Fudan University from 1978 to 1983, Su Buqing had definite ideas about how to develop the university culture of Fudan.

During his presidential term, at each year’s ceremony marking the beginning of a new term, Su reminded students of the importance of maintaining China’s traditional values. He asked students not to waste food, water or electricity and to lead simple lives.

During the history of Fudan, Xie Xide, the 15th president and also a female president (presidential term 1983-1988), made great efforts to establish international links, especially with Western schools and experts. In the 1980s, when China was still at the beginning of its opening period, she forecast the importance of educational internationalization. She strongly encouraged international academic exchanges of all kinds, opening the minds of students and teachers at Fudan through face-to-face communications with international scholars, scientists and other leading intellectuals. It was in this period that increasing numbers of overseas scholars and universities began to learn about Fudan University.

“All ‘Fudanians?work hard to make Fudan a famous brand known by ever more people,?Wang said. To do even better over the next 100 years, Wang said Fudan would continue its progress in accordance with the trend of internationalized education. One of Fudan’s urgent tasks is to make good use of overseas educational resources, including absorbing overseas scholars, to improve its academic level.