Situated at the foot of Tianzhu Mountain in Shenyang east suburb with the relic of Qing Dynasty East Tomb as the neighborhood, is the campus of Shenyang Agricultural University (SAU). The university occupies a land over 1,440 hectares, and construction area around 440,000 square meters.
SAU was established in 1952, originally the combination of Faculty of Agronomy of Fudan University and part of Shenyang Agricultural College (SAC), 11 October was set as the anniversary date, the famous agricultural educationist, Zhang Kewei, was the first president. In October 1979, the state council ratified SAC as a key college attached to the Ministry of Agriculture. In 1981, the state council authorized SAC to offer Master and Doctor degree. In October 1985, SAC was changed to SAU after getting permission from the Ministry of Agriculture; Deng Xiaoping inscribed the name for the university. The acting Party Secretary is Prof. Guo Mingshun and the president is Prof. Zhang yulong.
SAU possesses a long history of teaching. After 50 years development, especially due to the opening and reform, SAU has performed as a multi-subject key university jointly run by central and provincial government, with sound development of Agriculture, Science, Engineering and Economics, Currently, the university consists of 41 Bachelor program, 50 Master program, 25 Doctor program, 4 specialty Master degrees, 6 post-doctor transient station. There are 2 national key disciplines, 3 key disciplines of the Ministry of Agriculture, 10 provincial key disciplines. All the program are distributed in 16 faculties, including faculty of agronomy, forestry, animal science, economics and trade, information and electric engineering, engineering, water conservancy, land and environment, bio-tech, plant protection, food science, horticulture, applied; technology, higher professional tech, adult continuation education and science and technology. The multilevel teaching system has formed, with postgraduate education as the leading force, bachelor education as the main body, profession and adult education as the wings. SAU possess the basis and advantages to develop uprising and edging subjects.
Presently, The University has over 1779 faculty and staff with 859 full-time teachers, 139 professors, 412 associate professors, 81 Doctor candidate supervisor, 263 master supervisor and 239 recipients of special government subsidies. A reasonable teaching team has come into shape with sound structure of knowledge and age. At present, SAU has over 20105 students, including 389 doctoral candidates, 1437 master degrees’ candidates, 392 diploma postgraduates, and undergraduates 15433.
Since the foundation, under the guidance of party education policy, generations of SAU staff worked hard to sharp the inspiring motto “comity, diligence, sincerity and innovation”. All long SAU puts the talent education quality in the first place, attaches more importance to teaching research and reform with student’ comprehensive ability and creative spirit as keystone. Among the over 52,000 students who have graduated from SAU, there are many outstanding scholars, eminent entrepreneurs and managers and respected by their fellow Chinese citizens.
Since 1978 the university has undertaken more than 2000 research projects in national and provincial level and city level. 429 items received state, provincial and municipal awards. These research results have promoted agricultural production and created 300 billion yuan economic profit. The university has set up a science and technology demonstration and extension network consisting of grass root bases scattered over 32 towns in 15 countries (districts) to spread scientific knowledge and technical expertise, and has recommended successively 29 deputy magistrates and town administrators for science and technology affairs.
SAU pays more attention to the international exchange and cooperation. It has established scientific exchange with over 40 countries and regions.
Long-time academic accumulation, increasing teaching scale and strengthening of teaching resources lay the groundwork for future development. In the beginning of the new century, under the circumstance of deepening education reform, SAU with all staff and students will strive to reach the goal of making itself the first class university.