As a key multidisciplinary and research-oriented university directly under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Education, Nankai University locates in Tianjin on the border of the sea of Bohai, and it is also the alma mater of our beloved late Premier Zhou Enlai.
Nankai University was founded in 1919 by the famous patriotic educators, Mr. Zhang Boling and Mr. Yan Xiu. During the Anti-Japanese war (1937-1945), Iit was once united with Peking University and Tsinghua University in Kunming to form the renowned Southwest Associated University. It was compared to be "The North Star of Higher Learning". In accordance with its motto of "dedication to the public interests, acquisition of all-round capability and aspiration for daily progress", the University has produced batches of prominent talents such as late Premier Zhou Enlai, Dr. Shiing -shen Chern, Dr. Ta-you Wu and playwright Cao Yu.
At presents, Nankai University covers an area of 1,620,000 m² with a floor space up to 1,170,000 m². Besides its main campus located in Balitai, it also has campuses in Yingshui Road, TEDA College in Tianjin Economic Development Area, Financial Engineering College in the city of Shenzhen, Research Institute in Yunnan Province, and the first American Confucius College in the University of Maryland, all of which reasonably form a multi-campuses pattern for comprehensive development. On the principle of "independent school-running and close cooperation", Nankai University does not hesitate to seek after cooperation with Tianjin University.
In China, Nankai University is considered to be one of comprehensive universities with the widest scan of disciplines. It features a balance between the Humanities and the Sciences, a solid foundation and a combination of application and creativity. The University has 22 academic colleges, together with Graduate School, China APEC Institute, School for Continuing Education, Advanced Vocational School, Modern Distance Education School and Binhai School (independently financed). It offers 71 undergraduate specialties, 206 Master's programs, 117 Doctoral programs, 17 Post-Doctoral research stations and 16 authorized primary Doctoral specialties. Besides, there are 18 national key specialties, 48 provincial and municipal key specialties, 1 national key lab, 14 provincial and municipal key labs, 1 national engineering center, 8 national bases for basic science research and talents cultivation, 1 base for cultural quality education and 6 key research bases for humanities and social sciences, together with 7 innovation bases in philosophy and social sciences and 4 science and technology innovation platforms included in 985 Project.
Equipped with top academic capability and creative spirit, Nankai University has a well-balanced faculty team in age and specialties. Among the 1,696 faculties, there are 607 Doctoral supervisors, 650 professors and 664 associate professors, 8 academicians of Chinese Academy of Science and Chinese Academy of Engineering, 4 academicians of The 3rd World Academy of Science, 10 members of the Subject Assessment Division, Degree Appraisal Committee of the State Council, 13 nationally accredited experts with outstanding contributions, 19 chair professors and 9 lecture professors invited on "Yangtse River Scholar Award program" and so on.
Nankai University has a full-fledged education system for producing undergraduates, postgraduates on master's and doctoral programs and post-doctoral researchers. Currently, the University has the total enrollments of 21,905 students, including 12,499 undergraduate students, 6,357 master's candidates, 3,049 doctoral candidates, over 2000 foreign students, 6,754 part-time adult students and 8,095 students on distance education program.
Nankai University is the center for both education and academic research. A large number of academic achievements have been made and acknowledged home and abroad. The number of SCI theses ranked the top eighth among Chinese universities and in 2005 the number was up to 839. The number of national social science projects and those under the Ministry of Education, the funds allocated and the awarded achievements all rank high among the universities of China.
Nankai University focuses on the students' all-round capability and creativity in teaching and education. It establishes a complete educational system by connecting class teaching, scientific experiments, academic activities and social practice. A flexible educational system has been set up, including the system of credits, system of "major plus minor" education and double degrees.
What’ more, it is well known for its healthy environment. By attaching great importance to students' overall development in virtue, intelligence, sporting and art, the University has successfully created a colorful campus cultural atmosphere of elegance and aspiration for the benefit of the students' healthy growth.
Nankai University has broad international communications by establishing exchanging and collaborative relationships with more than 100 international universities and academic institutions. Nobel Laureates Chen Ning Yang, Tsung-Dao Lee, Samuel Chao Chung Ting, Robert A. Mundell, and Reinhard Selton as well as former President of Korea Kim Dae Jung and former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger were all conferred Honorary Professors of Nankai University. Many other world-known scholars and entrepreneurs have been invited as Visiting Professors of Nankai University.