1955, the central government made a preliminary decision to move coastal universities inward, and planned to move Shandong University in Qingdao to Zhengzhou and rename it "Henan University". After the plan of universities moving to China was abandoned, the Ministry of Higher Education had a new plan to build a comprehensive university in Zhengzhou. 1February, 956, it was officially confirmed at the planning meeting of the central higher education institutions that the newly-built university in Zhengzhou was named "Zhengzhou University". The preparatory committee was composed of Ji, Gong Yiqun, Huo Bingquan, Wu Fuheng, Cui Cheng, Wang Yue and Dong Shude, with Ji as the director and Gong Yiqun as the director.

In April, 1956, Professor Liu Xun, general manager of Shandong University and head of the Department of Chemistry, arrived in Zhengzhou ahead of schedule, which received strong support from the provincial and municipal governments. It is determined that 922 mu of land in four villages, Caiwang, Jiaojiamen and Bee Zhanghedui, in Zhengzhou Construction Area will be expropriated as the land for the first phase of Zheng Da University. A year later, four simple and elegant red buildings, namely, office teaching buildings for mathematics, science and chemistry, sprang up on the west side of University Road. East living area has also been built on the east side of University Road. Minister Yang Xiufeng of the Ministry of Higher Education personally sought Zheng to coordinate the relationship and ensured the speed record of opening to traffic for five months.

1In August, 956, the Ministry of Higher Education decided that the three departments of mathematics, science and chemistry of Zhengzhou University should enroll students nationwide. Guo Moruo inscribed the name of the school.