Profile

Xiamen University was founded in 1921 by Tan Kah Kee, a well-known patriotic overseas Chinese leader. It was the first university in China founded by an overseas Chinese. At present it is the only university in any of five special economic zones and is one of China's higher-level universities designated for the state key construction of the “211 Project” and the “985 Project”. Currently, Professor Zhu Chongshi is President of the University; and, Professor Zhu Zhiwen is the Chairman of the University Council.

At present, Xiamen University’s 3 campuses cover over 524.5 hectares. With green hills behind and fronting the sea, Xiamen University is recognized as one of the most beautiful universities in China. Xiamen University has a constructed area of more than 1.40 million square meters and its libraries hold 4.60 million volumes (including 1.5 million electronic volumes). The scope and level of its high-speed information network on campus is rated at the top of all universities in China and has become the one of the main injunctions of CERNET2.

Teaching and Researching

Xiamen University has a graduate school and 22 schools containing 60 departments. With 14 Doctoral degrees in first –class disciplines, and 17 Master degrees in first-class disciplines, the university offers 79 undergraduate programs, 219 graduate programs, and 134 PhD programs. 14 subjects have been assessed and awarded as “the national key disciplines”. There are 15 Post doctoral research centers, 9 subjects of “national educational centers for talents”, 11 subjects listed among the state key disciplines in the “211 Project” construction during the period of the tenth Five-year plan and11 subjects listed among the innovation research bases in the second phase of the “985 Project”.

Xiamen University has a high level team of faculty and staff including 2,391 full-time faculty and professional researchers, including 1,386 professors and associate professors. The university now has a total enrollment of over 37,200 full-time students on campus, including 20,466 undergraduates, 14,227 master students, 2,352 doctoral students, and over 2,000 international students. In 2005, Xiamen University received a straight-A score in the undergraduate level Teaching Appraisal organized by the Ministry of Education.

Xiamen University has set up over 140 research institutions, including 2 State Key Laboratories, 1 State Engineering Research Center, 5 Education Ministry Key Laboratories, and 5 state key research bases in humanities and social science. 2 scientific research findings won the Second Class Prize of National Natural Science Award in 2006. 6 research reports were published in the international Science and Nature journal from 2004 to 2008. Xiamen University has strong potentiality in human and science research. Taiwan studies, Southeast Asian studies, economic studies, and accounting studies are at the highest tier among domestic universities.

Cooperation

Xiamen University has inter-university cooperative ties with over 100 institutions of higher education at home and abroad. Xiamen University has formally established multi-lateral cooperative relationship with nine other universities around the world by signing the Agreement on Global U10 Consortium. Because of its especially favorable geographical location and advantageous human resources, it is the key university most actively engaged in cross-straits educational, scientific and cultural exchanges.