Two colleges in Anhui to be renamed universities

On November 4, the Anhui Provincial Department of Education issued the “Notice on the Proposed Application for the Establishment of Undergraduate Colleges and Universities”, agreeing to rename Anhui Institute of Science and Technology to Anhui University of Science and Technology and Wannan Medical College to Wannan Medical University, and report to the provincial government to the Ministry of Education for public announcement. On the same day, the Provincial Department of Education also issued the “Notice on the Proposed Approval of the Establishment of Higher Vocational Schools”, agreeing to submit the establishment of Lu’an Vocational College of Applied Technology based on Anhui Lu’an Technician College and Anhui Jinzhai Technician College to the provincial government for approval, and our province may add another higher vocational school.

The reporter learned that Anhui Institute of Science and Technology started as the Northern Anhui Advanced Agricultural and Forestry School in 1950 and began to offer undergraduate education in 1965. After the changes of Anhui Fengyang Agricultural College, Anhui Agricultural College Fengyang Branch, Northern Anhui Agricultural College, Anhui Agricultural Technology Normal College, Anhui Technical Normal College, etc., it was renamed Anhui Institute of Science and Technology in 2005, began to independently train graduate students in 2012, and became a master’s degree awarding institution in 2021.

Wannan Medical College was founded in 1958 and merged into Anhui Medical College in 1971 as the Wannan Branch of Anhui Medical College. In 1974, it was approved by the State Council to be independently established and named Wannan Medical College. The school is currently a doctoral degree awarding institution that is supported by Anhui Province.

In February 2023, the Anhui Provincial Department of Education issued a document, clarifying that with the approval of the Anhui Provincial People’s Government and the filing of the Ministry of Education, the renaming of Anhui University of Science and Technology and Wannan Medical College to universities was included in the Anhui Province’s “14th Five-Year Plan” higher education establishment plan.