Xiamen University (XMU; ) is a public university in
Siming,
Xiamen
Xiamen,), also known as Amoy ( ; from the Zhangzhou Hokkien pronunciation, zh, c=, s=, t=, p=, poj=Ē͘-mûi, historically romanized as Amoy, is a sub-provincial city in southeastern Fujian, People's Republic of China, beside the Taiwan Stra ...
,
Fujian
Fujian is a provinces of China, province in East China, southeastern China. Fujian is bordered by Zhejiang to the north, Jiangxi to the west, Guangdong to the south, and the Taiwan Strait to the east. Its capital is Fuzhou and its largest prefe ...
, China. It is affiliated with the
Ministry of Education of China
The Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China is a constituent department of the State Council, responsible for basic education, vocational education, higher education, and other educational affairs throughout the country. The ...
. The university is part of
Project 211
Project 211 ( zh, c=, links=no, s=211工程) was a higher education development and sponsorship scheme of the government of China for "preparing approximately 100 universities for the 21st century", initiated in November 1995. There were 115 ...
,
Project 985
Project 985 () was a higher education development and sponsorship scheme of the Chinese central government for creating world-class higher education institutions, initiated in May 1998. There were 39 universities selected to be part of this ...
, and the
Double First-Class Construction
The World First-Class Universities and First-Class Academic Disciplines Construction (), together known as Double First-Class Construction (), is a higher education development and sponsorship scheme of the Chinese central government, initiated ...
.
Founded in 1921 by
Tan Kah Kee
Tan Kah Kee (; also spelled as Chen Jiageng; 21 October 1874 – 12 August 1961) was a Chinese businessman, investor, and philanthropist active in Singapore, Hong Kong and the Chinese cities of Shanghai, Xiamen, and Guangzhou.
A prominent fig ...
, a Chinese patriotic expatriate businessman in Singapore, the university has been perennially regarded as one of the top academic institutions in
Southern China
Northern China () and Southern China () are two approximate regions that display certain differences in terms of their geography, demographics, economy, and culture.
Extent
The Qinling–Daba Mountains serve as the transition zone between ...
, with strengths in mathematics, chemistry, oceanography, economics, management, law, communication and political science.
over 45,000 students are enrolled at Xiamen University, including more than 21,000 undergraduates, over 19,000 master's students, and over 5,000 doctoral candidates.
Xiamen University is proactive in international exchanges and collaboration. It has forged partnerships with 263 universities abroad and engages in substantial exchanges with 53 institutions. In July 2014, the groundwork for the
Xiamen University Malaysia campus was initiated, marking it as the first Chinese university to pioneer an independent campus overseas.
History
Private period

In 1919, Tan Kah Kee, a Chinese expatriate in Singapore, businessman, investor, and philanthropist, donated then 4 million dollars to endow Amoy University in the city of Amoy (former
romanization
In linguistics, romanization is the conversion of text from a different writing system to the Latin script, Roman (Latin) script, or a system for doing so. Methods of romanization include transliteration, for representing written text, and tra ...
of 'Xiamen' until 1970s). When the university was founded in 1921, there were no more than 20 faculty members and just 98 students.
At the 1926
Sesquicentennial International Exposition in
Philadelphia
Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...
, United States, Amoy University was one of five institutions selected to participate in an exhibit on education in China, representing the country's higher education system.
National university period
In 1937, Tan transferred administration of the university to the
Nationalist government
The Nationalist government, officially the National Government of the Republic of China, refers to the government of the Republic of China (1912–1949), Republic of China from 1 July 1925 to 20 May 1948, led by the nationalist Kuomintang (KMT ...
, and the institution became a national university.

In 1938, at the outbreak of the
Second Sino-Japanese War
The Second Sino-Japanese War was fought between the Republic of China (1912–1949), Republic of China and the Empire of Japan between 1937 and 1945, following a period of war localized to Manchuria that started in 1931. It is considered part ...
, the university was temporarily relocated to
Changting in western Fujian to escape Japanese invasion of Chinese coastal regions.
In 1946, after the war, the university moved back to Xiamen and resumed normal operations.
In 1952, it was transformed into a comprehensive university embracing both arts and science.
In 1963, it was designated as a key university in China.
In 1995, Xiamen University was selected to participate in Project 211, a Chinese government initiative to provide increased financial resources for the country's most promising universities.
In 2000, the university was selected for 985 Project, a national and local government initiative to provide funding for facilities construction and faculty hiring to bolster China's top universities.
On January 25, 2013, the Ministry of Higher Education of
Malaysia
Malaysia is a country in Southeast Asia. Featuring the Tanjung Piai, southernmost point of continental Eurasia, it is a federation, federal constitutional monarchy consisting of States and federal territories of Malaysia, 13 states and thre ...
submitted an invitation letter to Xiamen University to establish a branch campus in Malaysia.
On July 3, 2014, the foundation of Xiamen University Malaysia Campus was laid near
Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur (KL), officially the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur, is the capital city and a Federal Territories of Malaysia, federal territory of Malaysia. It is the largest city in the country, covering an area of with a census population ...
.
On February 22, 2016, Malaysia Campus officially opened.
In September 2017, the university was recognized as a Class A institution in the Double First Class University Plan, a Chinese government initiative to cultivate a group of elite Chinese universities into "world-class" institutions by 2050.
International cooperation
Xiamen University has maintained a global presence since its creation in 1921, attracting students from overseas Chinese communities in Southeast Asia. The institution established an "Overseas Correspondence Courses" program in 1956 and accepted its first foreign students in 1981. Xiamen University now has an extensive portfolio of international collaborations, including an
International Cooperative Program for Innovative Talents funded by the
China Scholarship Council,
and global exchange and cooperation relationships with over 300 universities.
It has established 16
Confucius Institute
Confucius Institutes (CI; ) are public educational and cultural promotion programs of the state of China. The stated aim of the program is to promote Chinese language and culture, support local Chinese teaching internationally, and facilita ...
s with partner institutions in 13 countries.
In 2011, China government and Malaysian government began high-level discussions about creating a Malaysian branch of Xiamen University.
Subsequently, in 2015 the
Xiamen University Malaysia Campus was established. Known as "XMU Malaysia," the institution has been described as "historic" and is notable as the "first ever large-scale international branch" of a Chinese university. Professor Wang Ruifang was named the first chancellor of XMU Malaysia.
On May 23, 2016, Xiamen University sent a delegation to the
Tokyo Institute of Technology
The Tokyo Institute of Technology () was a public university in Meguro, Tokyo, Japan. It merged with Tokyo Medical and Dental University to form the Institute of Science Tokyo on 1 October 2024.
The Tokyo Institute of Technology was a De ...
in
Tokyo
Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is List of largest cities, one of the most ...
,
Japan
Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...
to meet with leadership and professors. The delegation's objective was to discuss the institutions' strategies for commercializing research findings, fostering university-industry collaboration, and encouraging international students to learn about local language and culture.
On November 18, 2016, Xiamen University and
Cardiff University
Cardiff University () is a public research university in Cardiff, Wales. It was established in 1883 as the University College of South Wales and Monmouthshire and became a founding college of the University of Wales in 1893. It was renamed Unive ...
in
Wales
Wales ( ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by the Irish Sea to the north and west, England to the England–Wales border, east, the Bristol Channel to the south, and the Celtic ...
,
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
initiated a "strategic partnership" including a program for co-supervision of doctoral students, and £1.2 million in seed funding for "collaborative research projects" to benefit the economy of Wales. Subsequently, a delegation from Cardiff University visited the Xiamen University School of International Relations to explore possible areas of research collaboration and student exchange.
Xiamen University also hosts recurring China study programs for
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC, UNC–Chapel Hill, or simply Carolina) is a public university, public research university in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States. Chartered in 1789, the university first began enrolli ...
,
Council for Christian Colleges and Universities
Council for Christian Colleges & Universities (CCCU) is an international organization of evangelical Christian colleges and universities. The headquarters is in Washington, D.C., United States.
History
In 1976, presidents of colleges in Chri ...
,
Eckerd College
Eckerd College is a Private college, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in St. Petersburg, Florida, United States. Founded in 1958, part of the campus is waterfront (area), waterfront and beach on Boca Ciega ...
and
Bentley College
Bentley University is a private university in Waltham, Massachusetts, United States. It was founded in 1917 as a school of accounting and finance in Boston's Back Bay neighborhood. Bentley has one undergraduate school which offers 17 business ma ...
in USA, and
University College Utrecht in the Netherlands.
In cooperation with
Mae Fah Luang University in Thailand, Xiamen University operates a
Confucius Institute
Confucius Institutes (CI; ) are public educational and cultural promotion programs of the state of China. The stated aim of the program is to promote Chinese language and culture, support local Chinese teaching internationally, and facilita ...
at Mae Fah Luang University's Sirindhorn Chinese Language and Culture Center.
Campuses
Main campus (Siming campus)
The main campus of XMU is located in
Siming District
Siming District is an urban district of the city of Xiamen, Fujian province, China. It includes the territory of the old town of Xiamen and the government offices of the modern sub-provincial city.
Geography
Siming occupies the southern half ...
on
Xiamen island, covering an area of 167 hectares. It is situated at the foothills of mountains, facing the ocean and surrounded by
Xiamen bay. It mainly houses such academic divisions as the Humanities and Arts, Social Sciences, Natural Sciences, and Engineering and Technology.
The scope and level of its campus high-speed information network is rated first among all universities in China and has become one of the main nodes of
CERNET2.
Haiyun campus
The Haiyun Campus is part of the main campus, located near the Pearl Bay, south end of Xiamen, adjacent to Xiamen Software Park. The School of Software, School of Information Science and Technology, School of Mathematics Science are located in the campus.
Zhangzhou campus
Zhangzhou Campus is located in Zhangzhou China Merchants Economic and Technological Development Zone (CMZD),
Zhangzhou
Zhangzhou (, ) is a prefecture-level city in Fujian Province, China. The prefecture around the city proper comprises the southeast corner of the province, facing the Taiwan Strait and (with Quanzhou) surrounding the prefecture of Xiamen.
Nam ...
, covering an area of 171 hectares, with architecture consistent with the main campus. In July 2012, most facilities were allocated to XMU Tan Kah Kee College. In September 2020, the new Xiamen University College of Creativity and Innovation moved to the campus, and part of the International College relocated back. The campus now hosts the College of Creativity and Innovation, International College, Gulei Petrochemical Research Institute, Institute of Industrial Technology, and XMU Tan Kah Kee College. It aims to be a hub for international cooperation, applied talent cultivation, result transformation, and talent gathering. In addition, the college actively organizes students to innovate and start businesses.
Xiang'an campus
In September 2012, Xiamen University began operations at its Xiang'an Campus, located 34 kilometers from the main campus. The three stated goals of the new campus are to provide facilities for "newly developing disciplines and applied subjects" such as bioscience and energy, to establish "innovation platforms for applied sciences," and to house the southern headquarters of the Confucius Institute.
Currently, the Xiang'an Campus hosts over 10,000 students and faculty from ten schools: the Overseas Education College (which serves international students), the Medical College, the School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, the School of Life Sciences, the School of Public Health, the Nursing Department, the College of Earth Sciences, the College of Environment and Ecology, the School of Energy Research, and the School of Aerospace Engineering.
Malaysia campus (XMUM)
Upon the invitation of the Malaysian Ministry of Higher Education to set up a branch campus in Malaysia, Xiamen University accepted the offer and thus, Xiamen University Malaysia (XMUM) was born in 2015.
In keeping with the vision of our founder Mr. Tan Kah Kee, XMU began in earnest to build our first offshore campus in Malaysia and became the pioneer university from China to establish a branch campus in Malaysia. XMUM aspires to become a university with a distinct global outlook, featuring first-class teaching and research, and embracing cultural diversity.
The campus is located in Bandar Serenia,
Sepang,
Selangor
Selangor ( ; ), also known by the Arabic language, Arabic honorific Darul Ehsan, or "Abode of Sincerity", is one of the 13 states of Malaysia. It is on the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia and is bordered by Perak to the north, Pahang to the e ...
Darul Ehsan. It is a 10-minute drive from the
Kuala Lumpur International Airport
Kuala Lumpur International Airport is the main international airport serving Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia. It is located in the Sepang District of Selangor, approximately south of downtown Kuala Lumpur and serves the Greater Kuala L ...
, and a 15-minute drive from
Putrajaya
Putrajaya (), officially the Federal Territory of Putrajaya (), is the administrative centre of Malaysia. The Seat of government, seat of the Government of Malaysia, federal government of Malaysia was moved in 1999 from Kuala Lumpur to Putrajay ...
, the administrative center of the
government of Malaysia
The Government of Malaysia, officially the Federal Government of Malaysia (; Jawi script, Jawi: ), is based in the Federal Territories of Malaysia, Federal Territory of Putrajaya, with the exception of the legislative branch, which is located in ...
.
Reputation and rankings
Xiamen University has been consistently regarded as one of the top academic institutions in
Southern China
Northern China () and Southern China () are two approximate regions that display certain differences in terms of their geography, demographics, economy, and culture.
Extent
The Qinling–Daba Mountains serve as the transition zone between ...
, with strengths in economics and management, fine arts, law, chemistry, journalism, communication, mathematics and political science.
Among
global university rankings, Xiamen University is ranked 362nd equal by the 2025
QS World University Rankings
The ''QS World University Rankings'' is a portfolio of comparative college and university rankings compiled by Quacquarelli Symonds, a higher education analytics firm. Its first and earliest edition was published in collaboration with '' Times ...
, 301-350th by the 2024 world university rankings of the
Times Higher Education
''Times Higher Education'' (''THE''), formerly ''The Times Higher Education Supplement'' (''The THES''), is a British magazine reporting specifically on news and issues related to higher education.
Ownership
TPG Capital acquired TSL Education ...
, 198th by the 2024
U.S. News & World Report Best Global Universities Rankings and 151-200th worldwide by the 2024
Academic Ranking of World Universities
The ''Academic Ranking of World Universities'' (''ARWU''), also known as the Shanghai Ranking, is one of the annual publications of world university rankings. The league table was originally compiled and issued by Shanghai Jiao Tong Universi ...
.
Faculties and research institutes
As of 1 September 2017, Xiamen University consisted of 20 schools with 44 departments, along with many key research institutes.
*School of
Humanities
Humanities are academic disciplines that study aspects of human society and culture, including Philosophy, certain fundamental questions asked by humans. During the Renaissance, the term "humanities" referred to the study of classical literature a ...
*School of
Foreign Language
A foreign language is a language that is not an official language of, nor typically spoken in, a specific country. Native speakers from that country usually need to acquire it through conscious learning, such as through language lessons at schoo ...
s and Cultures
*School of Journalism and Communication
*School of Law
*Tan Kah Kee College
*Xiamen Academy of International Law
*School of
Public Affairs
*School of Economics
*Wang Yanan Institute for Studies in Economics
*School of Management
*College of Art
*College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering
*School of Physics and Mechanical and Electrical Engineering
*College of Oceanography and Environment
*School of
Life Science
Life, also known as biota, refers to matter that has biological processes, such as signaling and self-sustaining processes. It is defined descriptively by the capacity for homeostasis, organisation, metabolism, growth, adaptation, respon ...
*School of Information Science and Technology
*School of Electronic Science &Technology
*School of Mathematics
*Software School
*Medical College
*School of Architecture and Civil Engineering
*Overseas Education College
*
Adult Education
Adult education, distinct from child education, is a practice in which adults engage in systematic and sustained educating activities in order to gain new knowledge, skills, attitudes, or values. Merriam, Sharan B. & Brockett, Ralph G. ''The Pr ...
College
*Professional Technical College
*Internet Education College
*School of Pharmaceutical Sciences
Notable alumni
*
Gregory Chow – economist
*
Chen Jingrun – mathematician
*
Lin Yutang – Chinese writer and inventor
*
Yu Guangzhong – Taiwanese writer, poet, educator, and critic
*
Xie Xide – president of
Fudan University
Fudan University (FDU) is a public university, national public university in Yangpu, Shanghai, Yangpu, Shanghai, China. It is affiliated with the Ministry of Education (China), Ministry of Education and is co-funded with the Shanghai Municipal ...
from 1983 to 1989
*
Lu Xun
Lu Xun ( zh, c=魯迅, p=Lǔ Xùn, ; 25 September 188119 October 1936), pen name of Zhou Shuren, born Zhou Zhangshou, was a Chinese writer. A leading figure of modern Chinese literature, he wrote in both vernacular and literary Chinese as a no ...
– writer
*
Raymond Lam
Raymond Lam (; Jyutping: lam4 fung1; born 8 December 1979) is a Hong Kong actor and singer who is best known for roles in the television dramas '' A Step into the Past'', '' Twin of Brothers'', '' Moonlight Resonance'', '' Highs and Lows'' and '' L ...
– Hong Kong
artiste and singer (enrolled for one year, 1996)
*
Faye Wong
Faye Wong ( zh, 王菲; pinyin: ''Wáng Fēi''; born 8 August 1969) is a Chinese singer-songwriter and actress. Early in her career, she briefly used the stage name Shirley Wong (). Born in Beijing, she moved to British Hong Kong at the age o ...
– singer
*
Wong Ker-lee – Fujianese Hong Kong businessman and politician
*
Zhang Gaoli – former
Vice Premier of the State Council of the People's Republic of China
*
Li Wo-shi – magistrate of
Kinmen County
Kinmen, alternatively known as Quemoy, is a group of islands governed as a county by the Republic of China (Taiwan), only east from the city of Xiamen in Fujian, located at the southeastern coast of the People's Republic of China, from which ...
*Huang Wei – programmer
*
Bei Cun - avant-garde Christian novelist.
*
Tsai Chih-chan - poet and painter
See also
*
Xiamen University Malaysia
*
List of universities in China
, there were 3,012 colleges and universities, with over 40 million students enrolled in mainland China. More than 40 million Chinese students graduated from university from 2016 to 2020. Corresponding with the merging of many public universiti ...
References
External links
*
{{authority control
Universities and colleges in Fujian
Project 211
Plan 111
Universities and colleges established in 1921
Medical schools in China
Universities in China with English-medium medical schools
1921 establishments in China
Vice-ministerial universities in China
Major National Historical and Cultural Sites in Fujian