1. “Strength of the South”
XMU, founded in 1921 by Mr. Tan Kah Kee, the renowned patriotic leader of overseas Chinese, was the first Chinese higher-education institution established by an overseas Chinese. Ranked top 15 among the over 2,000 universities in Mainland China, XMU is on track to become a world-renowned research university and is committed to creating an internationalized academic environment and collegiate culture. XMU is recognized as a first-class national institution of higher learning with an international reputation as a center of scholarly excellence. In 2017, XMU was categorized as type A university by China’s Double First-Class Initiative.
2. Garden-style campuses
XMU campuses are situated around the Xiamen Bay on the western coast 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 are landscaped as beautiful gardens, with serene lakes, lush foliage and magnificent buildings of Kah Kee architectural styles.
3. Highly professional faculty and well-established disciplines
XMU sustains its status as a pre-eminent center of learning through continuous human resources development. The University has recruited a large number of top-notch professors, many of whom are prominent scientists and leading scholars. XMU currently has a faculty of 2,657, of whom 81.1% 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, Art Sciences and Medical Sciences.
4. International exchange and cooperation
Over the years, XMU has forged partnerships with nearly 300 higher-learning institutions around the world and engaged in substantive cooperation with more than 50 of the world’s top 200 universities. It also actively participates in exchange programs and collaborative research projects, and regularly hosts international symposia. XMU is the Chinese partners for 16 Confucius Institutes worldwide 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, University Consortium of 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, and the ASEAN University Network. XMU has hosted a wide variety of events, such as the San Diego State University Day, the Southampton University Day, and the China-Japan University Presidents Forum. It has also staged Xiamen University Day events at its partner universities. XMU students have opportunities during their studies at the University to participate in various academic exchange programs or pursue further studies at world-renowned universities.
5. Affordable study expenses
The tuition fee and cost of living at XMU are relatively low compared with most of the other major universities in China and beyond. A good variety of scholarships are available to international students, including Chinese Government Scholarships, Confucius Institute Headquarter/Hanban Scholarships, Fujian Provincial Government Scholarships, Xiamen Tan Kah Kee Scholarships and Xiamen University Scholarships. Full scholarships cover tuition, accommodation, living allowance and insurance costs, while partial scholarships cover one or several items under full scholarships.
6. 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 Center 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.
7. First-class facilities
XMU boast a comprehensive range of teaching and research facilities and an efficient public service system. The University’s library holds a collection of over 4.9 million paper books and 5.6million e-books. Furthermore, the University’s high-speed information network is among the most sophisticated in China. The XMU Knowledge Resource Portal offers students access to an enormous body of literature online. Through the library, students can visit other renowned universities’ libraries in China and beyond. XMU provides students with a comprehensive range of sports and cultural facilities, including football pitches, tennis courts, badminton courts, swimming pools, a golf driving range, piano rooms, and concert halls.
8. 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 the Spring Festival 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.
