‹ ›

Brief Introduction to Jinan University

Jinan University is a key comprehensive university which is listed in '211 Project' and jointly constructed by Overseas Chinese Affairs Office of the State Council, Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China and Guangdong Province. The five campuses of Jinan University are located in three cities, Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Zhuhai. Founded in 1906 as the first university to provide higher education to overseas Chinese, Jinan University now is the most diverse university in China with the highest percentage of international students. Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) ranked Jinan University No. 13 in Asia and No. 1 in mainland China in population of international students in the 2021 QS Asian University Rankings. Twelve disciplines in Jinan University rank among top 1% in the world, Engineering, Chemistry, Clinical Medicine, Pharmacology & Toxicology, Material Science, Biology & Biochemistry, Agricultural Sciences, Environment & Ecology, Botany & Zoology, Molecular Biology & Genetics, Social Sciences, general, Neuroscience & Behavior. 

History and Detailed Information

Jinan University (JNU) was first established as Jinan Academy in Nanjing in 1906 with the stated aim of “spreading Chinese culture and maintaining strong bonds with Chinese Diasporas”. It was the first national higher education institution for overseas Chinese students. As JNU developed, it witnessed the vicissitudes of history, and left unforgettable memories of collective endeavors and goodwill in the cities it was formerly located in: Nanjing, Shanghai and Jianyang, before finally establishing itself in Guangzhou. The name of the university, “Ji nan”, comes from The Tribute of Yu in The Book of History, one of the Confucian Classics, which reads “Reaching eastward to the sea, westbound to the desert, to the north and the south, we shall spread the culture far and wide”. Over the past century, JNU has maintained its strength and resilience in different chapters of modern Chinese history, passing on the school motto “Loyalty, sincerity, integrity and respect”and staying true to the spirit of purposefulness and pioneering throughout generations of alumni. In light of decades of strenuous effort, Jinan University has become the most influential higher education institution for overseas Chinese students, winning renown both home and abroad. For more than a century, JNU has nurtured over 300,000 alumni from around the world, spreading its culture and values, and cultivating talents worldwide. Nowadays Jinan University has 42,734 students, including 28,628 full-time undergraduates and 14,106 full-time graduate students (1,465 Ph.D. candidates and 9,090 master’s degree candidates). The number of Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan, overseas Chinese and international students was up to 14,189.  

Jinan University develops a great range of international cooperation and has signed agreements with 406 universities, cultural institutions and research centers in 50 countries or regions around the world. It is one of the universities providing Chinese Government Scholarships. Jinan has more than 100 students’recruitment agents in more than 60 countries and established International School to offer various programs taught in English.

Since joining the roster of National Project 211 as a key university in 1996, JNU has made great progress in its all-around development. In 2007, the university was granted the distinction of “Excellent Institution” in the Undergraduate Teaching Evaluation by the Ministry of Education, a landmark of national recognition to its teaching quality. In 2011, the university was officially co-funded by the Overseas Chinese Affairs Office of The State Council, Ministry of Education, and Guangdong Provincial Government; an unprecedented opportunity for the centennial-old institution. In 2014, Panyu Campus was inaugurated; a major expansion of the university map. In 2015, entering into a new era, JNU was selected into the Guangdong Provincial Government Initiative of High-level University Development, the Double-First class Project in 2017 and was recognized as the Pioneering University of Innovation Education Reform in the same year. In 2018, the Overseas Chinese Affairs Office of the State Council, Ministry of Education and Guangdong Provincial Government renewed the agreement to jointly  develop Jinan University. Remarkable achievements have since been made in talent cultivation, team development, and innovation of research, cultural inheritance, community service and internationalization.