Founded in 1946 as the Northeast College of Administration inHarbin,Heilongjiang, Jilin University merged with many universities and colleges and changed its name many times. In May 1948, the Northeast Administration College merged with theHarbin University and was renamed Northeast Academy of Science. In November 1948, the Northeast Academy of Science moved toShenyang,Liaoning and restored the name of Northeast Administration College. In 1950, it was renamed asNortheast People's University. During theKorean War it was relocated toChangchun,Jilin. In 1958, it was renamed Jilin University.[4]
In 2000, Jilin University, Jilin University of Technology, Norman Bethune University of Medical Sciences, Changchun University of Science and Technology (established 1951), and Changchun Institute of Posts and Telecommunications combined to form the current Jilin University. On August 29, 2004, University of Military Logistics also merged into Jilin University.
In April 2006, an institute dedicated to projects of military interest was created within Jilin University.[5]
As of 2024, theCWTS Leiden Ranking table 2024 ranked Jilin University at 19th in the world based on their publications for the time period 2019–2022.[20] In 2024, it ranked 55th among the universities around the world bySCImago Institutions Rankings.[21]
The university ranked 15th among the leading institutions globally in theNature Index 2025 Annual Tables byNature Research, that measure the high-quality research published in 82 high-quality science journals.[22]
Yury Gogotsi - leading Ukrainian scientist in the field of material chemistry, professor atDrexel University, founder and director of the A.J. Drexel Nanotechnology Institute
Wilma Olson - professor at the BioMaPS institute for Quantitative Biology atRutgers University, visiting professor at the Polymer Chemistry Department of Jilin University.
Wang Xianghao - mathematician who introduced the Grunwald–Wang theorem, correcting an error in Wilhelm Grunwald's original statement and proof of this.
There are 47 colleges or schools, as well as a few institutions and other affiliated organizations within 9 divisions in Jilin University,[25] including:
