Zhejiang University (ZJU) is one of China’s top higher education institutions, as well as one of its oldest, with its roots traced back to the founding of Qiushi Academy in 1897. Located in Hangzhou – one of the most picturesque cities in China – the University consists of seven faculties and 40 schools. It is home to more than 4600 full-time faculty members, including 28 members of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and 22 members of the Chinese Academy of Engineering. ZJU has more than 29,000 undergraduate and 46,000 graduate students as of 2022. In the latest list released by China in February 2022, ZJU has 21 disciplines selected for China’s “Double First-class” Initiatives. With acclaimed fame to to many areas of research excellence, ZJU currently ranks among the top three universities in the Chinese mainland and top 100 in the Times Higher Education World Reputation Rankings and QS World University Rankings.
University of Illinois Urbana–Champaign
Since its founding in 1867, the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) has earned a reputation as a world-class leader in research, teaching, and public engagement. A founding member of the Big Ten Conference and a member of the Association of American Universities, UIUC is also listed as a "Public Ivy." With its land-grant heritage, UIUC pioneers innovative research that tackles global problems and expands the human experience. Its transformative learning experiences, in and out of the classroom, are designed to produce alumni who desire to make a significant societal impact. UIUC currently has more than 34,000 undergraduates, 21,000 graduate students, and 2800 faculty members, and there have been 24 Nobel laureates and 29 Pulitzer Prize winners from UIUC faculty and alumni. It is a global leader for engineering education and research, with its engineering programs ranked 5th in the U.S. Best Universities Rankings published by US News & World Report in 2025.
