Fudan University – upon hearing these four words for the first time, many people think it is just “another famous school in China.” But when you stand in front of the red brick arch built in 1921 at No. 220, Handan Road, you can see the Hanfu society under the parasol tree on the left shooting a video, and the truck in the photon chip laboratory on the right unloading liquid helium at minus 200°C. You will suddenly understand: Fudan combined the Academy’s legacy from 1905, the kindling of the anti-war movement in 1937, and the beat of qubits in 2025 into the same campus. This article is written for those who want to come to China to study, do research, find cooperation, or even just want to travel and check in; I split it into 8 sections, each no more than 150 words, so you can see where you fit in.
Why Did the Overseas Search Volume of ‘Fudan University’ Double in Five Years?
Google Trends shows that the global search volume of “Fudan University” has increased by 118% over the past five years, with 46% coming from the North American scientific research community and 28% from the European Union HR departments. Behind the keywords are not the two words “ranking,” but “the cost of sending a scientist to Shanghai is 42% lower than that in Silicon Valley, yet it can access the joint data from the Zhangjiang laboratory and Suzhou factory simultaneously”—this cost-effectiveness makes Fudan a frequent entry point for those seeking to learn about China (QS, 2024).
Fudan University with Four Faces: A Clear Campus
- Handan Campus: Old Phoenix Tree + Red Brick, suitable for shooting “I was in China in 1920” vlogs;
- Fenglin Campus: The former Shanghai Medical University; exit, turn left, and walk 8 minutes to Hengshan Road Bistro;
- Zhang Jiang Campus: Neighbors with Synchrotron Radiation Light Source and Alibaba Pingtou; CS and Pharma Doctor’s “Happy Planet”;
- Jiangwan Campus: The School of Law, the School of Journalism, and the School of Political Management are clustered, with a reddish British college building resembling Oxford at a glance. Metro Line 10 “Xinjiangwan City” or Line 3 “Dabushu” can take you to all four campuses within 45 minutes (official website of Fudan University, 2024).
Subject Map: Which Majors Are Most ‘Renowned’ by the Global Database?
QS 2024 ranked Fudan’s “Modern Chinese,” “Material Science,” and “Pharmacy” in the top 40 in the world; Soft Science placed “News Communication” second in Asia in 2024. In other words, you can find 109 English-teaching programs; you can work on chips. There is a 12-inch public experimental line at Zhang Jiang Campus; you can develop new drugs. Next door are Novartis, Hengrui, and Zading, the “Party A’s dad,” waiting for you to graduate (ShanghaiRanking, 2024).
One Day Clock-in at the Laboratory: Write ‘Paper’ as ‘Product’
- At 9 o’clock in the morning, you test the III-V laser in the “Micro Nano Photon Structure” Laboratory of the Ministry of Education.
- At 10:30, ride a shared bike for 6 minutes to the Shanghai Key Laboratory of “Intelligent Drug Delivery,” injecting the newly synthesized liposome into the tail vein of mice;
- At noon, I spent 12 yuan in the canteen on two meats and two vegetables;
- At 2 p.m., the teacher from the School Technology Transfer Center takes you to Suzhou Nanometer City to sign a 500,000 horizontal project with a listed company.
- At 8 p.m., the data is uploaded to GitHub. You can go back to the dormitory, take a shower, and open-source the code. Throughout the day, your experimental records meet the needs of Nature’s sub-publication and the Science and Technology Innovation Board prospectus simultaneously—this three-thread approach of “paper, patent, product” is Fudan’s most underestimated hidden skill.
International Students Timeline: 2025 Autumn Enrollment Version
- September 15: The master’s network of English-taught programs opens.
- December 1: The Chinese Government Scholarship (CSC) closes.
- In March of the following year, the department issues pre-enrollment; you can simultaneously ask the tutor for the “academic acceptance letter”;
- April 15: The Shanghai municipal government scholarship for foreign students is evaluated separately, ranging from 30,000 to 60,000 yuan per year.
- June: Receive the JW202 form and go to the consulate to apply for the X1 visa. Friendly reminder: In 2024, 44% of international freshmen received more than half of the scholarship, and the average GPA was 3.3 (4-point system). It must be clear in the application that “what problems can I solve for Shanghai,” rather than simply stating “I love Chinese culture” (annual report of the Foreign Students Office of Fudan University, 2024).
Budget Calculation: Is It Expensive to Be a Student in Shanghai?
- Dormitory: International double room 900 yuan/month, single room 1,500 yuan;
- Canteen: 12 yuan for two meats and two vegetables, WeChat code scanning.
- Medical insurance: Comprehensive insurance for a stay in China is 800 yuan/year; outpatient coverage is 80%.
- Transportation: 70% discount for Metro student card, 150 yuan per month;
- Socializing: Craft-brewed drinks on University Road cost 30-60 yuan/cup; campus community events are free. The total expenses are 1,000-1,200 US dollars/month, which is at least 30% more than in Singapore and Hong Kong, and you can also cook Hot Pot every two weeks.
Write Fudan University Into Your Resume: School-Enterprise Cooperation List
- School of Journalism ↔ Reuters Shanghai branch, 15 minutes walk;
- School of Medicine ↔ Novartis, Johnson & Johnson, Hengrui—two stations away from Zhangjiang subway;
- Computer College ↔ Ali, Pinduoduo, Shangtang; internship bus station at the school gate;
- School of Management ↔ Lujiazui Financial City, direct access via metro line 18;
- Affiliated Zhongshan Hospital ↔ The Gates Foundation, and the WHO collaborate, recruiting 30 international medical students for summer rotations each year. One student card serves as a multi-industry VIP access card, with city benefits directly credited to your account.
Travel Itinerary: 48 Hours Micro Tour Around the Campus
- Day 1, 09:00: Photograph the old school gate of Handan Campus in vintage style → 10:00: View the original diploma from 1905 in the school history museum → 11:30: Enjoy the student meal of “our Braised pork belly” → 13:00: Ride to Gongqing Forest Park for photos of river reeds → 18:00: Attend open-air jazz on University Road.
- Day 2, 08:30: Take the subway to Jiangwan Campus; see the British-style red brick ambulatory → 10:00: Visit the Songhu Anti-Japanese War Memorial Hall → 12:00: Bird watching in Xinjiangwan Wetland → 15:00: Take Line 10 to Yu Garden, enjoying raw fried buns for afternoon tea → 19:00: Experience the night view of the Bund. Two days in Yangpu and Hongkou can pack “a hundred years of university + wetland ecology + Shanghai-style fireworks” in one go, suitable for parents or partners visiting.
Common Questions & Answers about Fudan University
- Q: Can you live without speaking Chinese? ** A: There are 109 English-taught programs, bilingual services at police stations and hospitals, and a mobile app for passport registration.
- Q: How is the air quality in Shanghai? ** A: In 2023, the average PM2.5 was 28 μg/m³, lower than 55 in Beijing and higher than 15 in Tokyo. Sensitive individuals may want to carry N95 masks (IQAir, 2024).
- Q: Where can parents stay? ** A: Dormitories do not allow guests. You can book the “Fudan Crown Holiday” alumni rate at 700 yuan, including breakfast, and it’s a 5-minute walk to the old school gate.
Conclusion
Consider “Fudan University” as a one-stop high-speed elevator for study abroad + travel + entrepreneurship: you can gain three keys to “China data, China capital, and China scene” with minimal time cost. The degree is just a gift; the real reward is that you can understand China half a beat earlier than your competitors.
References
- Fudan University. (2024). Campus Map & Transportation Guide. https://www.fudan.edu.cn/en/17160.shtml
- IQAir. (2024). World Air Quality Report. https://www.iqair.com/world-air-quality-report
- QS Quacquarelli Symonds. (2024). QS World University Rankings by Subject 2024. QS.
- ShanghaiRanking Consultancy. (2024). Academic Ranking of World Universities.
More study content: Study in China as an International Student
