Wuhan University (WHU; ) is a public research university in Wuhan, Hubei. The university is sponsored by the Ministry of Education. Wuhan university was founded as one of the four elite universities in the early republican period of China and is considered as the oldest university in China according to its university history document. Wuhan University is located at Luojia Hill, with palatial buildings blending Chinese and Western styles. It is ranked by many as one of the most beautiful (or the most beautiful) campuses in China for decades. Wuhan University is one of the most prestigious and selective universities in China, and was recognized by the Chinese Ministry of Education in Double First Class University. It is a Project 985 and Project 211 institute. The university is well known for research in fields such as the social sciences, remote sensing, survey engineering, and hydraulic engineering. Wuhan University has been perennially ranked among the top-tier universities in China. Nationally, it was ranked fourth in 2016 and third in 2017 by CUAA. It also features in the top 200th global universities as ranked by the Academic Ranking of World Universities, the QS World University Rankings, the Times Higher Education World University Rankings, and the U.S. News & World Report. History The university dates back to the Ziqiang Institute (), which was founded in 1893 by Zhang Zhidong, governor of Hubei and Hunan provinces in the late Qing Dynasty. It changed its name several times before it was named National Wuhan University in July 1928 and was among the first group of national universities in modern China. (There is a dispute on the establishment of Wuhan University: Some believe that its history should date back to 1913, when the National Wuchang Higher Normal College was founded.) In the early time of its establishment, Ziqiang Institute provided four courses: Chinese, Mathematics, Nature, and Business. After combining the Institute of Minerals and the Institute of Chemical, courses provided were enlarged, with Nature Science and Engineering added. Chinese was extended to English, French, German, Russian, and Japanese. In October 1902, Ziqiang Institute moved to Dongchang kou, Wuchang, and changed its name to Foreign Languages Institute (), teaching Geography, History, Mathematics, Law, and Communication. With the approaching Xinhai Revolution of 1911, the Foreign Languages Institute was forced to pause due to lack of funding. In October, the Wuchang Uprising and the end of the Qing dynasty