Zhejiang University is one of the oldest universities in China, established in 1897 as Qiushi Academy. Once known as "Cambridge of the East," Zhejiang University was split up into a number of single-discipline colleges during the 1952 readjustment of China's Tertiary Education System.

In 1998, with the approval of the State Council, the new Zhejiang University was established as a combination of four major universities that had grown up in Hangzhou over the previous half-century, namely Zhejiang University, Hangzhou University, Zhejiang Agricultural University and Zhejiang Medical University.

Under the direct administration of China's Ministry of Education, the new Zhejiang University is a key comprehensive university whose fields of study cover eleven branches of learning, namely philosophy, literature, history, education, science, economics, law, management, engineering, agriculture and medicine. The university, now has 107 specialties for undergraduate studies, and it is entitled to confer masters degrees in 225 programs and doctoral degrees in 138 programs. Under its administration there are 11 National Key Laboratories, 2 National Engineering Research Centers and 3 National Engineering Technology Centers. Besides, it has set up 24 national key specialties and 30 post-doctoral stations.

See also: List of universities in Mainland China