In1902, Sanjiang Normal College was established on the historic site of the Ming Dynasty’s Imperial College in Nanjing, as one of China’s earliest institutions of higher learning with modern educational attributes. In 1905, it was renamed Liangjiang Normal College.

In 1915, Nanjing Higher Normal School was founded on the campus of Liangjiang Normal College, as one of the first six national higher normal schools in China. The school championed science, integrated Chinese and Western learning, and actively recruited overseas graduates from Europe and America to join its faculty, quickly earning a distinguished reputation.

In 1921, the National Southeast University was established on the foundation of Nanjing Higher Normal School, becoming one of China’s earliest national universities and a model for comprehensive universities at the time.

In 1927,the National Southeast University merged with several other public institutions in Jiangsu Province to form the National Fourth Sun Yat-sen University, which was renamed Jiangsu University the following year. After the merger, the university expanded to include 9 colleges and 36 departments, further enhancing its faculty, library collections, and laboratory facilities.

In 1928, the National Central University was founded, combining elements of the National Southeast University and the National Fourth Sun Yat-sen University. It was quickly developed into the premier university in China, distinguished by the quality of its faculty, size of its student body, and the high standards of its scientific research, engineering technology development, and humanities research.

In 1952, Nanjing Institute of Technology was established at the Sipailou campus, primarily formed from the engineering college of the former National Central University, incorporating relevant departments from eight other institutions, namely, the University of Nanking, Fudan University, Jiao Tong University, Zhejiang University, Wuhan University, Xiamen University, Jiangnan University, and Shandong Engineering Institute. The Institute cultivated a large number of high-level specialists for China’s industrialization and the development of its educational and scientific sectors, earning significant social prestige.

In 1988, Nanjing Institute of Technology resumed the name of Southeast University, ushering in a new historical chapter.

In 2000, Southeast University had evolved into a comprehensive and research-oriented institution, enjoying an international reputation for its outstanding engineering disciplines. As one of China’s key universities under the “985 Project” and “211 Project”, it was selected as the national list of China “Double First-Class” universities as a Class-A institution in 2017.