The history of Yangzhou University dates back to 1902 when Mr. Zhang Jian, famous industrialist and educator of modern China, established the Tongzhou Normal School, from which both the former Jiangsu Agricultural College and former Yangzhou Teachers’ College were later developed. In 1992, these two colleges merged with four other institutions of higher learning in Yangzhou to form Yangzhou University.

By 1992, all six of the colleges which were to become Yangzhou University, namely, Jiangsu Agricultural College, Yangzhou Teachers’ College, Yangzhou Institute of Technology, Yangzhou Medical College, Jiangsu Water Conservancy College and Jiangsu Commerce College, had over 40 years of experience in higher education.