The year 1949 witnessed the liberation of Shanghai, the establishment of the People’s Republic of China, and a new leaf turned in the history of Fudan. The 1952 State Reform of Higher Education Institutions laid the groundwork for Fudan University to become a prominent comprehensive university with a focus in Arts and Sciences. In May 1959, Fudan University was acknowledged by the state as one of the 16 national key universities: the first major take-off in the history of the university.