Zhejiang University, referred to as "Zhejiang University" for short, is a university directly under the Ministry of Education of People's Republic of China (PRC) and a unit directly under the central government. Joined the "2 1 1 Project", "985 Project", "World-class University and First-class Discipline", and was selected into the "Pilot Program for Training Top Students in Basic Subjects" and "Innovation Ability Enhancement Program of Colleges and Universities". As a member of Nine Schools Alliance (C9), Pacific Rim University Alliance, World University Alliance and China University Presidents Association, it is one of the earliest new institutions of higher learning founded by China people. It is a comprehensive national key university and was once called "Oriental Cambridge" by Joseph Needham, a famous British scholar.