Chinese Government Scholarship — University Independent Enrollment Program

About the university

South China Agricultural University (SCAU), also known as South China Agricultural University, is located in Guangzhou, Guangdong Province. It is a comprehensive national key university under the administration of Guangdong Province, with strengths in agricultural sciences and life sciences, and a coordinated development of multiple disciplines. The university is a national 'Double First-Class' construction university, a key construction university of Guangdong high-level universities, and has been selected as a National Typical Experience University for Graduate Employment by the Ministry of Education, a National Demonstration University for Deepening Innovation and Entrepreneurship Education Reform, a pilot university for the comprehensive reform of 'Three Comprehensive Education', and a National Higher Education Institution Discipline Innovation and Talent Introduction Base (i.e., the '111 Plan'). SCAU traces its origins to the Guangdong Provincial Agricultural Experiment Station and its attached Agricultural Training Institute established in 1909. In 1912, the institute was renamed the Higher Agricultural and Forestry Training Institute. In 1917, the Guangdong Public Agricultural Specialized School was established on the basis of the Higher Agricultural and Forestry Training Institute; in 1924, it was reorganized into the College of Agriculture of National Guangdong University (later renamed Sun Yat-sen University). In 1952, the South China Agricultural College was formed by merging the College of Agriculture of Sun Yat-sen University, the College of Agriculture of Lingnan University, and parts of the Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Medicine Department and the Plant Pest Department of the College of Agriculture of Guangxi University. In 1979, the State Council approved South China Agricultural College as a national key higher education institution under the Ministry of Agriculture. In 1984, South China Agricultural College was renamed South China Agricultural University. In 2000, the university was placed under the administration of the People's Government of Guangdong Province. As of September 2025, SCAU has two campuses: the Tianhe Wushan main campus and the Zengcheng teaching and research base, covering a total area of 8,211 mu. It has 3,342 faculty and staff members, including 2,344 full-time teachers, and over 50,000 enrolled students (including international students). The university comprises 25 colleges (departments) and offers 95 undergraduate programs. It has 12 national characteristic specialties, 13 first-level doctoral degree authorization disciplines, 3 professional doctoral degree categories, 30 first-level master's degree authorization disciplines, and 21 professional master's degree categories. Additionally, the university has 12 postdoctoral research stations.