introduction to Southwest University for Nationalities
About SWUN
The School Gate of SWUN Southwest University for Nationalities (SWUN) is a multi-disciplinary higher education institute that includes literature, history, philosophy, economics, management, law and natural science. The university was founded in July 1950 and was officially established on June 1st, 1950. Directly under the control of the State Ethnic Affairs Committee, it is one of the earliest minority university in China and was cared for by the famous revolutionaries such as Zhou Enlai, Deng Xiaoping, Liu Bocheng, He Long, Wang Weizhou, and Approves by the State Education Department, the university was renamed as “Southwest University for Nationalities” from "South College for Nationalities" on April 16,2003 and was added as Doctor's degree conferring institute through the approval of the Degree Office of the State Council in September 2003.
After more than 50 years of running a college and efforts of several generations, the university has developed into a higher learning institute with the obvious advantages of preferable conditions, higher management level and great development potential. The university has held the spirit of "Be united, self-confident and self-reliant" and has cultivated more than 80,000 various talents who have made outstanding contributions to the liberalization of various minorities, regimes establishment, cement of frontiers, solidarity of nationalities, economic development and social advancement. Today, the university has become a minority higher learning institute that has a broad influence both to home and abroad.
The university includes 18 colleges of literature, law, management, tourism and historical culture, arts, computer science and technology, electric information engineering, chemical and environmental protection engineering, life sciences and technology, adult education, vocational technology, network education, international education, Tibetan culture, Yi nationality culture, preparatory education, foreign language, and departments of sociology, social science and physical training. The university recruits students throughout the whole country and it has 44 undergraduate subjects, 21 senior specialized subjects, 28 master degree subjects and one doctor degree subject - five key provincial (ministerial) –level subjects, two provincial-level key subjects (master degree), five provincial-level undergraduate talents training bases and nine key provincial (ministerial) –level laboratories. Currently, more than 20,000 students are studying in the university, with overseas students from 15 countries. The university has over 1300 teachers and employees with more than 400 professors and associate professors.
Since it has been established over 50 years, the university has cultivated more than 80,000 various talents form 45 nationalities, among which the first Tibetan doctor, the first Qiang doctor, the first group of Tibetan generals, many famous experts, scholars and leaders at various levels have come forth. Many more graduates have become backbones in various fields and have made outstanding contributions to the liberalization of various minorities, regimes establishment, and cement of frontiers, solidarity of nationalities, economic development and social advancement.
The university boasts a strong scientific research capability and it possesses nearly 20 research institutes such as Southwest Minorities Research Institute, Farming Vet Research Institute, Western Development Research Institute, Capital Market Research Institute, Natural Resources Research Institute, High Pure Sillcon Research Institute, Materials Physics and Chemistry Research Institute and Minorities Pharmacy Research Institute. There are also more than 10 national and provincial level academic organizations attached to the university. Since the establishment of the university, it has achieved over 4000 scientific research projects, released over 7200 academic papers, and been granted 745 various academic rewards. The university has especially achieved outstanding academic achievements in the sectors of new materials research, farming vet theory and technology, classical literature, folk culture research (Tibetan, Yi, Qiang, Miao)and minorities language information treatment (Yi, Tibetan, Dai), which have great influence in the academies circle worldwide. The academic publications mainly include SWUN Transaction (including philosophical and social edition and natural science edition) and internal publications of Yi Research, and Tibetan Research.
The university is a key opening-up unit of Sichuan province. The goal of the university is to build into a modern nationality university with adequate scale, reasonable structure, strong adaptability, comprehensive development, high quality, high benefit and high reputation.
