Xiamen
University (XU) has by far one of China's most beautiful campuses,
and being the first university located in a Special Economic Zone,
is also a strategic center for higher education. The school motto
is "Pursue Excellence, Strive for Perfection."
Since its founding in 1921, Xiamen University has always had a global perspective on education and has promoted
international and regional academic exchanges and cooperation in numerous fields. Xiamen University has established
cooperation with over 100 institutions of higher education at home and abroad. Moreover, Xiamen University has formally
established relationships with seven other universities around the world by signing the Agreement on Global U7 Consortium
in 2004. Because of its geographical location and advantageous human resources, Xiamen University is one of the key
universities most actively engaged in cross-straits educational, scientific and cultural exchanges. Xiamen University
is at present making great strides towards its goal of "building a top-level university well-known both at home and abroad."
Xiamen University
Xiamen University has three campuses at Jimei, Zhangzhou and Xiamen. The three campuses, covering an area of 400 acres and a total constructed area of 1.35 million square meters, and nestled between the Five Old Man Mountains and the sea, are as tranquil as the sprawling Nanputuo Buddhist monastery right next door - except on April 6. Then the campus springs to life to celebrate its founding in 1921 by Mr. Tan Kah Kee, a patriotic overseas Chinese who made his fortune in rubber, and invested high school and university education in Xiamen. Xiada, as it is known locally, now boasts over 20,000 full-time students who pursue 60 majors in 25 departments, with master degrees in 57 majors, and doctoral degrees in 18.
Xiamen University has rich experience in offering its educational programs to students and has demonstrated its distinctive features in running these programs. Equipped with a strong team of faculty and staff, Xiamen University, which provides a fairly complete range of educational programs, has become a first-class Chinese comprehensive university. One of China's oldest institutions offering programs to overseas students, the Overseas Correspondence College was founded in 1956 and in 1991 renamed the Overseas Education College (OEC). The OEC is one of the few institutes designated by the State Council's Office of Overseas Chinese Affairs to support students from neighboring countries by providing Chinese courses for them. In its five decades of development, the college has cultivated and developed its characteristics of embracing the whole world, but with a special orientation towards Southeast Asia, and offering advanced Chinese language programs through either classroom education or distance learning. The OEC is responsible for foreign students in all departments of Xiamen University, and also oversees Chinese language training for on-campus and correspondence students, and administers the annual HSK (Chinese Proficiency Test).
As a key state university directly affiliated with the Chinese Ministry of Education, Xiamen University has a long history of 85 years of outstanding teaching and facilities. Xiamen University enjoys a well-formed, high-quality and creative faculty of more than 4,900 members, among whom there are over 2,282 professional teachers, 1,329 of these being associate professors and professors. In recent years, Xiamen University has placed greater emphasis on attracting academic talents, consolidating academic groups and building innovative groups. More and more academic leaders, internationally renowned scholars and emerging young scholars are coming to join the Xiamen University team. The Overseas Education College has a high-level staff of 36 full-time teachers teaching Chinese as a foreign language, of whom 13 have doctoral degrees, six are in-service doctoral degree candidates, and 13 have the title of senior teacher, with all staff possessing a Certificate of Qualification to Teach Chinese as a Foreign Language.
Library The Xiamen University library is open seven days a week from 8 am - 10 pm, and has a collection of 3,750,000 books. The library was founded in 1921, moving to the present site in 1987. The building was expanded to 22,000 square meters in 2001 and 2002 and now stocks half a million foreign language books, over 10,000 periodicals in Chinese, and over 12,000 in foreign languages. As a comprehensive academic library, Xiamen University library has collections of books on a variety of distinctive subjects, such as biology, chemistry, computer science, economics, history, law, linguistics, management, mathematics, mechanical & electronic engineering, oceanography, philosophy, physics, politics, and materials on Southeast Asian Studies and Taiwan Studies. More than 40 famous international academic databases can be accessed anytime by campus LAN users. The library has several divisions: Acquisition, Administration, Cataloging, Circulation, Information Reference and Information Techniques. The digital library system was introduced in 2000 and offers 24-hour inter-library loans, database mirror-site services, over 100 major online databases, digital archives and libraries, over 18,000 electronic periodicals in Chinese and foreign languages, and searches. Recreation Facilities The university has a range of sports facilities, including basketball courts, a gym, running track and table tennis, among others. Laundry The international students' dormitory buildings are all equipped with low cost laundries. Dry cleaning is also available on and off campus. Money & Banking The Bank of China and ATMs can be found in campus area. The bank accepts all foreign currencies. Students can open international bank accounts as well as bank-note accounts. Medical Care Xiamen has over 1000 medical establishments, including an advanced eye care facility utilizing the latest laser surgery. Zhongshan Hospital has a foreign ward with English-speaking doctors and nurses and a well-stocked pharmacy. Payment can be made by cash or credit card. Alternatively, you could visit the nearby Xiamen University Hospital on University Road. Tel: (86592) 218-6203 Food & Groceries Take a break for lunch or dinner in the International Academic Exchange's (Yifu Building) dining room. As one American professor at the university wrote, "They have great hot pot, and the best spicy fried shrimp in town." However, the dining room does get busy, so for large groups, calling ahead to book a table or a private dining room is advised. Call (86592) 208-7988. Near the city side gates of Xiamen University is a large academic-oriented Xinhua Bookshop as well as some private bookshops where you can grab an armchair or use the wifi internet connection. The student street is packed with great places to eat, buy clothes and stationery, send parcels and withdraw cash. Post Office A post office is available on campus, providing stamps, envelopes and post boxes. Students can send and receive all kinds of mail and parcels here.
Xiamen University offers two forms of accommodation for overseas students. The towering Cai Qingjie Building is a three minute walk from both classrooms and the beach, and offers hotel-style facilities and service. Each room has a telephone, air conditioner, cable TV and hi-speed internet access (utilities are charged separately). There are also student rooms in the Nanguang number five building.
From the airport to the university: 40 minutes by taxi From the train station to the university: 20 minutes by taxi |