Shantou University (STU)

Shantou University (STU), founded in 1981 with the approval of the State Council, is a key comprehensive university under the "211 Project" in the Guangdong province. It is a university co-developed by the Ministry of Education, People’s Government of the Guangdong Province, and the Li Ka Shing Foundation. It is also the only public university in the world which is continually supported by a private foundation—the Li Ka Shing Foundation. It is located in the northwestern area of Shantou, a seaside city, with its campus covering a total area of 1.28 sq.km. and atotal floor space comprising 448,400 sq.m.

Shantou University (STU), founded in 1981 with the approval of the State Council, is a key comprehensive university under the "211 Project" in Guangdong Province. It is located in the northwestern area of Shantou, a seaside city, with its campus covering a total area of 2,087.40 mu and a total floor space comprising 445,400 sq.m.

Since its inception, Shantou University has received a generous support from the distinguished philanthropist and international entrepreneur, Mr. Li Ka-shing. The Li Ka Shing Foundation has committed and donated a total of HK$5.4 billion to support Shantou University (including the Cheung Kong Graduate School of Business), of which HK$4.2 billion has already been committed and donated as of 2012. Mr. Li has given his heart and soul to the nourishment and development of the University, a manifestation of his lofty ideal to “serve the good of all” and his firm conviction that education is vital to the young generation of the country.

STU now has one National Key Discipline, 2 post-doctoral programs, 1 first-level Ph.D. degree program,25 second-level Ph.D. degree programs, 10 first-level master’s degree programs, 84 second-level master’s degree programs, 6 professional Master's Degree programs,1 Key Laboratory of Ministry of Education, 3 provincial key laboratories, 2 key laboratories of Guangdong Educational Department, 2 Ministry of Education Pilot Sites for Innovative Talent, 6 Ministry of Education First-rate Specialties, and 4 Guangdong Provincial Key Programs. The seven-year program Clinical Medicine is also offered.

A modern digital library is available at the University. Medical College has 5 affiliated hospitals with 3,294 hospital beds. The First Affiliated Hospital is awarded “National Top 100 Hospital” and graded as “Upper First-class Hospital”, providing good opportunities of internship for medical students.

Under the auspices of Li Ka Shing Foundation, the University has widely conducted international academic exchanges and cooperations, inviting world-class and well-known scholars to give lectures to the students. Among them are Nobel winners Yang Chen-Ning, Lee Tsung-Dao, and James A. Mirrlees. The University has established close relationship with almost 20 international universities from such countries as USA, UK, France, Japan, Russia, Australia and Germany, etc. Exchange programs for graduate and postgraduate students have been offered.

Shantou University is committed to the student-centered reform in terms of university administration and talent training, in order to cultivate talents with the motto, “Aspiration, Knowledge, Perseverance, Achievement”. It is also planning to relocate Medical College into the main campus and develop a globally advanced curriculum focusing on life science. Since 2002, the University has conducted a profound internationalization-oriented reform. Through a series of visionary pedagogical reforms, it aims to offer a platform for the exploration of higher educational reform in China. Comrade Li Lanqing, the former member of the Standing Committee of Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Vice Premier of the State Council, highly praised the University as “the pilot site for higher educational reform in China”.

With the unwavering efforts over the past three decades, Shantou University has managed to meet the expectations of the Central, Provincial and Municipal authorities and Mr. Li Ka Shing. It has created a congenial environment for training talents to meet the social demands in the 21st Century, and laid a solid foundation for sustainable development. STU will strive hard to become a modern institution of higher education with favorable institutional system and high-quality education, and a leading university in China with the ability to enter the global spotlight.