China University of Geosciences, Wuhan

Established in 1952, China University of Geosciences is a specialist institution with an international reputation. Often performing well in comparison to its regional peers, it is one of a few notable universities in the city of Wuhan.

Originally Wuhan College of Geology, it became China University of Geosciences in 1987, adding Wuhan to its name again in 2005 to distinguish it from China University of Geosciences of Beijing, although the government sees the two campuses as one single institution. CUG offers around 200 programmes in total at undergraduate, master’s and doctoral level.

The sprawling city of Wuhan, around halfway between Chongqing and Shanghai, is one of the largest cities in the country. As one of the most highly populated cities in Central China, Wuhan is capital of Hubei province and lies on the River Yangtze. Wuhan, which has a number of monuments to the history of China, has played a key role in the country's industrial rise and was, for a short time from 1938, China’s de facto capital. It was also known for housing a significant number of influential writers and intellectuals. One of the first universities in the country to take international students, by 2016, CUG had more than 750.

Rebuilt in 1982, the Museum of China University of Geosciences is a natural science museum focusing on Earth’s evolution. The 10,000 square metre-building’s collection includes over 30,000 specimens.

CUG alumni include former Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao, head of the national government for 10 years, badminton player and four-time Olympic medalist Gao Ling, and several famous mountaineers.