Wuhan University of Science and Technology (WUST) is a public, comprehensive, research university located in Wuhan, the capital of Hubei province, China. It is a key university co-administered by the Chinese Ministry of Education and Hubei province. The history of WUST dates back to the Hubei Technical Institute, which was founded in 1898 by Zhang Zhidong in the late Qing Dynasty. In 1958, it was renamed as Wuhan Institute of Metallurgy and began to offer four-year degree programs. At that time, it affiliated with the Ministry of Metallurgy. The affiliation was revoked in 1998, and the university is now governed by the Hubei Province and the Ministry of Education. In 1995, two colleges were merged into Wuhan Institute of Metallurgy: Wuhan Advanced Construction School and Wuhan Medical School of Metallurgy. Wuhan Institute of Metallurgy changed its name to Wuhan Metallurgy University of Science and Technology. In 1999, it became known as Wuhan University of Science and Technology. WUST is authorized to confer 72 bachelor's degree programs, 43 doctoral degree programs, 150 master's degree programs as well as master's degree programs of Engineering in 19 fields. Among those, 15 first-class master's degree were ranked top 50 and 2 first-class master's degrees (i.e. Metallurgy Engineering and Mining Engineering) were ranked top 10 by the Degree of Ministry of Education & Postgraduate Education Development Center in 2012. The university has established many high-level research centers, including one national key laboratories and 12 experimental centers with big enterprises such as Wuhan Iron and Steel Corporation, Panzhihua Iron and Steel, Liuzhou Iron and Steel, and Handan Iron and Steel.