On 6th September 2016, Housheng LIU, deputy director of the Third Cadre Bureau of the Central Committee Organization Department, Communist Party of China (CPC), announced a new president of Tongji University, a decision made by the CPC Central Committee and State Council at an assembly at Yifu Building of Tongji University. Zhihua ZHONG was to take over from Gang PEI the presidency of Tongji University, the equivalent of a vice minister in China.

Mr. Zhihua ZHONG was born to a Han nationality family in Xiangyin, Hunan Province in July 1962. He joined the CPC in January 1974 and has a PhD degree in Engineering. He is a professor and an academician of Chinese Academy of Engineering. He taught and did his research in Linkoping University, Sweden and Hunan University, China from 1989 to 1995. He served as deputy dean and dean of College of Mechanical and Automotive Engineering, president assistant, vice president, and president of Hunan University from 1995 to 2010. He worked as secretary of the CPC Chongqing Municipal Science and Technology Committee, deputy director of the Chongqing Liangjiang New Area Management Board, director of the Chongqing Science and Technology Committee, the chairman of the Chongqing Science and Technology Association from 2010 to 2014 . He was a member and secretary general of the CPC Committee of the Chinese Academy of Engineering from October 2014 until now. He has become the president of Tongji University since August 2016.