Shanghai Ocean University President's Scholarship

About the university

Shanghai Ocean University is a multi-disciplinary applied research university jointly established by the Shanghai Municipal People's Government, the State Oceanic Administration, and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, and is under the administration of the Shanghai Municipal People's Government. It has been selected for the national "Double First-Class" initiative, the Excellent Agriculture and Forestry Talent Education and Training Program, the Asian University Collective Action Exchange Program, the first batch of Shanghai's pilot universities for comprehensive curriculum ideological and political education reform, and the first batch of Shanghai's demonstration universities for deepening innovation and entrepreneurship education reform. It serves as the guiding unit for the Shanghai Fisheries Society, the Shanghai Food Society, and the Shanghai Fisheries Economics Research Association. The university traces its origins to the Jiangsu Provincial Fisheries School, founded in 1912 by Zhang Jian and Huang Yanpei. It underwent several name changes and institutional transformations, including the Fisheries School of the College of Agriculture of National Central University, the National Sichuan Fisheries Vocational School, the Shanghai Municipal Wusong Fisheries College, and the Shanghai Fisheries College. In 1952, it was upgraded to become China's first undergraduate fisheries university—Shanghai Fisheries College. It gained the right to admit master's students in 1983, was renamed Shanghai Fisheries University in 1985, and obtained the right to confer doctoral degrees in 1998. In 2008, it was renamed Shanghai Ocean University, with the university name inscribed by Comrade Jiang Zemin. In 2017, it was selected for the national "World-Class Discipline Construction" initiative. In 2022, it was included in the second round of the "Double First-Class" construction universities and disciplines list. As of September 2024, the university has two campuses: the Hucheng Ring Road campus in Pudong New Area and the Jungong Road campus in Yangpu District, in addition to a coastal base covering 386 mu and a Xiangshan science and education base covering 56.7 mu. The main campus at Hucheng Ring Road covers an area of over 1,600 mu, with a planned construction area of 586,000 square meters. It has 12 colleges (departments), 46 undergraduate programs, 4 first-level doctoral degree authorization points, 14 first-level master's degree authorization points, 1 second-level master's degree authorization point, 8 professional master's degree authorization points, and 4 postdoctoral research stations. The university has over 1,500 faculty and staff members and nearly 12,000 full-time undergraduate students. In 1904, educator Zhang Jian proposed to the Qing court the establishment of a fisheries school to safeguard maritime rights. In April of the same year, the Qing court approved Zhang Jian's proposal and established the Jiangsu-Zhejiang Fisheries Company, allocating land and vacant government buildings in Wusong as school premises for a fisheries school and a merchant marine school. In 1912, Zhang Liu was appointed as the preparatory officer for the fisheries school under Order No. 690. In December of the same year, Jiangsu Province Governor Cheng Dequan appointed Zhang Liu as the principal, and the first entrance examination for preparatory students was held. In 1913, the school site was determined to be the former Fudan University campus on Changshu Road. In March, some school buildings were completed, and the preparatory class was divided into two departments: fishing and manufacturing. In 1914, the school motto "Diligence, Simplicity, Loyalty, and Honesty" was established. Starting in August of the same year, the school switched to autumn enrollment. In 1916, construction began on the training fishing vessel "Songhang". In 1917, graduates sailed on the newly built first training vessel "Songhang" to investigate fisheries in Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Shandong provinces. In 1921, the school added a aquaculture department and a net-weaving staff department, abolished the preparatory program, and changed the academic system to four years. In 1922, a freshwater aquaculture experimental station was established in Zhoushu Town, Kunshan, Jiangsu, covering an area of 1.4 hectares (21 mu). Two training factories were built in Wusong Fort Bay. In 1924, a navigation specialty was added, recruiting high school graduates or graduates of advanced fisheries vocational schools, with a three-year program. In 1925, a deep-sea fisheries specialty was added.