"2 1 1 university" refers to the 1 16 universities that supported the construction of international universities in the 20th century, also known as "2 1 1 engineering schools". "2 1 1 project" is a decision made by the state to build about 100 institutions of higher learning and key disciplines and majors in stages to meet the challenges of the world's new technological revolution. Representative universities are: Tsinghua University, Peking University, China Renmin University, Central Conservatory of Music, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Fudan University, Shanghai University of Finance and Economics, Xiamen University, Northwest University and Xi Jiaotong University.

"2 1 1 Project" is the largest key construction project in the field of higher education officially approved by the state since the founding of the People's Republic of China. It is also the development plan of higher education and the reform project of higher education system proposed by the state during the ninth five-year plan period. It is planned that by the year 2000, the quality of education, scientific research, management level and school-running efficiency will be greatly improved, and obvious progress will be made in education reform, so as to strive to have a number of institutions of higher learning and disciplines and professional construction projects close to or reach the level of world-class universities at the beginning of this century.