Editing Harbin (section)

==Education and research==
[[File:Harbin Institute of Technology - Main Bldg.jpg|thumb|right|The main building of [[Harbin Institute of Technology]]. Note the [[Stalinist architecture|Stalinist]] "tier-cake" façade, reminiscent of the [[Seven Sisters (Moscow)|"Seven Sisters" in Moscow]].]]
Harbin is one of the top 50 cities and metropolitan areas in the world by [[scientific research]] output as tracked by the [[Nature Index]].<ref name=":0" /> As of 2024, the QS Best Student Cities Rankings ranked Harbin as the best city in [[Northeast China]] and 148th globally, making it an important hub for international students.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-06-19 |title=QS Best Student Cities Ranking 2025 |url=https://www.topuniversities.com/city-rankings |access-date=2024-06-20 |website=Top Universities |language=en}}</ref>

As Harbin serves as an important military industrial base after PRC's foundation, it is home to several key universities mainly focused on the science and technology service of national military and aerospace industry.<ref name="Scientific Technology and Education">{{cite web
 |url          = http://www.harbin.gov.cn/english/Harbin_Overview/Scientific_Technology.htm
 |title        = Scientific Technology and Education
 |publisher    = Harbin Municipal Government
 |access-date   = 14 September 2011
 |archive-url  = https://web.archive.org/web/20140408100054/http://www.harbin.gov.cn/english/Harbin_Overview/Scientific_Technology.htm
 |archive-date = 2014-04-08
 }}</ref> Soviet experts played an important role in many education projects in this period. Due to the threat of possible war with the Soviet Union, however, several colleges were moved southwards to [[Changsha]], [[Chongqing]], and several other [[South China|southern]] cities in China in the 1960s. Some of these colleges were returned to Harbin in the 1970s.

The city hosts [[List of universities and colleges in Heilongjiang|several major universities]] in [[Northeast China]], including [[Harbin Institute of Technology]], [[Harbin Engineering University]], [[Harbin Medical University]], [[Northeast Agricultural University]], [[Harbin University of Science and Technology]], [[Harbin Normal University]], [[Northeast Forestry University]], [[Harbin University]], [[Heilongjiang University of Science and Technology]], [[Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine]], [[Harbin University of Commerce]], [[Harbin Sport University]], and [[Heilongjiang University]].<ref name=":2" /><ref>{{Cite web |title=ShanghaiRanking's Best Chinese Universities Ranking |url=https://www.shanghairanking.com/rankings/bcur/2022 |access-date=2022-11-03 |website=www.shanghairanking.com |archive-date=19 April 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220419224008/https://www.shanghairanking.com/rankings/bcur/2022 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Notably, [[Harbin Institute of Technology]] is consistently ranked as one of the best universities in the world for engineering.<ref name=":1" /> HIT was ranked fifth globally in the Best Global Universities for Engineering by [[U.S. News & World Report Best Global Universities Ranking|U.S. News]] in 2022.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |date=2021-10-26 |title=US News: Best Global Universities for Engineering 2022 |url=https://www.usnews.com/education/best-global-universities/engineering |access-date=2022-09-26 |website=U.S. News & World Report}}</ref> Founded in 1920 with strong support by the Russian diaspora connected with the Chinese Eastern Railway, the university has developed into an important research university mainly focusing on engineering (e.g. in [[space science]] and [[defense (military)|defense]]-related technologies, welding technology and engineering),<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2013/09/kuaizhou-china-launches-new-rocket/|title=Kuaizhou – China secretly launches new quick response rocket|date=25 September 2013|quote=Built by the Harbin Institute of Technology, the new satellite will be used for emergency data monitoring and imaging...|access-date=22 April 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140812035715/http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2013/09/kuaizhou-china-launches-new-rocket/|archive-date=12 August 2014|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.malab.se.ritsumei.ac.jp/wp/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/OB_quan.pdfand|title=Work at HIT as lecturer after graduation|access-date=22 April 2014}}{{Dead link|date=July 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> with supporting faculties in the sciences, management, humanities and social sciences. The institute's faculty and students contributed to and invented China's first [[analog computer]], the first intelligent chess computer, and the first arc-welding robot. In 2010, research funding from the government, industry, and business sectors surpassed RMB1.13 billion, the second highest of any university in China.<ref name="China-briefing.com" />