Jinan University “One Belt One Road” Scholarships for International Students

About the university

Jinan University (abbreviated as JNU), located in Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, is a national key comprehensive university directly under the United Front Work Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China. It is the first overseas Chinese institution founded by the government, jointly established by the United Front Work Department, the Ministry of Education, and the People's Government of Guangdong Province as a national "Double First-Class" construction university. It is also a national "211 Project" university, a "985 Project Advantage Discipline Innovation Platform" university, and a key construction university of Guangdong Province's high-level universities. It has been selected for the "2011 Plan," the "111 Plan," the Excellent Doctor Education and Training Plan, the Excellent Legal Talent Education and Training Plan, and is a national demonstration university for deepening innovation and entrepreneurship education reform. Renowned scholars such as Ma Yinchu, Li Linsi, and Zheng Zhenduo have taught at JNU. The university's predecessor was the Jinan Academy, founded in Nanjing in 1906 by the Qing government. It later moved to Shanghai and was renamed National Jinan University in 1927. During the War of Resistance against Japan, it relocated to Jianyang, Fujian. It moved back to Shanghai in 1946 and was merged into Fudan University, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Nanjing University, Zhejiang University, and other universities in August 1949. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, it was rebuilt in Guangzhou in 1958; it was temporarily suspended during the Cultural Revolution and reopened in Guangzhou in 1978. After reform and opening up, the university developed rapidly. In September 2017, it was selected as a national "Double First-Class" construction university. In August 2019, the United Front Work Department, the Ministry of Education, and the People's Government of Guangdong Province decided to jointly build Jinan University. As of March 2025, the university has five campuses in Guangzhou, Shenzhen, and Zhuhai, covering a total area of 2,268,100 square meters, with a building area of 1,832,600 square meters. It has 38 colleges, 59 departments, 18 directly affiliated research institutes, 108 undergraduate programs, 24 postdoctoral research stations, 1 postdoctoral research workstation, 41 first-level master's degree programs, 28 first-level doctoral degree programs, 6 professional doctoral degree categories, 35 professional master's degree categories, 2,825 full-time teachers, and 48,393 full-time students, including 31,851 undergraduates, 16,542 postgraduates, and 16,110 students from Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan, and overseas. In 1906, the Qing government established the Jinan Academy. On March 23, 1907, the Jinan Academy officially opened in Nanjing. The first batch of 21 overseas Chinese students, most of whom were originally from Guangdong, were enrolled. Duanfang appointed Wen Bingzhong, a native of Guangdong, as the academy's director, and Zheng Hongnian as the general affairs officer. This marked the beginning of overseas Chinese students returning to study in China. By June 1909, the number had increased to 167; from the second half of 1909 to 1910, more than 70 additional students were enrolled. Before the outbreak of the Xinhai Revolution, there were over 240 students in the school. After the Xinhai Revolution broke out in 1911, the Jinan Academy was affected and suspended. In 1917, Huang Yanpei went to Southeast Asia to investigate the education of overseas Chinese, which provided strong impetus for the school's restoration. Under the leadership of Huang Yanpei and others, the preparatory work for the restoration of Jinan School took five months and cost 10,000 yuan, largely completed by February 1918, with a completely renewed campus. On March 1, 1918, the preparatory course of Jinan School officially began. The school was officially renamed "National Jinan School"; on March 7, the Ministry of Education of the Beiyang government appointed Zhao Zhengping as the president of National Jinan School and ordered Huang Yanpei to assist in planning school affairs; on September 9, the opening ceremony of Jinan School was held, with 70 overseas Chinese students and 40 mainland students, totaling 110. During this period, the school's focus was mainly on teacher training and commerce. In March 1920, Huang Yanpei and President Zhao Zhengping began planning to move the school to Shanghai and establish a business university. In February 1921, the business department of Jinan School first moved from Nanjing to Xujiahui, Shanghai, temporarily using the site of Shanghai Songshe; in the spring of 1921, Jinan School cooperated with Southeast University to establish the Shanghai University of Commerce, temporarily borrowing the Shangxian Hall on Xiafei Road in the French Concession as its campus; on September 28, the "National Southeast University and Jinan School Jointly Established Shanghai University of Commerce" officially opened, which was the first business university in China. In 1921, construction began on a new campus in Zhenru, Shanghai. In late summer 1923, the first batch of school buildings was completed, including three dormitories, one office building, one large classroom, one dining hall, one infirmary, and one bathroom, accommodating over 500 teachers and students. The business department, which had been operating at Songshe in Xujiahua, first moved to the new campus; in early September, all male students from the teacher training and middle school departments in Nanjing were moved to the Zhenru campus, which became the main campus. In the summer of 1924, shortly after the campus was built, a large-scale warlord conflict broke out, nearly forcing Jinan to close; in November, the war ended, but the Zhenru campus was looted by warlord troops. In 1927, the National Government in Nanjing appointed Zheng Hongnian as president. Upon taking office, Zheng proposed a plan for reorganization and expansion. He planned to "expand Jinan School into a complete university, change the business department into a business school, and add five faculties: agriculture, literature and philosophy, natural sciences, social sciences, and arts, with the aim of making it the highest institution for overseas Chinese in terms of quality"; that same year, the National Government officially upgraded Jinan School to National Jinan University. By 1929, in addition to the Business School, National Jinan University had successively established the College of Arts, College of Science, and College of Education. In 1930, the College of Law was established, and the university developed into a comprehensive university with five colleges, 16 departments, and two specialized programs. In 1932, the January 28 Incident (Shanghai War of Resistance) broke out, and Jinan University, located in Zhenru, was in the war zone. The school was occupied by the Japanese army, suffering heavy losses. In 1937, during the Battle of Shanghai (August 13 Incident), the Zhenru campus of Jinan University was completely destroyed. In November 1938, the school moved to 528 Kangnaotuo Road (now Kangding Road), which President He Bingsong had rented after much effort. At that time, the total number of teachers and students was only about 200, but the educational mission continued in this small building. In 1941, when the Pacific War broke out and the Japanese invaded the concessions, Jinan University had to move entirely to Jianyang, Fujian, and did not return to Baoshan, Shanghai until 1946. In August 1949, Jinan University was merged into Fudan University, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, and other universities, ending its more than 20-year history in Shanghai. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, Jinan University was rebuilt in Guangzhou in 1958. It was temporarily suspended during the Cultural Revolution and reopened in Guangzhou in 1978. In 1979, the university began enrolling and training graduate students. By 1988, children of overseas Chinese accounted for 90% of the student body. In June 1993, with the approval of the Ministry of Education and the Overseas Chinese Affairs Office of the State Council, the Guangzhou Overseas Chinese Student Preparatory School was merged into Jinan University, combining with the Department of Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language and the Preparatory Department to form the College of Chinese Language and Culture of Jinan University. In June 1996, Jinan University became a national key university for the 21st century (211 Project). In 1999, it was selected as one of the first batch of National University Cultural Quality Education Bases. In 2000, Jinan University became the first "Overseas Chinese Affairs Office of the State Council Chinese Language Education Base." In 2001, Jinan University was designated by the Ministry of Education as a national base for teaching Chinese as a foreign language.