The University of Science and Technology of China is a new type of university established by the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) after the founding of the New China. The establishment of the University is aimed at fostering high-level personnel of science and technology absolutely necessary for the development of the national economy, national defense construction, and education in science and technology. The University was founded in Beijing in September of 1958. Mr. Guo Moruo is the first president of the University. The establishment was hailed as "A Major Event in the History of Chinese Education and Science". CAS has supported the University by combining most of its Institutes with the departments of the University. CAS has pooled the entire strength of its faculty and its advantage in science and technology for the development of the University. USTC is listed in the top 16 national key universities by the Central Committee of the CCP, becoming the youngest national key university.

    In the beginning of 1970, USTC was moved to Hefei, the capital of Anhui Province. Since 1978, the University has initiated and implemented a series of open and reform measures with a forward-looking sense and innovative spirit. The University recovered from the Cultural Revolution and achieved rapid development thereafter. During the period of the 7th and the 8th National Five-year Plan, USTC has been one of the universities enjoying the nation's priority construction.

     Since the 1990s, USTC has taken the initiative of adapting to the necessity and challenge of the development of science and technology, education, and social economy. The University frequently deepens the reform of teaching and scientific research, and makes structural adjustments. In 1995, USTC was approved by the Central Government as one of the first batch of universities obtaining the support of construction in the National 9th Five-year Plan and the "Project 211". Since 1998, USTC takes an active part in the implementation of the CAS "Knowledge Innovation Program". In June of 1998, President Jiang Zeming inscribed the following words for the 40th anniversary of the University: "Facing the 21st Century, Building a First-class University, and Cultivating Top-level Talent". His words make greater demands on USTC and create an orientation for USTC. In 1999, USTC was singled out as one of the 9 universities enjoying priority support from the nation's "Plan of Vitalizing Education Action Geared to the 21st Century", obtaining unified support and guidance from the CAS, the Ministry of Education, and the Anhui Provincial Government. The Plan (Project 985) is aimed at supporting the development of high-level universities in China. USTC will spare no effort in building the University into a moderate-scale, high-quality, reasonable-structured, high-level university by 2018, the 60th anniversary of USTC. Until then USTC will turn into an educational and research base in collaboration with the CAS and other research institutions for the education of first-class talent possessing innovative capacity and modern knowledge structure. It will be a base with the capacity of knowledge and technology innovation. Since September of 2002, USTC has been implementing its "Project 211" construction during the 10th National Development Plan.