Sichuan Agricultural University, one of the 100 universities selected by the Chinese government to receive special funding under the “211 Project”, has a predominance of bio-technology and agricultural sciences, and covering fields such as physical science, engineering, economics, management，veterinary medicine, liberal arts, pedagogy and law. Beautified by green mountains and blue rivers, SAU is situated in the well known city of Ya’an，the hometown of Giant Panda and the cradle of Tea Culture of the world, the same as Top ten China glamour city and Chinese excellent tourist city. Its former body was Sichuan Tong Sheng Agricultural School established in 1906, subordinated to National Sichuan University in 1935. It was moved to Yaan city from Chengdu and Sichuan Agricultural College was founded here independently in 1956, renamed as Sichuan Agricultural University in 1985.
The university, one of the first 200 universities in China entitled to receive overseas students, is active in international academic exchanges with more than 30 universities and research institutes from the United States, Canada, Germany, Holland, Russia, Thailand and Japan, etc. It covers an area of over 4,500 mu (300 ha.) and the university library owns a collection over 2,000,000 volumes.
Since the reform and opening to the outside world, over 100,000 students have been educated here and a great number of advanced-level scientific achievements has been attained. Till now 52 above provincial-level teaching achievement prizes have been attained, among which 3 items are the first class state higher education prizes, 7 the second-class state higher education prizes and 14 the first-class provincial higher education prizes. 4 doctoral theses entered the circle of the national excellent doctoral papers. And the university has won over 400 scientific and technological prizes at state-level or at province-and –ministerial-level. 2 items winning the First Class National Invention Prize, 1 item the Second Class National Scientific Invention prize, 1 item the Second Class National Science Prize, 9 items the second grade prizes of the National Scientific Advancement Award, 3 items the Special Grade Award of Sichuan Scientific Advancement. About 70% of the awarded scientific results have found wide application in society and converted into production with a social and economic benefit of over 60 billion Yuan (RMB).
The university was granted the title of state advanced unit for its teaching management, postgraduate education, scientific research, foreign affairs, student employment, student social practice and PE in recent years by the State Educational Ministry. In April 1991 and May 2002 the former general secretary of the CPC Jiang Zemin inspected the university, affirming the resulting achievements and placing great hope in its future. Chinese premier Wen Jiabao appraised the university’s work twice: ‘The Spirit of Sichuan Agricultural University should be summarized, publicized and developed.’ ‘Sichuan Agricultural University has done a good work. The experience of running of the university deserves recognition.’
The Spirit of Sichuan Agricultural University-being patriotic and devoted, bearing hardship and struggling, being united and striving, being realistic and creative-has been formed by several generations of expansion and practice over many decades. The valuable spiritual wealth of the university has been the strong inspiration encouraging generations of staff members to do pioneering work. Sichuan Agricultural University, with a glorious past and future, is bound to achieve greater progress in the 21st century.
