YNU joins new list of first-class universities, disciplines

A second list of first-class universities and disciplines was announced on Feb 9 and the ethnology and ecology courses at Yunnan University, or YNU - located in Kunming, capital of Southwest China's Yunnan province - were selected.

The first-class universities and disciplines project is widely regarded as being a leading initiative in the development of China's higher education.

It is said to highlight the training of first-rate talent, serving the strategic needs of the country and striving to create world-class academic institutions. Additionally, it promotes the development of outstanding universities and disciplines in a coordinated manner.

Under the auspices of the Ministry of Education and the Yunnan Provincial Government, YNU was selected in the first batch of 42 national first-class universities and 14 universities in central and western China. 

The university has developed into a comprehensive academic institution with a full range of disciplines and a concentration of top-flight talent - with ethnology, ecology - seen as constituting its distinctive competitive advantages and chief characteristics.

YNU is said to have served the national strategy and the economic development of Yunnan province, striving to become a first-class university. The teachers and students are known to have completed the tasks and objectives of the construction cycle.

With the rapid development of various undertakings, YNU is said to have made important contributions to optimizing the distribution of national higher education. It is perceived to have improved the level of regional higher education and helped build a science and education center, whose influence radiates out and is oriented towards South Asia and Southeast Asia.

In the evaluation meeting and construction summary for first-class universities and disciplines, the expert group unanimously agreed that YNU completed all the tasks and objectives, and achieved qualitative improvement.