Southeast University President Scholarship

About the university

Southeast University (SEU), located in Jiangsu Province, is a comprehensive, research-oriented national key university directly under the Ministry of Education and administered by the central government. It is a key university under the "211 Project" and "985 Project," one of the first batch of "Double First-Class" construction universities (Category A), and has been selected for the "2011 Plan," "111 Plan," "101 Plan," "Peak Plan," and "Strong Foundation Plan." It is an autonomous degree-granting institution. Southeast University traces its origins to the Sanjiang Normal School founded in 1902, and has undergone several name changes: Liangjiang Excellent Normal School, National Nanjing Higher Normal School, National Southeast University, National Fourth Sun Yat-sen University, National Jiangsu University, Jiangsu University, National Central University, National Nanjing University, and Nanjing University. In 1952, during the nationwide restructuring of higher education institutions, the School of Engineering of Nanjing University served as the main body, incorporating relevant departments from Jinling University, Fudan University, and Jiaotong University, and established the Nanjing Institute of Technology on the original site of National Central University. Between 1955 and 1960, some departments were relocated. In May 1988, it was renamed Southeast University. In February 2000, Nanjing Geological School merged into Southeast University; in April of the same year, Southeast University, Nanjing Railway Medical College, and Nanjing College of Communications merged to form the new Southeast University. In September 2017 and February 2022, it was twice selected as a "Double First-Class" construction university. As of March 2026, the university has seven campuses: Sipailou, Jiulonghu, Dingjiaqiao, Jiangbei, Wuxi, Suzhou, and Nantong (under construction). The Jiulonghu campus covers an area of 3,752.35 mu (approximately 250 hectares) with a total building area of about 1,087,700 square meters. It has 39 schools and departments, 85 undergraduate programs, 39 postdoctoral research stations, 49 first-level doctoral degree authorization points, 52 first-level master's degree authorization points, 13 categories of professional doctoral degree authorization points, and 32 categories of professional master's degree authorization points. The university has 43,651 full-time students and 3,070 full-time faculty members. At the end of the 19th century, the national crisis was unprecedented, and the pursuit of strength and change, along with the establishment of schools to cultivate talent, became a common aspiration among patriotic individuals. The Sanjiang Normal School, established in the early 20th century, was one of the earliest modern higher education institutions in China. In 1902, Liu Kunyi, the Governor-General of Liangjiang, submitted a memorial proposing the establishment of a school, advocating that education should start with normal schools. In 1903, Zhang Zhidong submitted another memorial to the Qing court, proposing to replace the old Jiangning Prefecture School with a normal school that would nurture civilization, and established the Sanjiang Normal School on the site of the former Imperial Academy (Guozijian) of the Ming Dynasty. In September 1903, the Sanjiang Normal School was officially opened, enrolling students in 1904, and was renamed "Liangjiang Excellent Normal School" (abbreviated as Liangjiang Normal School) in 1905. The Liangjiang Normal School adopted the policy of "Chinese learning as the foundation, Western learning for practical use," emphasizing loyalty to the emperor and classical studies while introducing Western culture, science, and technology. It hired Japanese instructors and adopted Japanese educational methods, representing a transitional phase from the old Chinese academy education system to the modern school education system. National Nanjing Higher Normal School (1915-1921) → National Southeast University & National Nanjing Higher Normal School (1921-1923) → National Southeast University (1923-1927). On August 30, 1914, Jiang Qian, a renowned Confucian scholar and former Director of the Jiangsu Education Department, was appointed president of the National Nanjing Higher Normal School, which was established on the original site of the Liangjiang Normal School. On August 11, 1915, the National Nanjing Higher Normal School (abbreviated as Nanjing Higher Normal School or Nangao) began public enrollment, becoming one of the first six national higher normal schools in China. When Nangao was founded in 1915, it had two departments (Chinese and Science) and one specialized program in Chinese. By 1920, the school had eight departments, with the Faculty of Arts and Sciences comprising eight departments. Pioneers such as Jiang Qian, Guo Bingwen, Liu Boming, Tao Xingzhi, and Yang Xingfo reformed and planned extensively, enabling Nangao to transcend the boundaries of normal education, integrating teacher training, basic education, and practical education, and taking the initial shape of a comprehensive university.