Brief Introduction
Shantou University, a key comprehensive university under the provincial Project 211 program in Guangdong, was founded in 1981 with the approval of the State Council. As the only public university in the world that receives long-term funding from the Li Ka Shing Foundation, it is jointly supported by the Ministry of Education (MOE), the Guangdong Provincial Government and the Li Ka Shing Foundation. Shantou University is located in Shantou, a city in Southeast China. Surrounded by mountain and water, the university campus is adorned by elegant and artistic buildings.
(1).History
With a population of more than 10 million and limited land, the opportunity to create industry in Chaoshan area is limited，and an institution of higher education was not available here for a long time. Determined to contribute to the development of his hometown, Mr. Li Ka-shing realized that cultivating capable and talented people is the key to creating and sustaining cultural and economic development in this area. University is where students are developed with critical thinking skills, broad horizons, correct values, creative ideas on science and technology, as well as professional skills. Therefore, Mr. Li decided to donate money for founding a high-level university here to cultivate talents with the motto “Aspiration, Knowledge, Perseverance, Achievement“, hoping they can work in Chaoshan area after graduation and help to improve the living standard of Chaoshan people, to boost the economic development of the local community, and to support the development of other areas in Guangdong Province and even the whole country. With the support and assistance of the Li Ka Shing Foundation and government officials at all levels, Shantou University has achieved rapid development in the past three decades.
(2). Discipline and programs
Shantou University provides 1 National-level Key Discipline, 5 postdoctoral research stations, 1 primary-discipline doctoral program, 10 primary-discipline master programs, 26 secondary-discipline doctoral programs, 101 secondary-discipline master programs. It also has 7 national-level characteristic disciplines, 4 National Quality courses, 2 National Demonstration Courses of Bilingual Teaching, 8 provincial-level key disciplines, 4 provincial-level branded disciplines, as well as 11 Provincial Distinctive Programs. The seven-year program for Clinical Medicine is also offered.
(3). Academic facilities and Scientific research
Shantou University has one Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education, six Provincial Key Laboratories, three Guangdong International Scientific & Technological Cooperation Bases, three Guangdong Universities Key Laboratories, one Guangdong Key Industry Scientific & Technological Innovation Platform, four Guangdong Demonstration Bases for Integrating Industry, Education and Research, two Guangdong Universities Engineering Technology Research Centers, two Guangdong Universities International Scientific & Technological Cooperation and Innovation Platforms, two Guangdong University Humanities and Social Sciences Research Bases, one National Model Experimental Teaching Center, seven Guangdong Provincial Model Experimental Teaching Centers, two National Pilot Sites for Innovative Talent Training, five Provincial Pilot Sites for Innovative Talent Training, seven National Distinctive Programs.
Those centers and laboratories conduct basic scientific research and directly serve local economic development, including the Artificial Intelligence Manufacturing Technology Laboratory funded by the Ministry of Education, Shantou University Division of National Key Discipline in Molecular Pathology, Research Institute of Tumor Pathology, Marine Biology Laboratory of Guangdong Province, Image-processing Technology Key Laboratory of Guangdong Province, CAD/CAM Center, Laboratory for Wind Tunnel Testing, Laboratory for Structural Engineering, FMS Laboratory and Institute for Artificial Intelligence and Pattern Recognition.
In 2011, Shantou University obtained 70,308,100 CNY in total funding for research projects, an increase of 45.8% over the previous year. Altogether, 54 projects were awarded a cumulative total of 27,547,000 CNY from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) and the National Social Sciences Foundation. The national-level funding received was up by over 60%.
(4). Great achievements
According to the statistics released by The Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (ISTIC) in December 2012, the average impact factor of SCIE-indexed periodicals where STU faculty and staff published their papers was raised from 1.92 in 2007 to 2.59 in 2011, which is historically high. Shantou University ranked top for its paper citation counts in the “2012 Chinese Universities Nature & Science Publications Ranking”. In 2012, Shantou University won the funding for major projects of cultural industry in Guangdong Province for the first time, and Shantou University faculty were awarded the Funding for MOE New Century Outstanding Talents in humanities and social sciences for the first time.
(5). Communication and international cooperation
Shantou University takes full advantage of the support from the Li Ka Shing Foundation and the ties with overseas universities to strengthen academic exchange and cooperation. Distinguished scholars from first-class universities at home and abroad have been invited to present seminars or lectures to the University’s undergraduate students, so as to broaden their academic horizon. Among the scholars are Nobel laureates Chen Ning Yang, Tsung-dao Lee, Chao Chung Ting, James Mirless, Steven Chu, Barry J. Marshall and Mo Yanas, well as other world-class celebrities including Shiing-Shen Chern, Shing-Tung Yau, Yuh-kang Pan and David D. Ho. Some famous scientists from well-known universities like Cambridge University, University of California at Berkeley (UCB) and University of Western Australia were also recruited as honorary professors, chair professors or adjunct professors to deliver academic lectures at the university.
Under the auspice of the Li Ka Shing Foundation, Shantou University has become one of the few universities in Mainland China that awards full scholarships to overseas exchange students. The university has established close academic ties with nearly 20 universities in such countries as the United States, United Kingdom, France, Japan, Russia, Australia and Germany, and launched exchange programs for undergraduates and graduate students.
The final information is subject to the University If there is any discrepancy!