Shantou University

Introduction

Shantou University (STU) was founded in 1981 and started student enrollment in 1983. It is the only institution of higher education in the Chaoshan area.

STU, a key comprehensive university under the provincial Project 211 program, was founded in 1981 with the approval of the State Council. As the only public university that receives long-term funding from the Li Ka Shing Foundation, it is jointly supported by the Ministry of Education, the Guangdong Provincial Government and the Li Ka Shing Foundation. 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 donated as of 2012.

STU 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 the Medical College into the main campus and to develop a globally advanced curriculum focusing on life science. Since 2001, the University has conducted a profound internationalization-oriented reform, and overseas talents have been recruited to serve as provost, vice president and deans. Through a series of reforms in curriculum design, teaching, resources management and human resources system, it aims to offer a platform for the exploration of higher educational reform in China. With its successful innovations, the University was highly appraised by Comrade Li Lanqing, member of the Standing Committee of Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Vice Premier of the State Council, as “the pilot site for higher educational reform in China.”

STU is strongly supported by the Central, Provincial, and Municipal authorities. The Current General secretary visited the university in the early 1990s. Former General secretary Jiang Zemin paid two visits to the university and wrote the following inscription as praise and encouragement to the staff and students: “The mission is demanding and the journey ahead is long.” Other leaders of the Central Government have also visited the university. Among them are President Hu Jintao, Premier Li Peng, NPC(National People's Congress), Chairman Qiao Shi, CPPCC Chairman Li Ruihuan, Vice Premier Li Lanqing and Vice Governor of Guangdong Wang Yang.

In 2012, the Ministry of Education, the Guangdong Provincial Government and the Li Ka Shing Foundation signed a tripartite agreement to co-develop STU. The agreement was reached to support STU’s continuing reform efforts geared to an internationally renowned and nationally elite university.

Institution

Organization Structure of Shantou University (As of May 2014)

Current Student Enrollment

Background of Establishment

With a population of more than 10 million and limited land, the opportunity to create industry in Chaoshan area is limited，and an institution of higher education was not available here for a long time. Determined to contribute to the development of his hometown, Mr. Li Ka-shing realized that cultivating capable and talented people is the key to creating and sustaining cultural and economic development in this area. University is where students are developed with critical thinking skills, broad horizons, correct values, creative ideas on science and technology, as well as professional skills. Therefore, Mr. Li decided to donate money for founding a high-level university here to cultivate talents with the motto “Aspiration, Knowledge, Perseverance, Achievement“, hoping they can work in Chaoshan area after graduation and help to improve the living standard of Chaoshan people, to boost the economic development of the local community, and to support the development of other areas in Guangdong Province and even the whole country. With the support and assistance of the Li Ka Shing Foundation and government officials at all levels, STU has achieved rapid development in the past three decades.

Leaderships

Campus

Shantou University covers an area of 1.26 km² with a total floor space of 455,500m². The university keeps expanding. Through the improvement of its infrastructure, such as the library, the stadium, and auditorium, the university works hard to provide students with a good learning environment and to improved the living community.

STU Campus Planning

Herzog and Meuron, winners of the 2001 Pritzker Architecture Prize, were commissioned as the chief designers of STU campus. To develop an environment that is conducive to the nurture of creative thinking among students and faculty members, they have created, and continue to create, a unique campus space that attempts to integrate people and their environment by retaining the small amount of existing greenery and installing a series of sculptures on the campus.

New Library

The STU new library, constructed with an investment from the Li Ka Shing Foundation of about 200 million RMB, was inaugurated and put into service in 2009. It is reputed as “the most beautiful university library in Asia”. The new library was designed by Ray Chen (陈瑞宪), winner of the “Design for Asia Award” by Hong Kong Design Center. Built to resemble the form of a traditional “Chinese thread-bound book”, the library building also employs a modernist language with the emphasis on horizontality. The flow of space is extremely fluid and inter-penetrating. Situated at the core of the library is the Grate Hall of Reading, which serves as the spiritual center of the library and conveys a feeling of solemnity and tranquility. The upper-level bamboo courtyards and Self Study Room bring nature into the library by ushering in natural sunshine and creating a greening landscape of the traditional garden design.

With a total area of 21,000 square meters, the library features 1500 seats and 27 seminar rooms, and also has an exhibition room, lecture hall, conference center and Student Lounge. The library is covered with a wireless LAN to facilitate online journals database access. It took the lead in China in applying the UHF RFID technology to its book circulation as well as book sorting and checking. Total collections exceed 1,743,000 volumes or items, and the Chaoshan Literature Collection is listed in the project CADAL-China Academic Digital Associative Library, a national digital library project co-sponsored by the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Finance and National Development and Reform Commission.

The statue entitled “Looking up • Looking down”, one of the masterpieces of the British sculptor Zadok Ben-David, is placed near the entrance to the library.

Ju Ming’s Sculpture Series “Living World”

In June 2006, the bronze sculpture series, “Living World” from Ju Ming, a famous Taiwanese sculptor, was positioned besides the picturesque reservoir on STU campus. The lower part of the cylinder-shaped building that holds the sculpture is constructed as a half-open reservoir working room.

The Great Hall

The Great Hall, also known as the auditorium, has a total area of over 5,600m² and a seating capacity of 1,798. It is equipped with advanced lighting, audiovisuals, and air conditioning.

Block A

Block A, STU’s new administrative building, was inaugurated by Mr. Li Ka-Shing on June 28, 2012. The building covers a total area of 5,545m² and has a floor space of 16,319 m². It is a multifunctional space that integrates offices, conference rooms and exhibition halls. With the motto “inclusiveness and fairness empowers respect and trust", the building will accelerate STU’s ongoing reform and practice of Flat Management by supporting a more closely integrated administrative system. Putting the building into use, STU aims to demonstrate its idea of “good governance in support of academic freedom” and “Advanced Undergraduate Education”.

Academic Conference Center (ACC)

The academic conference center was designed by William Chang Suk Ping (张叔平). The ACC has over 50 rooms and conference halls, which are equipped with modern equipment. The conference center hosts international conferences and officials from around the world, as well as visiting scholars.

STU Sports Park

On June 29, 2012, a special ceremony was held to launch the STU sports arena project at its construction site. The Sports Park is designed to cover an area of 60,868.6m² and has a total construction area of 52,127.4m². It includes a 6,000-seat multi-use arena, a natatorium with competitive Olympic swimming pool, sport and fitness training facilities, a flexible grand conference hall, a 200-room boutique hotel and a structured car park for 200 vehicles. The sports arena is known as“High Park”. Li Ka Shing Foundation will offer full funding for the Construction Project, which is estimated as 350 million RMB. The construction project was scheduled to be completed in 2015. The sports arena will serve as a platform in support of STU’s whole-person education. While each of the above-mentioned elements is designed to work independently as an asset for the university, it is actually the way that the various program components work together that will result in a one-of-a-kind destination for the campus, community and the surrounding region. At the core of this unique concept is the enlightened philosophy of Petrarch as described in ‘The Ascent of Mount Ventroux’: “It is the realization that the journey up the mountain is more valuable to our spirit than the view from the summit.”

Colleges and Schools

Shantou University consists of the following colleges and schools:

College of Liberal Arts

Dean: Terry Bodenhorn

Dedicated to enriching curriculum, enhancing humanities studies, and serving the society, the College offers systematic and professional courses in eastern and western culture and basic writing. It stresses the importance of developing academic programs that promote the individual development of students and prepare them to meet various societal demands. The educational approach of combining humanities studies and vocational training is adopted for the English program.

College of Science

Dean: Liu Wenhua

In accordance with the international educational and academic standards, the College initiated the interdisciplinary analytical approach of learning to train students in critical thinking and innovation. It follows the general model of science education, with an emphasis on student development, and conducts innovative scientific research to cultivate professional talents with a global outlook.

College of Engineering

Dean: Chen Yan

As the first CDIO (Conceive, Design, Implement, and Operate) member in China, the College has adopted the new EIP-CDIO (EIP stands for Ethics, Integrity, and Professionalism) educational model in line with the international practices related to engineering education. The model is implemented to train high-caliber, talented students in engineering practices and management with appropriate engineering knowledge, overall competence, multi-disciplinary learning experiences, and a global outlook.

Law School

Dean: Huai Xiaofeng

Based on the international approach of education called PLEASE (Professor, Language, Edited textbook, Activities, Disciplines and Employment), the School adopts bilingual and English immersed teaching modes for various programs including Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR), which received the accreditation of the Hong Kong International Administration Centre. The curriculum for the program of Public Administration is designed to help develop professionals for international public administration projects.

Business School

Dean: Lu Yuan

In response to the requirements set by the accreditation authorities at home and abroad, the School is engaged in developing a distinctive teaching model that incorporates theories, arts, and techniques. Composed of interrelated disciplines, the curriculum focuses on advanced economic and management theories and practices, as well as the analysis of successful cases of domestic enterprises. To help develop new business professionals with morality, aspiration and power, the School has also set up the Chinese (esp. Chao-Shan) Business Case Bank, the Practice Base and Innovation Base for students, which helps to appropriately combine teaching theory, vocational training and student practicing.

Medical College

Dean: Bian Junhui

With the implementation of the new paradigm of “system-based integrated teaching,” the College offers English-immersed courses to educate students in clinical medicine, medical ethics, scientific research and innovation, so as to develop practical medical abilities with high overall competence and innovation.

Cheung Kong School of Journalism and Communication

Dean: Fan Dongsheng

With the reference to Columbia University’s and University of Missouri’s programs, the School develops a “fundamental but practical” curriculum, with international and practice-oriented features. It adopts the worldwide used curriculum system of “Platform Module” and offers small-group classes, English-immersed, and bilingual courses. It is also developing a four-year discipline of Journalistic English. Against the backdrop of globalization, the School is committed to training high-caliber professional journalists with an international outlook, strong communication skills, mastery of modern broadcasting technology, and an innovative spirit. The Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Peter Arnett has taught at the school since 2007.

Cheung Kong School of Art and Design

Dean: Wang Shouzhi

Based on the principle of placing equal emphasis on vocational training and humanistic learning, and linking Chinese culture with new global visions, the School offers a variety of excellent professional disciplines in art and design to guide the students toward individual creativity, broadening their horizons, and improving their artistic appreciation.

School of Continuing Education

Dean: Wang Kanghua

With the motto of “Enterprising, Scientific, Quality-oriented, Caring, and Serving,” the School relies upon its strong faculty team and educational advantages offered through STU to develop courses in a variety of educational modes and continually enhance its curriculum and scope to better serve the local economy and encourage social development.

Veritas College

Dean: Li Dan

In July 2008, Shantou University established Veritas College, a residential college where various academic and community activities were organized to enrich the extra-curricular life of the residential students. Those activities enabled the residential students from different majors to share different thoughts and interests, and also helped broadening their horizons, developing their interpersonal relationships, as well as strengthening their confidence, independence and sense of social responsibility.

English Language Center

Director: Mao Sihui

The English Language Center (ELC) was founded in 2003. The ELC provides English training for all students at Shantou University's main campus. The core of its program consists of a two-year series of required courses. The ELC also offers elective courses which are aimed at more specialized skills (debate, speech, academic writing, etc.). The ELC organizes many co-curricular activities.

The mission statement of the ELC aims to highlight its distinctive aspect; it emphasizes proficiency, autonomy, sustainability, intercultural competence, and critical thinking.

Educational Reform

STU made great efforts to carry out the Advanced Undergraduate Education reform that mainly includes “Integrative Thinking” training, integrated education model, adaptable academic programm ing, as well as evaluation and continuous improvement of teaching quality. It has developed a series of featured teaching models such as Credit System of International Standard, English Enhancement Program, CDIO approach of engineering education and system-based integrated medical curriculum. In quest of a unique educational model, STU made tremendous efforts to integrate such educational aspects as community service, liberal arts and sportsmanship into its holistic approach to talent training.

Credit System of International Standard

In 2002, STU implemented a credit system similar to those that have been proved successful for universities in developed countries, which provides students greater opportunities to choose a wider range of elective courses. This reform will provide STI students with more freedom in selecting courses and may lead to the establishment of a new interdisciplinary curriculum.

English Enhancement Program

In May 2002, the English Language Center (ELC) was set up and the “English Enhancement Program” was initiated to reform English language teaching designed for university-wide students who would like to pass CET.The objective of the program is to make the students better at communication, critical thinking and innovation with the use of English. The measure is to teach the students how to think and communicate in English through teaching and learning exchanges, and help the students develop their skills in speaking, listening, reading and writing, etc. by organizing extra-curricular activities involving the use of English.

EIP-CDIO Approach of Engineering Education

In 2005, upon thorough investigations on CDIO (Conceive, Design, Implement and Operate) approach and local needs in China, and referring to the successful experience of engineering educational reform in Canada, STU decided to adopt the CDIO Initiative. To adapt to the local needs, the University determined to use a design directed EIP-CDIP approach. EIP stands for Ethics, Integrity and Professionalism. In 2006, STU became the first CDIO member among Chinese universities. In 2010, STU was selected by the Ministry of Education to be among the first group of universities to conduct the “Outstanding Engineer Education Program”.

Integrative Thinking

In Fall Semester 2011, STU began to offer “Integrative Thinking” (IT) courses to freshmen. The courses were designed to provide students with different learning experiences and to develop their integrative thinking ability and lifelong learning ability.

International Accreditation for Undergraduate Programs

STU continued to promote its work concerning international accreditation for its undergraduate programs. In 2011, the Business School’s BBA (Bachelor of Business Administration) program was granted EFMD Programme Accreditation System (EPAS) accreditation, the first university in Asia to pass this kind of accreditation.

Whole-person Education

In 2012, Shantou University set a vision for developing students’ STU-DNA in support of the Holistic or Whole-person Education. This was a first for the university. By mainly offering general-education courses, service-learning activities and quality development projects, it gradually instilled the educational idea of the 4Cs (Culture, Civility, Character, Care) into every aspect of talent training. In 2008, STU established the first full-range residential college for undergraduate students in mainlan China, Veritas College, where students from different majors live together to share different thoughts. Establishing Veritas College is for the purpose of enabling the university to nurture “whole-persons” who are tailor-made for the society instead of merely imparting expert knowledge.

STU made tremendous efforts to integrate such educational aspects as community service, liberal arts and sportsmanship into its holistic approach to talent training. The University initiated compulsory community service courses to expand the application of the service-learning model. It was advocated that such courses should be connected to service-learning activities. The aim was to help students achieving all-round development, and to strengthen their sense of social responsibility and dedication. Since 2009, with support from the Li Ka Shing Foundation, STU carried out various quality development programs for students, such as Outdoor Training Camp on Nan-Ao Island, an expedition at Mt. Shishapangma, as well as community-service activities and expeditions at Brahmaputra River and Hoh Xil. Through launching these quality development programs, developing a high-quality STU basketball team and organizing student sporting activities, the University aims to cultivate students’ sportsmanship.

Program Development and Innovative Research

Shantou University has 1 National Key Discipline, offers Cheung Kong Scholar Professorships, provides 3 Postdoctoral Programs, 1 Doctoral Program for first-level discipline and 25 Doctoral Programs for second-level disciplines, 10 Master’s Programs for first-level disciplines and 84 Master’s Programs for second-level disciplines, as well as 6 Professional master's degree Programs. It also has 1 National Key Laboratory and 5 Provincial Key Laboratories, 2 National Pilot Sites for Innovative Talents Training, 7 National Distinctive Programs, as well as 4 Provincial Branded Programs. The University now offers a comprehensive education system from bachelor to doctorate programs, including a 7-year master program in Clinical Medicine. Currently, STU has a staff of 5,113 and over 9,450 students and has nurtured nearly 70,000 graduates. The University consists of ten colleges and schools, namely, College of Liberal Arts, College of Sciences, College of Engineering, Medical College, Law School, Business School, Cheung Kong School of Art and Design, Cheung Kong School of Journalism and Communication, Graduate School, School of Continuing Education and Veritas College. It enrolls qualified students from all over the country (including Special Administrative Regions of Hong Kong and Macau, as well as Taiwan). STU has established centers and laboratories, which conduct basic scientific research and directly serve local economic development, including the Artificial Intelligence Manufacturing Technology Laboratory funded by the Ministry of Education, STU Division of National Key Discipline in Molecular Pathology, Research Institute of Tumor Pathology, Marine Biology Laboratory of Guangdong Province, Image-processing Technology Key Laboratory of Guangdong Province, CAD/CAM Center, Laboratory for Wind Tunnel Testing, Laboratory for Structural Engineering, FMS Laboratory and Institute for Artificial Intelligence and Pattern Recognition.

In 2012, the programs of Chemistry and Clinical Medicine are listed in the global top 1% of programs based on ESI（Essential Science Indicators）data, fully demonstrating the favorable results of the “211 Project”.

In 2011, STU obtained 70,308,100 RMB in total funding for research projects, an increase of 45.8% over the previous year. Altogether, 54 projects were awarded a cumulative total of 27,547,000 RMB from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) and the National Social Sciences Foundation. The national-level funding received was up by over 60%.

According to the statistics released by The Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (ISTIC) in December 2012, the average impact factor of SCIE-indexed periodicals where STU faculty and staff published their papers was raised from 1.92 in 2007 to 2.59 in 2011, which is historically high. STU ranked top for its paper citation counts in the “2012 Chinese Universities Nature & Science Publications Ranking”. In 2012, STU won the funding for major projects of cultural industry in Guangdong Province for the first time, and STU faculty were awarded the Funding for MOE New Century Outstanding Talents in humanities and social sciences for the first time.

International Exchange and Cooperation

STU takes full advantage of the support from the Li Ka Shing Foundation and the ties with overseas universities to strengthen academic exchange and cooperation. Distinguished scholars from first-class universities at home and abroad have been invited to present seminars or lectures to the University’s undergraduate students, so as to broaden their academic horizon. Among the scholars are Nobel laureates Chen Ning Yang, Tsung-dao Lee, Chao Chung Ting, James Mirless, Steven Chu, Barry J. Marshall and Mo Yanas, well as other world-class celebrities including Shiing-Shen Chern, Shing-Tung Yau, Yuh-kang Pan and David D. Ho. Some famous scientists from well-known universities like Cambridge University, University of California at Berkeley (UCB) and University of Western Australia were also recruited as honorary professors, chair professors or adjunct professors to deliver academic lectures at the university.

Under the auspice of the Li Ka Shing Foundation, STU has become one of the few universities in Mainland China that awards full scholarships to overseas exchange students. The university has established close academic ties with nearly 20 universities in such countries as the United States, United Kingdom, France, Japan, Russia, Australia and Germany, and launched exchange programs for undergraduates and graduate students.