Having been approved by the Ministry of Education, CTGU was founded in June 29, 2000, comprising the former Wuhan University of Hydraulic and Electric Engineering/Yichang and the former Hubei Sanxia College. The history of CTGU can be dated back to 1946, while the bachelor education started from 1978, and the postgraduate and international student education began from 1996. CTGU has the qualification to confer the degrees of bachelor, master and doctor, and to recruit international students of CSC scholarship and membership of UNAI. Moreover, the Ministry of Water Resources and the People’s Government of Hubei Province signed agreements in 2009 to build CTGU in joint effort. Beside, CTGU was awarded with “Advanced unit of opening up” by Hubei Provincial government in 2010; and was awarded with “Demonstration base of international student education”in 2014. By now, China Three Gorges University has become an comprehensive university with characteristic features of prominent discipline advantage, hydropower resources and great social reputation.     

CTGU consists of 30 colleges, 72 undergraduate programs covering nine fields including science, engineering, medicine, arts, economics, management, law, education and fine arts. There are 5 national-level characteristic disciplines for undergraduates; 10 provincial-level branded disciplines for undergraduates; 7 disciplines selected as the instalment of “A plan for Educating and Training Outstanding Engineers” by the Ministry of Education, 10 disciplines taught in English; and 2 Chinese-foreign cooperative education programs; 2 primary discipline doctoral programs, 22primary discipline programs for graduate students, 184secondary discipline programs for graduate students, 17 professional program for graduate students (Engineering, MBA, MTI etc.) and 11 provincial key disciplines. CTGU has a large number of enrolled students, comprising more than 22,730 full-time undergraduate students, 4,131 postgraduate students and 1288 international students.      

CTGU has 2 national level experimental teaching demonstration center; 2 national level Engineering practice education centers; 1 national wild scientific observation research station of landslide in the Three Gorges area, Hubei Province, 1 key laboratory of the Ministry of Education in the Three Gorges reservoir area, 1 engineering technology research center of the Ministry of Education in geological disaster of the Three Gorges reservoir area, 1 ecology and environment engineering technology center of the Ministry of Education in the  Three Gorges reservoir area, 1 collaborative innovation center with the joint effort from Hubei Provincial government in geological disaster and eco-environment of the Three Gorges reservoir area, 5 provincial and ministerial-level key laboratories on disaster prevention and reduction, construction and management of hydraulic project, design and maintenance of mechanical equipment, research and utilization of natural product, etc., 2 former key laboratories of State Power Corporation on hydropower station simulation and geotechnical study, 18 teaching experiment(training) centers, including 169 functional laboratories, 8 provincial-level teaching experiment demonstration centers, and over 160 practical training centers and cooperative bases between education and production.      

CTGU adheres to the principle of promoting development through opening up, organizes multi-level, wide range international cooperation and communication, insists the development path of internationalization, learning advanced educational concept and experience of other countries. It also ushers in high quality education resources, promotes the development of education reform, emphasizes the training of talents with international education background, promotes the international status, influences and the competitiveness of the university. In 2011, CTGU became one of the 52 authorized universities to recruit MBBS(English-teaching) students, and was authorized by the Ministry of Education to organize Sino-foreign cooperative education program for undergraduates of Electronic Engineering and Automation; CTGU obtained an exemption qualification to recruit students from Hong Kong in 2013; and was authorized by the Ministry of Education to organize Sino-foreign cooperative education program for undergraduates of Tourism Management. In recent years, the University has invited 3 Nobel prize winners to lecture in CTGU, and welcomed 70 international delegations of nearly 1000 person-times per year. Furthermore, CTGU applies extensive exchanges and communications with other countries and regions, and keeps close relationships with diplomatic envoys of the USA, France, Nepal, Maldives, ROK, India, and Pakistan, etc.Moreover, big events are held in CTGU on regular basis, like“China Explore” competition—sunny sport trip for international students in China, No.5 competition in 2013; and peach blossom festival, Happy Friday (T.G.I.F) english salon, etc. All the events above have greatly promoted and expanded the internationalization atmosphere in the campus.     

At present, CTGU is carrying out the national education plan, impelling the construction and development of connotation and vigorously implementing the four principles of “characteristic development, innovative reform, opening education and leading brand”, sparing no effort to realize the educational goal as “Building a high-level and comprehensive university with distinctive hydropower characteristics”.