Directly under the Ministry of Education, the new Zhejiang University is a key comprehensive university in China. In September 1998, a new Zhejiang University was established on the basis of the amalgamation of four formerly individual universities, namely Zhejiang University, Hangzhou University, Zhejiang Agricultural University and Zhejiang Medical University, all of which are located in the city of Hangzhou.

The university covers 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 master's degrees in 225 programs and doctoral degrees in 138 programs. There are 11 national key laboratories, 2 national engineering research centers and 3 national engineering technology centers under the university. Besides, it has set up 24 national key specialties and 30 postdoctoral stations.

Endowed with a pleasant climate, picturesque surroundings and a favorable academic atmosphere, Zhejiang University is an ideal place for teaching, research, and learning. With six campuses, namely Yuquan, Xixi, Huajiachi, Hubin, Zhijiang, and Zijingang, the university now occupies a total area of 533 hectares and a floor space of 1,720,000 square meters. At present, the total number of full-time students has reached over 41,000 including 30,000 undergraduates, 8,000 postgraduates studying for master's degrees and 3,200 PhD candidates. There are also nearly 38,000 students taking courses in degree and non-degree programs in adult education. Among its over 9,000 faculty members and workers, there are 10 members of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, 7 members of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, over 1,000 professors and 2,400 associate professors. With a total space of 58,000 square meters, the university library has a collection of more than 5,620,000 volumes of books. In addition, the university has 6 affiliated hospitals, which provide various kinds of medical services for people from all over Zhejiang Province.

The university is making good use of the opportunities brought by the amalgamation and will continue to give priority to education and research. It seeks to offer service to the nation's economic development, and to make every effort to build itself into an institution on a par with the first-class university in the world.