Huaqiao University (HQU) was founded in 1960 as an institution of higher learning designated for the educational needs of overseas Chinese and the children of returned overseas Chinese. The university is subordinate to the Overseas Chinese Affairs Office of the State Council of the People’s Republic of China. It is one of the first batch of universities rated Excellent in the nation-wide quality evaluation of undergraduate education by the Ministry of Education (MOE). In addition, it is China’s major base for overseas Chinese language and culture education and a national Quality Education Base for College Students.
Currently the university has 20 colleges with 9 doctoral programs, 6 masters programs of first-level disciplines, 66 masters programs, 4 masters programs of Master of Business Administration(MBA), Master of Public Administration(MPA), Juris Master (JM) and engineering, and 60 bachelors programs. Besides, the university boasts 1 national key discipline, 11 key disciplines of provincial or ministry level, 1 center for post-doctorate studies. The disciplines cover 10 categories in sciences, engineering, economics, management, law, liberal arts, philosophy, history, agriculture and education.
HQU has a highly competitive faculty of more than 2000 staff members. Of the 1130 full-time teachers, there are about 450 professors and associate professors. Among the teachers, there are recipients of “National Outstanding Youth Foundation Projects”, candidates for “National Talent Incubation Project” and “Program for New Century Excellent Talents in University (NCET)” by Ministry of Education (MOE), 46 teachers enjoy the special government allowance granted by the State Council. In addition, more than ten prestigious scholars and celebrities at home and abroad including Chen Ningyang, winner of the Nobel Prize for physics, were engaged as honorary professors, visiting professors or part-time professors of Huaqiao University.
HQU has complete teaching and scientific research facilities and public service system. The university has campuses in Quanzhou and Xiamen, covering a total area of 2.268 million square meters. The library stocks of books and documents have totaled 1.34 million volumes and electronic books are up to 800,000 volumes. In addition, there are 62 research institutions, 2 engineering research centers under Ministry of Education (MOE) and 7 key laboratories of provincial level.
Over the past half century, HQU has cultivated 99,000 different types of talents from at home and abroad, among whom there are more than 40,000 overseas students. Currently there are 28,000 students of all levels, among whom there are 2500 doctoral students and postgraduates. With more than 3600 overseas students from 30 countries or regions including Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan, HQU has become one of the universities that have largest numbers of overseas students. With the leading traditional Chinese culture, the university boosts quality education, which gives birth to the teaching feature of “Individualized Teaching for Two Types of Students”. HQU campus features an atmosphere of cultural diversity under a common goal and seeks harmony rather than uniformity in the spirit of tolerance”.
HQU endeavors to develop Chinese language and culture education for overseas Chinese and Chinese of foreign citizenship. The university has representative offices in Bangkok of Thailand, Surabaya of Indonesia, Manila of the Philippines, Hong Kong and Macao. HQU pays attention to international exchange programs, and up to date it has established relationships with over 40 universities and institutions outside China.