The predecessor of Jinan University is Jinan School, which was founded in 1906 by the Qing government in Nanjing. Then the university was moved to Shanghai. In 1927 it changed the name to National Institute of Jinan University. In August 1949, the university merged with Fudan University and the Jiaotong University. In 1958, the university was reconstructed in Guangzhou.
In June 1996, Jinan University became one of the key universities of the 21st century. In 2007, the school was rated as excellent in the evaluation of undergraduate teaching, which is launched by the Ministry of Education. In 2008, the university officially launched the national "211 Project" three-grade construction; the university’s eight projects have been identified as national key disciplines of construction projects.
The university has 20 colleges, 49 departments, 107 research institutes and 80 laboratories, 69 Undergraduate programs; 134 master's degree subjects, 6 doctorate subjects, 39 PhD subjects. Moreover, the university has 9 centers for post-doctoral studies, 1 post-doctoral research workstation, 4 state-level key disciplines, 8 key disciplines of the State Council Overseas Affairs, 12 key disciplines in Guangdong Province; 1 National Engineering Center, 2 constructive centers of Ministry of Education, 9 provincial and ministerial key laboratories.
At present, the University has 35,320 students in all, of which 24,652 are full-time students, 6353 doctors and post-graduates, and 17,511 undergraduates. There are 12157 foreign overseas students from Hong Kong, Macao, and other foreign countries. The university is full of study and research atmosphere. No matter at home or aboard, there is outstanding alumni who are dedicating in all fields of society.
The university is dynamic and active with foreign academic and educational exchanges, and has signed a bilateral agreement or established academic exchange relations with more than 140 institutions of higher education and cultural institutions, which scatter on five continents around the world, including the United States, Brazil, Peru, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Russia, South Africa, Australia, Japan, South Korea, Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand and other countries and Hong Kong and Macao. The university has set up offices in Hong Kong and Macao, as well as a Education Foundation in Hong Kong.
The 21st century is a great era to achieve the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. Jinan University, which takes the responsibility of cultivating talents for the overseas Chinese and Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan, has a far more way to go. In the new century, the whole staff and the vast majority of teacher, students and alumni at home and abroad will continue to adhere to the "overseas, Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan-oriented" educational discipline, promote the spirit of "loyal and faithful, put knowledge into practice, self-improvement", and stick to the philosophy of "quality is life, innovation is the soul". The university will advance with the times, blaze new trails for the implementation of the "overseas Chinese university plus prestigious university"; dedicate for the development of the construction of researching university with distinctive features, both at home and abroad.