Soochow University (Chinese: 東吳大學, pinyin: Dōngwú Dàxué) was a private university operating in the cities of Suzhou and Shanghai, Jiangsu, Republic of China, from its establishment in 1900 until its dissolution in 1952. The institution was founded by Methodist missionaries and was registered in the United States state of Tennessee under the name Central University in China.
Founding and early development
The university originated from a merger of three missionary‑run schools: the Buffington Institute and the Kung Hang School in Suzhou, and the Anglo‑Chinese College in Shanghai. Its first president was David Lawrence Anderson, who had previously founded the Kung Hang School. The name “Soochow” derives from the older romanisation of Suzhou, while “Dongwu” (East Wu) refers to the historic Wu region encompassing Suzhou and Shanghai.
Academic profile
Soochow University was noted for its comprehensive curriculum, with particular strength in its law school, which was based in Shanghai. The university combined Western-style higher education with Chinese cultural traditions, reflecting its missionary roots and the broader modernization movement in late‑Qing and early Republican China.
Reorganisation and dissolution
Following the establishment of the People’s Republic of China, a nationwide reorganisation of higher education took place. In 1952, Soochow University was disbanded by the PRC government. Its faculties were merged with several other institutions:
- The Suzhou campus combined with the Southern Jiangsu College of Culture and Education and the Department of Mathematics and Physics of Jiangnan University to form Jiangsu Teacher’s College (later renamed Suzhou University in 1982).
- The Shanghai law school merged into the East China University of Political Science and Law.
- The accounting faculty became part of the Shanghai University of Finance and Economics.
Successor institutions
Alumni who relocated to Taiwan re‑established Soochow University there in 1951, preserving the original name in both English and Chinese. In mainland China, the Jiangsu Teacher’s College revived the English name “Soochow University” in 1982, although it adopted the Chinese name Suzhou (苏州大学).
Legacy
The original Soochow University played a significant role in the development of modern higher education in eastern China, particularly in legal studies. Its dissolution and the subsequent redistribution of its academic units contributed to the formation of several major Chinese universities that continue to operate today.