Southwestern University of Finance and Economics (SWUFE) is one of the premier universities in fields of finance and economics in China. It is directly under the Ministry of Education and also one of the top 100 universities of the nation’s “211 Project”.
The University was established in the name of Sichuan Institute of Finance and Economics in 1952, when the colleges and departments of business and economics from 17 universities were restructured. In 1980, People’s Bank of China (PBC), China’s central bank took over the governance of the University and renamed it SWUFE in 1985.
More than half century of development, especially the intensified efforts since 1995 within the 211 Project frameworks, has greatly enhanced the University’s administrative and academic resources. The university offers 37 doctoral, 67 master and 32 bachelor’s degree programs in 27 departments. The University has 3 mobile post-doctoral stations including theoretical economics, applied economics and business administration; 4 key disciplines registered at the ministerial level, and 31 key disciplines at the provincial level; 5 key disciplines registered at provincial first level.
In addition, the University is home to 3 teaching/research centers ratified by the Ministry of Education. SWUFE sponsors over 30 interdisciplinary and specialized research and teaching centers and enters into partnership with foreign education and business organizations, among them the Center for PBC Simulated Banking Labs, Center for Business Foreign Languages Training (BFT) and China Actuary Training Center.
Members of teaching/research, library, administration, and supportive faculties number more than 1656, among who over 1030 work in teaching/research 174 professors, over 264 associate professors, and 159 doctor supervisors, among which many are nation-wide renowned economists and management experts. Moreover, 486 prominent economists, bankers, and senior corporate executives are invited to serve as professors emeritus. The University’s total full-time student population of nearly 22,819 includes about 16,451 undergraduate, over 4,920 master level postgraduate students, over 990 Ph.D. candidates, and some 40,000 various degree program students.
50 years since its foundation, the University has turned out over 130,000 graduates, many of whom hold important positions in every kind of organization, from major financial institutions, companies to government agencies, ranking top in Chinese universities, and SWUFE is also renowned as China Financial Talents Base. The graduates mainly flow to Finance, Insurance, Securities, Business Administration, related Government financial offices, universities and Research Institutes. Many of them have been grown into leaders in the corresponding research fields and some are now working in IMF, World Bank or teach in world famous universities.
The University has modern teaching-and-research facilities, quality athletic and logistic service hardware enhanced with easy Internet and fiber optical connections. The University’s main library houses over 2.32 million volumes (including electronic copies) with 50 self-built database. The China Financial Database Center now employs the application software co-developed by Oracle Ltd. and Michigan University and collects financial daters covering the recent 20 years, making it ‘Chinese Financial Information Harbor’. Covering an area of 125 acres, SWUFE maintains a beautiful campus full of lawns, trees and gardens. It has been listed as a fine model of forestation and Garden-Style Campus by the government. The university also built advanced web-teaching environment, teaching resources database, and establish a network that covers every dormitory room which is also one of the best in Chinese financial and economic schools. By now the school has 3 sports stadiums, 2 gyms, 57 ball courts and 2 standard swimming pools.
SWUFE has also built up cooperative relationship with over 50 universities, institutions and companies from 30 countries. The annual China Finance Forum and cross-strait Accounting Statistics and Finance Academics Forum have stirred great influence in China. The Financial Services Center co-built with Oracle Ltd., China Insurance Accountant Training Center co-built with Avia Insurance Corp., and etc was all set up.
In order to better meet the requirements of global and domestic economic development in the 21st century, SWUFE is ready to take the opportunities and face the challenges, to inherit and enhance the existing characteristics and good culture of the university, and to endeavor to build SWUFE into one of the best domestic universities with world reputation in the middle of this century when the university celebrates its 100th anniversary.