Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics (NUAA), established in 1952, is situated on the very site of the ancient Ming Palace of Nanjing. Its campus covers an area of 160 hectares, with a building space of 510,000 square metres. The library has a collection of over 1,000,000 books. NUAA is one of the key universities in China that mainly offers courses in science and engineering and strives for the coordinated development in applied science, management, humanities and social sciences with the combined features of aeronautics , civil aviation and astronautics. It is among the nation's first institutions of higher learning authorized to grant degrees of doctor, master and bachelor. In 1996 it succeeded in becoming one of the China's 100 most key universities for the 21st century (China's 211 Project). It is subordinated to the Commission of National Defense Science, Technology and Industry of China.

NUAA consists of 10 colleges as follows: College of Aerospace Engineering, College of Energy and Power Engineering, College of Automation Engineering, College of Information Science and Technology , College of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering ,College of Material Science and Technology , College of Civil Aviation, College of Sciences ,College of Economics and Management ,College of Humanities and Social Sciences ,in addition to the Graduate School, College of Continuing Education, College of Rural Enterprises, Evening College and the English Training Centre for the Aviation Industries of China and the Ministry of Foreign Economy and Trade. There are as many as 27 programs with 50 majors, among which, 42 offer master's degrees and 21 doctor's degrees. There are 3 national key programs: Aircraft Design, Mechanical Manufacture and Automation, and Fluid Mechanics; 4 are key programs at the provincial level: Engineering Mechanics, Aerospace Propulsion theory and Engineering, Navigation, Guidance and Control, and Power Electronics & Power Transmission. In addition,4 postdoctoral exchange centres have been set up, i.e. Aerospace Science and Technology, Mechanical Engineering, Dynamics and Control Science and Engineering.

NUAA has set up as many as 50 research institutes, such as Pilotless Aircraft Research Institute and Helicopter research institute , and 58 laboratories, among which 1 is national key laboratory, 2 are provincial key laboratories,5 are ministerial key laboratories and 1 is national base for the instruction of Electronics and Electronic Engineering. NUAA enjoys best facilities either for teaching and scientific research.

NUAA has taken great interest in international academic exchanges and scientific cooperation. Since 1987,over 1,000 persons have been sent to as many as 34 countries and regions for advanced studies, academic exchanges and cooperation. At the same time, about 1,600 professors and scientists from 40 countries and regions have been invited to give lectures and make visits to NUAA Long-term cooperative agreements have also been signed between NUAA and over 20 universities in Germany, France, Russia, UK and USA. Close ties have been established between NUAA and famous international institutions and foreign enterprises.