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Xiamen University

Coordinates: 24°26′18″N 118°05′35″E / 24.438259°N 118.093153°E / 24.438259; 118.093153
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Xiamen University
厦门大学
Seal of the University since 1921
Latin: Universitas Amoiensis
Former name
Amoy University
Motto自强不息，止于至善[1]
Chū-kiông put-sek, chí u chì-siān
Motto in English
Pursue Excellence, Strive for Perfection[1]
TypePublic university
Established1921; 103 years ago (1921)
PresidentZhang Rong
Academic staff
4,600+
Students28,133
Undergraduates20,277
Postgraduates16,562
4,297
Location
Xiamen
,
Fujian
,
China
Campusurban, 524.3 ha
AffiliationsProject 985
Project 211
Double First-Class Construction
GU8
Websitexmu.edu.cn
en.xmu.edu.cn
Chinese name
Simplified Chinese厦门大学
Traditional Chinese廈門大學
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinXiàmén Dàxué
Southern Min
Hokkien POJĒ-mn̂g Toā-o̍h

Xiamen University (XMU; 厦门大学) is a public university in Siming, Xiamen, Fujian, China. It is affiliated with the Ministry of Education of China. The university is part of Project 211, Project 985, and the Double First-Class Construction.

Founded in 1921 by Tan Kah Kee, a Chinese patriotic expatriate businessman in Singapore, the university has been perennially regarded as one of the top academic institutions in Southern China, with strengths in mathematics, chemistry, oceanography, economics, management, law, communication and political science.

As of April 2023, over 45,000 students are enrolled at Xiamen University, including more than 21,000 undergraduates, over 19,000 master's students, and over 5,000 doctoral candidates.[2]

Xiamen University is proactive in international exchanges and collaboration. It has forged partnerships with 263 universities abroad and engages in substantial exchanges with 53 institutions. In July 2014, the groundwork for the Xiamen University Malaysia campus was initiated, marking it as the first Chinese university to pioneer an independent campus overseas.[2]

History

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Private period

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Panoramic view of Xiamen University, with new campus in the foreground and the original campus near the beach

In 1919, Tan Kah Kee, a Chinese expatriate in Singapore, businessman, investor, and philanthropist, donated then 4 million dollars to endow Amoy University in the city of Amoy (former romanization of 'Xiamen' until 1970s). When the university was founded in 1921, there were no more than 20 faculty members and just 98 students.

At the 1926 Sesquicentennial International Exposition in Philadelphia, United States, Amoy University was one of five institutions selected to participate in an exhibit on education in China, representing the country's higher education system.[3]

National university period

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In 1937, Tan transferred administration of the university to the Nationalist government, and the institution became a national university.[4]

Statue of Tan Kah Kee, in front of his memorial hall located in Xiamen University main campus .
Furong Lake
Jiannan Auditorium
Statue of notable mathematician Chen Jingrun (陈景润)

In 1938, at the outbreak of the Second Sino-Japanese War, the university was temporarily relocated to Changting in western Fujian to escape Japanese invasion of Chinese coastal regions.

In 1946, after the war, the university moved back to Xiamen and resumed normal operations.[5]

In 1952, it was transformed into a comprehensive university embracing both arts and science.[6]

In 1963, it was designated as a key university in China.

In 1995, Xiamen University was selected to participate in Project 211, a Chinese government initiative to provide increased financial resources for the country's most promising universities.[7]

In 2000, the university was selected for 985 Project, a national and local government initiative to provide funding for facilities construction and faculty hiring to bolster China's top universities.[7]

On January 25, 2013, the Ministry of Higher Education of Malaysia submitted an invitation letter to Xiamen University to establish a branch campus in Malaysia.

On July 3, 2014, the foundation of Xiamen University Malaysia Campus was laid near Kuala Lumpur.

On February 22, 2016, Malaysia Campus officially opened.[8]

In September 2017, the university was recognized as a Class A institution in the Double First Class University Plan, a Chinese government initiative to cultivate a group of elite Chinese universities into "world-class" institutions by 2050.[9]

International cooperation

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Xiamen University has maintained a global presence since its creation in 1921, attracting students from overseas Chinese communities in Southeast Asia. The institution established an "Overseas Correspondence Courses" program in 1956 and accepted its first foreign students in 1981.[10] Xiamen University now has an extensive portfolio of international collaborations, including an International Cooperative Program for Innovative Talents funded by the China Scholarship Council,[11] and global exchange and cooperation relationships with over 300 universities.[12] It has established 16 Confucius Institutes with partner institutions in 13 countries.[12]

In 2011, China government and Malaysian government began high-level discussions about creating a Malaysian branch of Xiamen University.[13] Subsequently, in 2015 the Xiamen University Malaysia Campus was established. Known as "XMU Malaysia," the institution has been described as "historic" and is notable as the "first ever large-scale international branch" of a Chinese university.[14] Professor Wang Ruifang was named the first chancellor of XMU Malaysia.[13]

On May 23, 2016, Xiamen University sent a delegation to the Tokyo Institute of Technology in Tokyo, Japan to meet with leadership and professors. The delegation's objective was to discuss the institutions' strategies for commercializing research findings, fostering university-industry collaboration, and encouraging international students to learn about local language and culture.[15]

On November 18, 2016, Xiamen University and Cardiff University in Wales, United Kingdom initiated a "strategic partnership" including a program for co-supervision of doctoral students, and £1.2 million in seed funding for "collaborative research projects" to benefit the economy of Wales.[16] Subsequently, a delegation from Cardiff University visited the Xiamen University School of International Relations to explore possible areas of research collaboration and student exchange.[17]

Xiamen University also hosts recurring China study programs for University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Council for Christian Colleges and Universities, Eckerd College[18] and Bentley College in USA, and University College Utrecht in the Netherlands.[19]

In cooperation with Mae Fah Luang University in Thailand, Xiamen University operates a Confucius Institute at Mae Fah Luang University's Sirindhorn Chinese Language and Culture Center.[20]

Campuses

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Main campus (Siming campus)

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Main campus

The main campus of XMU is located in Siming District on Xiamen island, covering an area of 167 hectares. It is situated at the foothills of mountains, facing the ocean and surrounded by Xiamen bay. It mainly houses such academic divisions as the Humanities and Arts, Social Sciences, Natural Sciences, and Engineering and Technology.[21]

The scope and level of its campus high-speed information network is rated first among all universities in China and has become one of the main nodes of CERNET2.[22]

Haiyun campus

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The Haiyun Campus is part of the main campus, located near the Pearl Bay, south end of Xiamen, adjacent to Xiamen Software Park. The School of Software, School of Information Science and Technology, School of Mathematics Science are located in the campus.

Zhangzhou campus

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Zhangzhou Campus is located in Zhangzhou China Merchants Economic and Technological Development Zone (CMZD), Zhangzhou, covering an area of 171 hectares, with architecture consistent with the main campus. In July 2012, most facilities were allocated to XMU Tan Kah Kee College. In September 2020, the new Xiamen University College of Creativity and Innovation moved to the campus, and part of the International College relocated back. The campus now hosts the College of Creativity and Innovation, International College, Gulei Petrochemical Research Institute, Institute of Industrial Technology, and XMU Tan Kah Kee College. It aims to be a hub for international cooperation, applied talent cultivation, result transformation, and talent gathering.[23] In addition, the college actively organizes students to innovate and start businesses.[24]

Xiang'an campus

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In September 2012, Xiamen University began operations at its Xiang'an Campus, located 34 kilometers from the main campus. The three stated goals of the new campus are to provide facilities for "newly developing disciplines and applied subjects" such as bioscience and energy, to establish "innovation platforms for applied sciences," and to house the southern headquarters of the Confucius Institute.[25]

Currently, the Xiang'an Campus hosts over 10,000 students and faculty from ten schools: the Overseas Education College (which serves international students), the Medical College, the School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, the School of Life Sciences, the School of Public Health, the Nursing Department, the College of Earth Sciences, the College of Environment and Ecology, the School of Energy Research, and the School of Aerospace Engineering.[26]

Malaysia campus (XMUM)

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Main article: Xiamen University Malaysia

Upon the invitation of the Malaysian Ministry of Higher Education to set up a branch campus in Malaysia, Xiamen University accepted the offer and thus, Xiamen University Malaysia (XMUM) was born in 2015.

In keeping with the vision of our founder Mr. Tan Kah Kee, XMU began in earnest to build our first offshore campus in Malaysia and became the pioneer university from China to establish a branch campus in Malaysia. XMUM aspires to become a university with a distinct global outlook, featuring first-class teaching and research, and embracing cultural diversity.

The campus is located in Bandar Serenia, Sepang, Selangor Darul Ehsan. It is a 10-minute drive from the Kuala Lumpur International Airport, and a 15-minute drive from Putrajaya, the administrative center of the government of Malaysia.[27]

Reputation and rankings

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University rankings
BCUR National[28] Domestic 24
Wu Shulian National[29] Domestic 27
CUAA National[30] Alumni 19
QS National[31] General 19
THE National[32] General 25–28
QS Asia
(Asia version)[33]		 General 75
THE Asia
(Asia version)[34]		 General 77
ARWU World[35] Research 151–200
QS World[36] General =362
THE World[37] General 301–350
USNWR World[38] General 198

Xiamen University has been consistently regarded as one of the top academic institutions in Southern China, with strengths in economics and management, fine arts, law, chemistry, journalism, communication, mathematics and political science.[39]

Among global university rankings, Xiamen University is ranked 362nd equal by the 2025 QS World University Rankings,[40] 301-350th by the 2024 world university rankings of the Times Higher Education,[41] 198th by the 2024 U.S. News & World Report Best Global Universities Rankings and 151-200th worldwide by the 2024 Academic Ranking of World Universities.[42]

Faculties and research institutes

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As of 1 September 2017, Xiamen University consisted of 20 schools with 44 departments, along with many key research institutes.

  • School of Humanities
  • School of Foreign Languages and Cultures
  • School of Journalism and Communication[43]
  • School of Law[44]
  • Tan Kah Kee College
  • Xiamen Academy of International Law[45][46]
  • School of Public Affairs[47]
  • School of Economics[48]
  • Wang Yanan Institute for Studies in Economics[49]
  • School of Management[50]
  • College of Art[51]
  • College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering[52]
  • School of Physics and Mechanical and Electrical Engineering[53]
  • College of Oceanography and Environment[54]
  • School of Life Science[55]
  • School of Information Science and Technology[56]
  • School of Electronic Science &Technology[57]
  • School of Mathematics[58]
  • Software School[59]
  • Medical College[60]
  • School of Architecture and Civil Engineering[61]
  • Overseas Education College[62]
  • Adult Education College[63]
  • Professional Technical College
  • Internet Education College
  • School of Pharmaceutical Sciences[64]

Notable alumni

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See also

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References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b "Hallmarks". Xiamen University 90th Anniversary Celebration. Xiamen University. Archived from the original on 4 April 2013. Retrieved 14 July 2014.
  2. ^ a b "学校简介-厦门大学". xmu.edu.cn. Retrieved 20 October 2023.
  3. ^ "Xiamen University´s Glorious Historical: Participant in 1926 Philadelphia World Expo". ice.xmu.edu.cn. Retrieved 10 February 2018.
  4. ^ 洪永宏、 未力工 (1990). 厦门大学校史 [History of Xiamen University]. Xiamen University Press. ISBN 9787561525449.
  5. ^ "八闽文脉·记忆 ｜ 鼓浪屿上的厦大往事 - 文教 - 东南网". fjnews.fjsen.com. Retrieved 7 November 2023.
  6. ^ "【看大学历史】1952年院系调整之厦门大学". www.sohu.com. Retrieved 7 November 2023.
  7. ^ a b "Best universities in China 2018". 6 September 2017.
  8. ^ "厦门大学马来西亚分校".
  9. ^ "China to develop 42 world-class universities". People's Daily. 21 September 2017.
  10. ^ "Xiamen University on the global stage". ice.xmu.edu.cn. Retrieved 10 February 2018.
  11. ^ "XMU's talent project approved by China Scholarship Council". Xiamen University. 20 January 2018. Retrieved 12 December 2018.
  12. ^ a b "Overview". en.xmu.edu.cn. Retrieved 10 February 2018.
  13. ^ a b "Xiamen officially opens - Nation | The Star Online". www.thestar.com.my. Retrieved 10 February 2018.
  14. ^ Bevins, Vincent; Phillips, Tom (7 July 2017). "'Going global': China exports soft power with first large-scale university in Malaysia". the Guardian. Retrieved 10 February 2018.
  15. ^ "Xiamen University delegation visits Tokyo Tech". Tokyo Institute of Technology (in Japanese). Retrieved 10 February 2018.
  16. ^ "Cardiff University". Retrieved 10 February 2018.
  17. ^ "School delegation visits partner university in Xiamen". Cardiff University. Retrieved 10 February 2018.
  18. ^ "Study Abroad". East Asian Studies | Eckerd College. Retrieved 9 February 2020.
  19. ^ "Overseas Education College of Xiamen University". oec.xmu.edu.cn. Retrieved 9 February 2020.
  20. ^ Han, Enze (2024). The Ripple Effect: China's Complex Presence in Southeast Asia. New York, NY: Oxford University Press. p. 61. ISBN 978-0-19-769659-0.
  21. ^ "Siming Campus". en.xmu.edu.cn. Retrieved 21 December 2021.
  22. ^ "Xia Men University MBA" (PDF). {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  23. ^ "Zhangzhou Campus". en.xmu.edu.cn. Retrieved 21 December 2021.
  24. ^ 兴强, 刘 (2017). "大学生创新创业培养研究" [Research on the cultivation of college students' innovation and entrepreneurship ability].
  25. ^ "About Xiang'an Campus". liuxue.xmu.edu.cn. Retrieved 10 February 2018.
  26. ^ WOXnews.com (10 August 2012). "Xiang'an campus of Xiamen University to open in September". Whats on Xiamen, Inc.
  27. ^ "Malaysia Campus". en.xmu.edu.cn. Retrieved 21 December 2021.
  28. ^ "2024 Best Chinese Universities Ranking". Shanghai Ranking. 2024. Retrieved 17 April 2024.
  29. ^ "Wu Shulian University Ranking". Chinese Academy of Management Science. 2023. Retrieved 5 March 2024.
  30. ^ Chinese Universities Alumni Association (2024). "Alumni Association (22nd Edition): Chinese University Rankings 2024". Retrieved 16 January 2024. Alternative URL
  31. ^ "QS University Rankings 2025 - China (Mainland)". Top Universities. 2025. Retrieved 4 June 2024.
  32. ^ "THE University Rankings 2025 - China". Times Higher Education (THE). 2025. Retrieved 9 October 2024.
  33. ^ "QS World University Rankings: Asia 2024". QS Quacquarelli Symonds Limited. 2024. Retrieved 8 November 2023.
  34. ^ "Asia University Rankings 2024". Times Higher Education. 2024. Retrieved 30 April 2024.
  35. ^ "Academic Ranking of World Universities". Institute of Higher Education, Shanghai Jiao Tong University. 2023. Retrieved 15 August 2024.
  36. ^ "QS World University Rankings". QS Quacquarelli Symonds Limited. 2025. Retrieved 4 June 2024.
  37. ^ "THE World University Rankings". Times Higher Education. 2025. Retrieved 9 October 2024.
  38. ^ U.S.News & World Report (2024). "2024-2025 Best Global Universities Rankings". Retrieved 24 June 2024.
  39. ^ "Shanghai Ranking-Universities". www.shanghairanking.com. Retrieved 24 September 2021.
  40. ^ "QS World University Rankings 2024". Top Universities. Retrieved 3 October 2023.
  41. ^ "World University Rankings". Times Higher Education (THE). 25 September 2023. Retrieved 3 October 2023.
  42. ^ "ShanghaiRanking's Academic Ranking of World Universities". www.shanghairanking.com. Retrieved 15 August 2023.
  43. ^ "厦门大学新闻传播学院-新闻研究室-中国新闻培训网". www.xwpx.com. Retrieved 7 November 2023.
  44. ^ "厦门大学法学院". law.xmu.edu.cn. Retrieved 7 November 2023.
  45. ^ Aizenstatd, Najman Alexander (Fall 2010). "International Law in China: The Xiamen Academy of International Law" (Special China Issue). International Law Quarterly, Florida State Bar: 26. SSRN 1724504. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  46. ^ "Xiamen Academy of International Law". www.xiamenacademy.org.
  47. ^ "The department of Politics, Public administration". spa.xmu.edu.cn. Retrieved 7 November 2023.
  48. ^ "English -SOE". se.xmu.edu.cn. Retrieved 7 November 2023.
  49. ^ "王亚南经济研究院". wise.xmu.edu.cn. Retrieved 7 November 2023.
  50. ^ "SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT, XIAMEN UNIVERSITY". sm.xmu.edu.cn. Retrieved 7 November 2023.
  51. ^ "厦门大学艺术学院". art.xmu.edu.cn. Retrieved 7 November 2023.
  52. ^ "College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering". chem.xmu.edu.cn. Retrieved 7 November 2023.
  53. ^ "厦门大学物理与机电工程学院简介及专业导航_金平果中国大学 世界大学 大学专业查询系统". school.nseac.com. Retrieved 7 November 2023.
  54. ^ "厦门大学海洋与地球学院". coeadmin.xmu.edu.cn. Retrieved 7 November 2023.
  55. ^ "School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University". life.xmu.edu.cn. Retrieved 7 November 2023.
  56. ^ "厦门大学信息学院". informatics.xmu.edu.cn. Retrieved 7 November 2023.
  57. ^ College), School of Electronic Science and Engineering(National Model Microelectronics. "School of Electronic Science and Engineering(National Model Microelectronics College)". ese.xmu.edu.cn. Retrieved 7 November 2023.
  58. ^ "School of Mathematical Sciences Xiamen University". math.xmu.edu.cn. Retrieved 7 November 2023.
  59. ^ "Software School of Xiamen University". software.xmu.edu.cn. Retrieved 7 November 2023.
  60. ^ "厦门大学医学院". med.xmu.edu.cn. Retrieved 7 November 2023.
  61. ^ "Xiamen University School of Architecture and Civil Engineering". archt.xmu.edu.cn. Retrieved 7 November 2023.
  62. ^ "School of International Chinese Education". oec.xmu.edu.cn. Retrieved 7 November 2023.
  63. ^ "厦门大学继续教育学院". nec.xmu.edu.cn. Retrieved 7 November 2023.
  64. ^ "药学院英文网站". pharm.xmu.edu.cn. Retrieved 7 November 2023.
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24°26′18″N 118°05′35″E / 24.438259°N 118.093153°E / 24.438259; 118.093153

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