The University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) is under the jurisdiction of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS). As a key university of the nation, it is noted for its advanced science and high technology programs, unique management studies and well-tailored disciplines in the humanities.

USTC was established in Beijing in September 1958, with Guo Moruo as its first president. Its establishment was regarded as a major event in China's history of education and science. Since its very beginning, CAS has adopted a policy of "running the university with resources of the entire CAS and integrating each of its departments with relevant CAS research institutes." Led by a group of most renowned Chinese scientists of the time—Yan Jici, Hua Luogeng, Qian Xuesen, Zhao Zhongyao, Guo Yonghuai, Zhao Jiuzhang and Bei Shizhang, USTC set up a series of programs that creatively encompassed the frontiers of science and new technologies to meet the needs of the nation for developing science and technology. The University emphasized the teaching of fundamental courses and provided its students with a wide range of high-level training that incorporated newly-emerging as well as interdisciplinary fields of study. In its second year, USTC quickly rose to the status of a national key university. It has been one of the first institutions included in China's "985 Program" and "Project 211", and the only university participating in the National Program for Knowledge Innovation. Over the years, USTC has adhered to its motto of "being both politically sound and professionally competent, and integrating theory with practice" and promoted a style of "living for innovations." Its high-quality educational work, characterized by ground-breaking studies, combination of teaching and research and integration of theory with practice, has produced a large number of highly accomplished people and many significant, internationally-recognized, original research results.

USTC now has eight national key programs of first-level disciplines, four national key programs of second-level disciplines, two programs with major national support, and 19 programs with major provincial and ministerial support. It has 34 national-level and CAS/provincial/ ministerial-level laboratories and research centers, including the National Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory, the Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, the National Key Laboratory of Fire Science, the National High Performance Computing Center at Hefei, and the National Geophysical Observatory at Mencheng. USTC has 1,162 full-time teachers and 286 researchers, among whom 31 are academicians of the Chinese Academy of Sciences or Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE), 9 academicians of the Third World Academy of Sciences, 342 doctoral advisors, 450 professors and 646 associate professors. Of its 15,500 plus students, over 1,900 are doctoral students, over 6,200 are master's students, and more than 7,400 are undergraduate students.

Over the past fifty years, USTC has faithfully kept to its high-quality educational mission. By the end of 2008, the University has graduated some 50,000 students, 42 of whom have eventually become CAS or CAE academicians. On average, every 1,000 of its college graduates would see over 700 continue to pursue and receive a master's or doctor's degree and one elected CAS or CAE academician, which ranks among the top few of Chinese universities. In addition, several thousand USTC graduates have joined the armed forces, with more than twenty of them becoming generals and most playing an important role in China's national defense.