ang sha ▁in ▁February ▁ 1 9 3 8 . ▁The ▁ 8 0 0 ▁staff ▁fac ulty ▁and ▁students ▁who ▁were ▁left ▁had ▁to ▁fle e ▁and ▁made ▁the ▁ 1 , 0 0 0 ▁mile ▁journey ▁to ▁Kun ming . ▁It ▁was ▁here ▁that ▁the ▁National ▁South west ▁Associ ated ▁University ▁( comm only ▁known ▁as ▁Li anda ) ▁was ▁established . ▁In ▁these ▁extraordinary ▁w art ime ▁circumstances ▁for ▁eight ▁years , ▁staff , ▁profess ors ▁and ▁students ▁had ▁to ▁surv ive ▁and ▁operate ▁in ▁makes h ift ▁qu arters ▁that ▁were ▁subject ▁to ▁sp or adic ▁bomb ing ▁campaign s ▁by ▁Japan . ▁There ▁were ▁dire ▁short ages ▁of ▁food , ▁equipment , ▁books , ▁cl othing ▁and ▁other ▁essential ▁needs , ▁but ▁they ▁did ▁manage ▁to ▁conduct ▁the ▁running ▁of ▁a ▁modern ▁university . ▁Over ▁those ▁eight ▁years ▁of ▁war ▁( 1 9 3 7 – 1 9 4 5 ), ▁Li anda ▁became ▁famous ▁nation wide ▁for ▁having ▁and ▁producing ▁many , ▁if ▁not ▁most , ▁of ▁China ' s ▁most ▁prominent ▁academ ics , ▁sch ol ars , ▁scient ists ▁and ▁intellect uals . ▁ ▁Both ▁of ▁China ' s ▁only ▁Nobel ▁la ure ates ▁in ▁physics ▁studied ▁at ▁Li anda . ▁ ▁People ' s ▁Republic ▁of ▁China ▁▁ ▁The ▁establishment ▁of ▁the ▁P RC ▁brought ▁grad ual ▁but ▁definite ▁cons olid ation ▁to ▁China ' s ▁south western ▁borders , ▁solid ifying ▁what ▁were ▁previously ▁mur ky ▁claims ▁to ▁various ▁regions . ▁ ▁For