Jimei University (JMU), located in Xiamen, Fujian Province, is a “Double First-class” provincial university jointly constructed by the Ministry of Transport and Fujian Province, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Fujian Province, as well as Fujian Provincial Government and Xiamen Municipal Government. It offers doctoral programs and master programs exempted from admission examinations. It is the only qualified institution on the mainland rectified by the Maritime Bureau of the Ministry of Transport to train Taiwan seafarers.

With a history of 106 years, the origin of JMU can be traced back to Teachers’ Department of Jimei School (1918) and the Aquatic and Business Departments of Jimei School (1920), both of which were founded by Tan Kah Kee, a renowned overseas Chinese patriotic leader. In 1994, Jimei Teachers College, Jimei Navigation College, Jimei College of Finance and Economics, Xiamen College of Fisheries and Fujian College of Physical Education were merged into JMU. In 2004, the former Xiamen School of Industry was also included in the merge. With the school motto of “Sincerity and Perseverance”, Jimei University adheres to the philosophy of “establishing the University with Tan Kah Kee spirit, and fostering talents with sincerity and perseverance” in the long-term practice of school-running. Hence it has enjoyed wide reputation at home and abroad.

Since the inception of the School Board of JMU in 1996, Xi Jinping, He Guoqiang, Chen Mingyi, Lu Zhangong, Huang Xiaojing and Wang Yifu have presided as the Chairmen successively. The current consultants of the Board are Jia Qinglin and Chen Yongzai. From 1999 to 2002, when serving as Chairman of the Board during his term as Governor of Fujian Province, General Secretary of CPC Central Committee, Xi Jinping paid seven visits to JMU, providing significant instructions which laid a solid foundation for the development of the University and its future transformations.

With 20 colleges and schools, JMU boasts a total enrolment of more than 30,000 students: over 26,700 full-time undergraduates, 3,100 postgraduates and nearly 200 international students. It currently has a faculty of about 1,500 full-time teachers, including 10 academicians, 36 national top-level talents, 283 high talents at both the provincial and ministerial levels, and 400 talents at the municipal and departmental levels.

JMU offers an extensive range of undergraduate and postgraduate programs which provide an extraordinary learning experience, covering 10 disciplines such as Economics, Law, Education, Literature, Science, Engineering, Agriculture, Management, Arts, and Cross-disciplines. Three disciplines including Botany and Zoology, Engineering and Agricultural Science are ranked in the global top 1% of ESI (Essential Science Indicators). It offers 4 authorized first-level discipline doctoral programs, 15 authorized first-level discipline master programs and 19 authorized master programs (categories). There are 8 key disciplines in Fujian Province (including 2 specialized key disciplines) and 2 mobile postdoctoral research stations in the Aquatic discipline and Shipping and Ocean Engineering discipline. The Shipping and Ocean Engineering and Aquatic Sciences were elected as “Double First-class” construction disciplines in Fujian Province. The Shipping and Ocean Engineering Discipline Group and Aquatic and Food Engineering Discipline Group entered the list of “peak disciplines” in Fujian Province. Shipping and Port Logistics Discipline Group, Regional Economy and Management Discipline Group, Fujian-Taiwan Sports and Culture Discipline Group, and Mathematics and Science Discipline Group have also been enlisted as “plateau disciplines” of Fujian Province.

Currently, there are 77 undergraduate programs, including 4 state-level specialties, 25 state-level first-rate undergraduate programs, 6 state-level “excellence” talent training programs, 3 state-level professional comprehensive reform pilot projects, 4 engineering education programs certified by the Ministry of Education, 6 second-level teaching education programs authenticated by the Ministry of Education, 24 provincial first-class major programs, 11 provincial specialties programs and 11 provincial comprehensive reform pilot major programs, 8 provincial specialties programs with service industry characteristics, and 6 provincial innovation and entrepreneurship education reform pilot programs. There is 1 national teaching team, 2 national experimental teaching demonstration centers, 1 national virtual simulation experimental teaching center, 1 national practical education base for college students, 12 provincial teaching teams, 16 provincial experimental teaching demonstration centers, and 4 provincial virtual simulation experimental teaching centers. As an important base for cultivating senior navigation professionals in China, JMU boasts the world’s largest vessel for training and practice, “Yude” which weighs 64,000 tons.

JMU boasts 1 national key laboratory (co-constructed), 2 state-province joint engineering research centers, 19 science and technology innovation platforms at the provincial (ministerial) level, 5 provincial collaborative innovation centers, 2 provincial new think tanks with university specialty, 21 provincial university scientific research innovation platforms or research bases, 10 provincial-level science and technology innovation teams of universities. Besides, JMU has undertaken a number of key projects of the Ministry of Science and Technology (including the former National 973 Project, National 863 Project, National Key R&D Program, etc.), key projects of the National Natural Science Fund, key projects of the National Social Science Fund, and other national projects. Research excellence has won 156 scientific and technological awards at and above the provincial and ministerial levels. Capitalizing on the advantage of the characteristics of “engineering integrated with marine science”, JMU has expanded its community services, contributing greatly to the development of national and local construction. It has collaborated with nearly 1,000 enterprises and institutions in industry, education and research.

JMU has committed itself in its global engagement. Located in Xiamen, the core area of the “Maritime Silk Road”, it has been devoted to serving “the Belt and Road” initiative and the construction of the innovation base of the BRICS New Industrial Revolution Partners. In addition, accredited as a BRICS demonstration base, JMU was elected into the first council of Industry Innovation Alliance of BRICS Partner Innovation Center, China-Arab Universities 10+10 Cooperation Program and “the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road” University Alliance, etc. and spearheaded the establishment of Eels Industrial Technology Innovation Strategy Alliance among “the Belt and Road” countries. JMU has partnered with more than 130 world-renowned universities and research institutions around the world, carrying out academic exchanges and cooperation with the International Maritime Organization (IMO), the International Association of Maritime Universities (IAMU) and the International Association of Marine Aids to Navigation and Lighthouse Authorities (IALA). ASEAN Education Center of JMU in Bangkok, Thailand has been set up as well. Since two Sino-foreign cooperation programs were approved, more than 6,000 graduates of 17 classes have been fostered so far. Thanks to the innovative “the Belt and Road” international talents training project launched by both JMU and enterprises, the first cooperative training program for African (Angola) talents has successfully been implemented. As a strategic partner of the Ministry of Education (China) Service Center for Studying Abroad, JMU is one of the earliest institutions certified by the Ministry of Education to admit students from Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macao, overseas Chinese and foreign students. It also enrolls the recipients of “Fujian Provincial Government Scholarship for International Students” and “Xiamen Tan Kah Kee Scholarship”. Furthermore, it has been set up as a study tour base for Taiwan youths in Fujian Province and Jimei District, a subsidized school of the “Two-way Exchange Program for Youth on the Mainland” by the Government of the Hong Kong SAR, as well as one of the first “Overseas Chinese Education Bases” in Fujian Province.

JMU covers a total area of about 1.57 million square meters (2344 Chinese mu) with a construction area of 1.03 million square meters. Eight Tan Kah Kee buildings with their distinctive architectural features have been rated as national cultural relics. The architecture complex of the new campus was awarded as one of the “100 Classic and Top-quality Projects for the 60th Anniversary of the Founding of People’s Republic of China”. JMU has access to a 10 Gigabit high-speed campus network. The library houses a collection of more than 3.45 million volumes of documents and nearly 1,000 journals in Chinese and foreign languages, more than 15 million e-books and 30,000 e-journals. 65 databases in Chinese and foreign languages have been introduced and 5 databases have been set up to meet the needs of teaching and research.

Upholding the spirit of General Secretary Xi Jinping’s congratulatory letter to JMU’s Centennial Celebration, JMU will endeavor to reform and innovate, and accelerate the construction of a first-class university featuring “engineering integrated with marine science”, making greater contributions to the realization of the Chinese dream: the rejuvenation of the nation.

Updated data: April 2024