Founded in 1958, Fuzhou University is one of the key national universities selected for the “Double First-Class Initiative,” a significant commitment by the Chinese government to enhance China’s higher education power and international competitiveness. It is also part of the “211 Project,” a government programme dedicated to supporting the rapid development of 100 selected universities in the 21st century.

As a university jointly established by the People’s Government of Fujian Province and the Ministry of Education of China, Fuzhou University has evolved into a prominent comprehensive institution since its inception. While it places a strong emphasis on engineering programmes, it has also gained a stellar reputation in various other fields, including sciences, economics, management, liberal arts, law, arts, and design, among others.

Since its establishment, generations of Fuzhou University members have followed the motto of “明德至诚，博学远志” (Illustrious virtue with utmost sincerity; wisdom with far-reaching aspirations). They have practiced three key spirits: the pioneering spirit, exemplified by Comrade Zhang Gumei’s hard work and commitment; the scholarly spirit, demonstrated by Mr. Lu Jiaxi’s circumspection and factualism in academic pursuit; and the spirit of dedication and perseverance, symbolized by Academician Wei Kemei. These three spirits have contributed to the cultivation of a campus culture at Fuzhou University characterized by “defending integrity, pursuing innovation, highlighting uniqueness, embracing openness, and striving for excellence” in the new era. The university has accumulated rich educational experience and developed distinctive features in its education. Over 320,000 full-time graduates have completed their studies at the university, making substantial contributions to the nation.

The university has 27 schools, including one independent school and one Sino-foreign joint venture school. Currently, there are 39,288 undergraduate students, including 13,499 students at Zhicheng College. It consists of 10 postdoctoral research stations, 14 doctoral programmes for the first-rank disciplines, 2 professional doctoral degree authorization stations, 39 master’s degree programmes for the first-rank disciplines, 24 master’s degree authorization stations, and a total of 91 undergraduate majors.

Fuzhou University holds one national key discipline, and one national key developing discipline, and its chemistry discipline has been included in the world-class discipline construction list. Eight of its disciplines are ranked in the top 1% globally in ESI subject rankings, with the chemistry discipline ranking in the top 1‰. In academic rankings, the university ranked 282 globally in the 2023 Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU), 531st in the US News 2023 World University Rankings, 801-1000 in the 2023 Times Higher Education World University Rankings, and 261-270 in the 2023 QS Asia University Rankings. Among mainland Chinese universities, it ranked 48 in ARWU, 52nd in US News, 52nd in Times Higher Education, and 58th in QS.

The university currently has 3,281 staff members, including 2,290 full-time teachers. Among them, 125 individuals have been recognized at the national level (81 people) and 730 individuals at the provincial level (524 people) for their talents and achievements. In terms of high-level talents and teams, the university boasts 15 academicians (including 14 distinguished chair professors), 12 recipients of the “Yangtze River Scholar Award” (including 4 young scholars), 22 individuals at the national level (including 18 young scholars) for high-level talent introduction, 20 individuals selected for the national “Thousand Talents Programme” (including 6 young scholars), 9 recipients of the National Distinguished Youth Science Fund, 1 recipient of the National Outstanding Professional and Technical Talent Award, 12 individuals at the national level for the “Hundred, Thousand, and Ten Thousand Talents Programme,” 9 national-level young experts with outstanding contributions, 8 recipients of the National Excellent Young Scientist Fund, 3 recipients of Outstanding Young Scientists Fund of the National Natural Science Foundation (Overseas), 8 leaders of young and middle-aged science and technology innovation in the Ministry of Science and Technology, 3 leaders of innovation teams in the Ministry of Education, and 3 cultural celebrities and talents recognized under the “Four Batches of Talent” programme.

Meanwhile, one team has been recognized as the “National Advanced Collective of Professional and Technical Talents.” Two teams have received recognition as “National Higher Education Huang Danian-style Teacher Teams.” Furthermore, two teams have been designated under the Ministry of Education’s “Yangtze River Scholars and Innovation Team Development Plan,” two teams have been selected for the Ministry of Science and Technology’s “Innovative Talent Promotion Plan” in key areas, and one team has been chosen for National Natural Science Funding for Innovation Research. Additionally, one school has been included in the national “Demonstration Plan for Internationalization of Universities,” three schools have been selected for the national “Higher Education Discipline Innovation and Talent Introduction Programme” (the “111 Plan”), and one school has been entitled to National Demonstration Base for Talent Introduction.

The university has 2 national-level talent development bases, 6 national-level experimental teaching demonstration centres, 1 national-level virtual simulation experimental teaching centre, 1 national innovation experimental zone for reforming the talent development model, 6 national-level engineering practice education centres in collaboration with enterprises, 1 national-level demonstration base for joint graduate education in engineering, 1 of the first batch of Ministry of Education comprehensive reform pilot schools (departments) for “Three Comprehensive Education,” 1 Ministry of Education basic discipline top-notch student training programme 2.0 base, 1 national-level teaching team, 7 national featured disciplines, and 37 national first-class undergraduate construction disciplines (including 4 national virtual simulation experimental teaching projects). 22 programmes have received accreditation from the Ministry of Education for engineering education, among which 20 programmes in engineering education have been certified by the Ministry of Education and 2 programmes have been approved by the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development.

Furthermore, the university has been awarded 41 national-level first-class undergraduate courses, 3 national-level quality courses, 1 national-level bilingual teaching demonstration course, 3 national-level quality resource-sharing courses, 2 national-level quality video Moocs, 7 Ministry of Education “New Engineering” research and practice projects, and 4 Ministry of Education “New Liberal Arts” research and reform practice projects. It has also been granted 1 Ministry of Education ideological and political exemplary course, 1 national-level ideological and political course demonstration teaching team, and 1 national-level outstanding teacher studio for ideological and political courses. Moreover, one faculty member has been selected as a member of the National Advisory Committee on Teaching Ideological and Political Theory Courses in Higher Education, and the university hosts 2 provincial-level centres for ideological and political course research and practice, 4 provincial-level exemplary courses for ideological and political education, and 3 provincial-level schools in the field of modern industry.

The university is a comprehensive pilot reform institution for professional master’s degree education and an innovative university for engineering master’s degree education in China. It is also a pilot reform institution for the Ministry of Education’s “Excellent Engineer Education and Training Programme” and a university for the Ministry of Education’s “National College Students’ Innovation and Entrepreneurship Training Programme.” Since the “Thirteenth Five-Year Plan,” the university has won 7 national-level teaching achievement awards and 40 provincial-level awards. Its students have received 290 international awards and 2,726 national awards in various subject competitions. The university has been selected as one of the “First Batch of National Innovation and Entrepreneurship Colleges,” a “National Exemplary University for Deepening Innovation and Entrepreneurship Education Reform,” a “National-level Mass Entrepreneurship and Innovation Space,” and a “National University Student Entrepreneurship Exemplary Park.” In the past eight China “Internet+” College Students’ Innovation and Entrepreneurship National Finals, the university has won 11 gold medals, 22 silver medals, and 34 bronze medals. It has also been recognized as one of the “Top 50 Colleges and Universities for Graduates’ Employment” in China.

The university currently has 1 national-level university science and technology park, 12 national-level and 124 provincial and ministerial-level science and technology innovation platforms, and 29 social science and humanity bases at the provincial and ministerial level. Among these, there are one national key laboratory, 7 national-level engineering research centres, 1 national engineering technology research centre, 3 national international scientific and technological cooperation bases, 3 key laboratories of the Ministry of Education, 2 engineering research centres of the Ministry of Education, 2 provincial and ministerial-level collaborative innovation centres, 1 innovation service platform under the Ministry of Natural Resources, 2 provincial innovation laboratories, 7 provincial and ministerial-level intelligence bank, and one provincial-level philosophy and social sciences key laboratories.

The university is the only institution in Fujian Province holding multiple prestigious titles, including a “National University Science and Technology Park,” a “National Technology Transfer Exemplary Institution,” a “Higher Education Institution for Technology Achievement Transformation and Technology Transfer Base,” a “National Intellectual Property Pilot University,” a “National-level Mass Entrepreneurship and Innovation Space,” a “National College Student Entrepreneurship Exemplary Park,” a “National Exemplary University for Deepening Innovation and Entrepreneurship Education Reform,” and a “National Entrepreneurship Incubation Exemplary Base.”

Since the “Thirteenth Five-Year Plan,” the university has been engaged in 5,970 various types of scientific and technological projects, with research funding exceeding 2,674 billion Chinese yuan. It has signed 4,914 horizontal cooperation agreements, receiving 2,049 billion in funding from university-enterprise cooperation. The university has earned 261 awards at the provincial and ministerial levels or above, including 4 national science and technology awards. It holds 7,204 national patents and its papers in science and technology have been indexed in the three major databases 15,770 times. Among them, the university has published 4 papers in Nature and 2 papers in Science. In 2022, ten scholars from the university were recognized as “Highly Cited Scientists.”

The university has actively engaged in international cooperation and exchanges. It has established collaborative relationships with more than 140 universities, research institutions, and renowned companies in over 50 countries and regions, including prestigious Chinese institutions and established corporations like Tsinghua University, Peking University, Renmin University of China, Tianjin University, and the Chinese Academy of Sciences Haixi Research Institution. The university established international exchange platforms for science and education cooperation, developing joint laboratories with foreign countries and Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan. The university has also actively aligned with the national “Belt and Road Initiative.” It has been designated as a recipient institution for the Chinese Government Scholarship Programme and welcomes international students from over 30 countries. Studying abroad and exchange programmes cover more than 95% of the university’s schools, and the university employs over 50 overseas experts and scholars for long-term teaching positions.

Furthermore, the university has one Sino-foreign joint institution, the Maynooth International School of Engineering, and offers three Sino-foreign joint programmes at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Its cooperation and exchanges with Taiwan have deepened over the years, with a systematic two-way joint training model becoming a highlight in educational cooperation between Fujian and Taiwan.

The university features a picturesque campus environment, advanced teaching and research facilities, and a comprehensive public service system. It is dedicated to fostering the development of a culturally enriched campus, an intelligent campus, and an environmentally sustainable campus. The main campus is situated in Qishan, with additional campuses in cities such as Fuzhou, Xiamen, and Quanzhou. The total built-up area of the campus is 1.68 million square meters. The university’s fixed assets have a combined value exceeding 5.5 billion Chinese yuan, encompassing teaching and research instruments and equipment valued at 2.1 billion Chinese yuan. The sports facilities encompass an expansive area of 200,000 square meters, and the library houses 3.818 million printed books and 7.837 million electronic books.

The university is actively pursuing its grand goal of becoming an internationally renowned high-level university with world-class disciplines, striving to become a leading institution in Southeast China. It aims to make significant contributions to the economic and social development of both the nation and the region.