Shanghai University of International Business and Economics 2026 Shanghai Government Scholarship for International Students Application Guide.pdf

About the university

Shanghai University of International Business and Economics (SUIBE), located in Shanghai, is a high-level local university under key construction by the Shanghai municipal government. It is the only applied research-oriented university of finance and economics in East China that focuses on international business and trade. SUIBE is among the world's first and China's first WTO Chair Institution. Founded in 1960 as Shanghai Institute of Foreign Trade, it was one of the first two undergraduate institutions established by the former Ministry of Foreign Trade (predecessor of the Ministry of Commerce), earning the reputation as the "Cradle of China's International Business and Trade Talents." In 1982, it became one of the first batch of institutions authorized to confer bachelor's degrees, and in 1986, it was authorized to confer master's degrees. In 1994, it was placed under the administration of the Shanghai Municipal People's Government. In 2013, the university was renamed Shanghai University of International Business and Economics. In 2019, it was approved to establish the WTO Asia-Pacific Training Center (the only regional training partner of the WTO in Mainland China). In 2021, it was authorized to confer doctoral degrees. In 2022, it was selected as a high-level local university under key construction in Shanghai. In 2023, it established a postdoctoral research station in Applied Economics. In 2024, it was approved to establish an innovation base for collaborative training of foreign-related legal talents under the Ministry of Education. As of March 2025, the university covers an area of approximately 670,000 square meters, with three campuses, 20 secondary units, and 35 undergraduate programs. It has one postdoctoral research station, two first-level doctoral degree programs, ten second-level doctoral degree programs, eight first-level master's degree programs, and 18 professional master's degree categories. The university has over 14,000 enrolled students and more than 1,500 faculty and staff members. On February 10, 1960, the Ministry of Foreign Trade decided to establish a foreign trade institute in Shanghai. In March of the same year, with the approval of the Shanghai Municipal Education and Health Department, a foreign trade middle school was built on the site of the former Foreign Trade Affiliated Middle School on Changshu Road, and the school plaque "Shanghai Foreign Trade Institute Preparatory School" was hung. The institute's campus was selected at Gubei Road. On October 10, 1960, Shanghai Institute of Foreign Trade was established on the basis of the Foreign Trade Department of Shanghai Foreign Languages Institute, and the official seal of "Shanghai Institute of Foreign Trade" was put into use. On November 14, the Shanghai Higher Education Bureau formally merged the Foreign Trade Department of Shanghai Foreign Languages Institute into Shanghai Institute of Foreign Trade. In 1962, the Party Committee of the Shanghai Foreign Economic Bureau decided to retain the institute, discontinue the preparatory program, and ensure the undergraduate program. However, on July 28 of the same year, Shanghai Institute of Foreign Trade was closed and merged into Shanghai Foreign Languages Institute, and was officially dissolved on December 12. In April 1964, leaders of the Ministry of Foreign Trade proposed the restoration of Shanghai Institute of Foreign Trade. The Party Committee of the Shanghai Foreign Trade Bureau assigned personnel to Beijing to study and discuss matters related to the reinstatement. In May of the same year, the Ministry of Education agreed to restore Shanghai Institute of Foreign Trade. On June 27, the State Council officially approved the reinstatement, and on September 10, the institute held a ceremony to mark the restoration and the start of the new academic year. On June 11, 1965, the Political Department and Organization Department of the Ministry of Foreign Trade agreed to transfer the Party and administrative leadership of Shanghai Customs School to Shanghai Institute of Foreign Trade. In December 1969, the Party Group of the Ministry of Foreign Trade decided to place both Shanghai Institute of Foreign Trade and Shanghai Customs School under local jurisdiction. Subsequently, the Education and Health Group of the Municipal Revolutionary Committee decided to merge the Customs School into Shanghai Institute of Foreign Trade, and both institutions operated jointly at 620 Gubei Road. In March 1972, in accordance with the spirit of the National Education Work Conference on "adjusting departments and institutes," Shanghai Institute of Foreign Trade was designated for dissolution. It was closed in April and merged into Shanghai Foreign Languages Institute. From April to October of that year, the institute was dissolved and merged into Shanghai Foreign Languages Institute. All facilities, including the buildings of the Customs School on Fenyang Road and various fixed assets, were uniformly allocated by the Shanghai Education Bureau and gradually transferred or allocated to relevant units without compensation. This marked the second dissolution of Shanghai Institute of Foreign Trade. On June 14, 1978, in response to the foreign trade situation, the Ministry of Foreign Trade designated Jia Zhenzhi, Secretary of the Party Committee and Director of the Shanghai Foreign Trade Bureau, to be responsible for preparing the restoration of Shanghai Institute of Foreign Trade. However, neither the original faculty nor the books, materials, equipment, and furniture could be retrieved. Therefore, although it was called a restoration, it was essentially a reconstruction. The seal of "Shanghai Institute of Foreign Trade Preparatory Office" was officially put into use on November 17. On January 15, 1979, a ceremony was held to celebrate the restoration and the start of the new academic year of Shanghai Institute of Foreign Trade. Leaders from the Shanghai Municipal Education and Health Office, Finance and Trade Office, Foreign Affairs Office, Higher Education Bureau, Foreign Trade Bureau, as well as representatives from sister institutions, customs, foreign trade professional companies, and other relevant units, totaling over 30 people, attended the ceremony. On August 18 of the same year, the Ministry of Foreign Trade submitted a supplementary report to the State Council, requesting early formal approval of the restoration of Shanghai Institute of Foreign Trade. On November 24, the Ministry of Foreign Trade submitted another supplementary report to the State Council, detailing the difficulties faced by the institute and requesting early formal approval of the restoration. In 1979, the ceremony marking the restoration and the start of the new academic year was held.