Xiamen University (XMU), founded in 1921 by Tan KahKee, the renowned patriotic leader of overseas Chinese, was the first Chinese higher-education institution established by an overseas Chinese. XMU is the only university in China’s Special Economic Zones that enjoys privileged support from both the national “211 Project” and the “985 Project”. XMU is recognized as a first-class national institution of higher learning with an international reputation as a centre of scholarly excellence.
Garden-like campuses
XMU campuses are situated around the Xiamen Bay on the edge of the Taiwan Strait, with breathtaking views of undulating green hills and vast expanses of seawaters. They rank among the world’s most beautiful campuses. Located on the southern tip of Xiamen Island, the Siming Campus lies in close proximity to several places of interest and is adjacent to a sandy beach. The newly-built Xiang’an Campus is situated in Xiamen’s Xiang’an District, bounded by the Xiangshan Scenic Area on the north and the sea on the south. XMU campuses resemble beautiful gardens, with serene lakes, lush foliage and magnificent buildings of KahKee architectural styles.
The University has recruited a large number of top-notch professors, many of whom are prominent scientists and leading scholars. XMU currently has 2,703 faculty members, of whom 1,918 or 71.8% hold doctoral degrees. XMU affords high priority to the diversification and internationalization of the mix of its faculty. Professors and researchers with doctorates awarded by overseas universities are playing an increasingly important role at XMU. XMU offers a comprehensive range of programs in humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, engineering and technology, management, medicine, and the arts.
International exchange and cooperation
XMU is becoming increasingly internationalized and is actively engaged in multilateral and global cooperation. The University has established partnerships with over 280 higher-learning institutions around the world. It also actively participates in exchange programmes and collaborative research projects, and regularly hosts international academic conferences. XMU co-builds 16 Confucius Institutes globally and plays an active role on multilateral cooperation platforms, such as the Global Engineering Education Exchange (GE3), the Global U8 Consortium, the EU’s Erasmus Mundus, the ASEAN University Network, and the Yellow Sea Rim University Group. Students during their studies at XMU have an opportunity to participate in academic exchange programmes or pursue further studies at world-renowned universities.
Affordable study expenses
The tuition fee and cost of living at XMU are relatively low compared with most of the other prestigious universities in China and beyond. A good variety of scholarships are available to international students, including Chinese Government Scholarships, Confucius Institute Scholarships, Confucius China Study Plan Scholarships, Fujian Provincial Government Scholarships, and Xiamen University Scholarships. Full scholarships cover tuition, accommodation, food, healthcare and insurance costs, while partial scholarships cover one or several items under full scholarships.
Accommodation and food
The international student apartments on campus are set in picturesque surroundings and enjoy sea views and fresh sea air. The dorms are equipped with modern facilities and the Overseas Student Service Centre provides attentive services. Overseas students can also choose to dine in any of the 10 canteens on campus that serve a wide variety of cuisines.
First-class facilities
Xiamen University boasts a comprehensive range of teaching and research facilities, as well as an efficient public service system. The University has a collection of over four million volumes and 41,373 gigabytes of e-books. Moreover, XMU has one of the most sophisticated high-speed information networks among Chinese higher-learning institutions. Students enjoy easy access to the wide-ranging sports and cultural infrastructure facilities on campus, including football courts, basketball courts, tennis courts, badminton courts, swimming pools, golf practice facilities, piano rooms, and concert halls.
Student-oriented care
International students can truly feel the care of the university as if they were in their home countries. There is a fortnightly breakfast with the university president, during which the president will seek students’ feedback. Regularly held language saloons include the Chinese corner, the English corner, and the French corner. The Chinese Bridge Contest, the Xiamen International Marathon Race and the XMU Foreign Karaoke Contest are among the most popular competitions on campus for international students. The University hosts celebrations for major holidays observed by international students, such as Christmas and the Water-splashing Festival. It is one of the unique sights on campus that a great many international students practice Tai Chi boxing and swords by the Furong Lake.
