Situated in the historical and picturesque city of Suzhou, a metropolis well reputed in the world for its classic gardens, Soochow University is a national key institute listed in the Project 211, a first-class member in the "2011 Program" and a top comprehensive university in Jiangsu Province. The original Soochow University (Dongwu Daxue in pinyin) was founded in Suzhou in 1900. In 1952, after the national adjustments for university departments in China, Soochow University, Southern Jiangsu College of Culture and Education, and Jiangnan University were merged into Jiangsu College of Culture and Education. Later in the same year it was renamed as Jiangsu Teachers' College. In 1982, the college was reorganized and was renamed Soochow University. In 1995, 1997 and 2000, Suzhou College of Sericulture, Suzhou Institute of Silk Textile Technology and Suzhou Medical College were merged into Soochow University, respectively.