Xiamen University

In 1921, Mr. Tan Kah Kee, a well-known patriotic overseas Chinese leader, founded Xiamen University (XMU), which was the first university to be founded by an overseas Chinese in the history of modern Chinese education. XMU has long been listed among China’s leading universities on the national "211 Project" and "985 Project" which ensure privileged support for its sustainable and strategic development. Xiamen University Malaysia Campus is the first overseas branch campus established by a prestigious Chinese university.

With a graduate school, 6 academic divisions consisting of 27 schools and colleges with 76 departments, and 14 research institutes, XMU boasts a total enrollment of nearly 40,000 full-time students (including 1,700 international students), i.e. 20,000 undergraduates, 17,000 graduate students toward a master’s degree, 3,000 doctoral candidates.

XMU currently has a faculty of over 2,500 full-time teachers and researchers, of whom 22 are the members of the Chinese Academy of Sciences or of the Chinese Academy of Engineering (including 9 who are employed simultaneously by other institutions), 59 are on the list of China’s Recruitment Program of Global Experts, also known as "1000 Talent Plan" (25 of whom are on the Scheme of Recruitment Program for Young Experts), and 34 professors are Distinguished or Chair Professors on the Changjiang Scholars' Program.

The motto of Xiamen University is: Pursue Excellence; Strive for Perfection. The phrase "Pursue Excellence" can be traced back to the Book of Changes in which there is a sentence that goes "As the movement of the heavens is forever dynamic, so the superior man pursues excellence all his life." The phrase "Strive for Perfection" is taken from the chapter of Great Learning in the Book of Rites in which great learning is defined as "the ability to explain and exemplify virtues, to show love and concern for people, and to strive for perfection."

As one of the earliest institutions in China to offer courses to overseas students, XMU set up its Overseas Correspondence College back in 1956 and started enrolling international students in 1981. The University holds the distinction of conferring the first doctorates in oceanography and accounting upon international students in China. Currently, close to 3,500 international students from over 130 countries and regions are studying at XMU. They enjoy a world-class intellectual environment on a campus nestled snugly between the hills and the sea and known for its top-notch faculty and first-class facilities. They form a vibrant and essential part of the XMU community.

XMU comprises six faculties: Humanities and Arts, Social Sciences, Natural Sciences, Engineering and Technology, Medicine and Life Sciences, and Earth Sciences and Technology. These faculties consist of 28 colleges and schools and 14 institutes, with a total of 76 Departments. The University boasts 53 first-level disciplines, 12 of which were ranked among the world's top 1% by ESI. XMU has a full-time faculty of 2,718, 82% of whom are PhDs and 18% have obtained their doctorates from overseas universities. Currently, the University has a total enrollment of approximately 40,000 students, including 19,782 in bachelor’s programs and 19,619 in master’s and doctoral programs. Our graduates are among the most sought-after in the job market, with over 95% of them finding employment upon graduation. On the strength of its rich educational and research resources, XMU offers high-quality services to its students, faculty and society. The University is spread over four campuses in Xiamen (430 acres), Zhangzhou (420 acres), Xiang'an (600 acres), and Malaysia (150 acres), covering a total area of nearly 1,600 acres.

As a national leader in creating, developing and imparting knowledge, XMU is committed to scholarly excellence and scientific inquiry, and sees the advancement of scholarship, cultivation of professionals and development of humanity as its ultimate mission. From the very beginning, XMU set building a global university as its goal, dedicating itself to "advancing the frontiers of knowledge, cultivating professional talent, and expounding world cultures". Over the past decades, the University has persisted in pursuing its ideals and aspirations with a down-to-earth, step-by-step approach. In the process, XMU has fostered an institutional culture of pluralism, inclusiveness, civility and refinement. With a global vision, the University is committed to internationalization and open-ended education. Over the years, XMU has forged partnerships with more than 200 higher-learning institutions in the U.K., the U.S., Japan, France, Russia, Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan and engaged in substantive cooperation with 50 of the world's top 200 universities. Moreover, the University has operated 16 Confucius Institutes and 44 Confucius Classroom in 13 countries and regions. In February 2016, Xiamen University Malaysia(XMUM) welcomed its first cohort of students. As the first overseas campus set up by a renowned Chinese university, XMUM is acclaimed as a brilliant pearl on the 21st Century Marine Silk Road.