Zhejiang Yuexiu University (ZYU), a full-time institution of higher learning which offers regular undergraduate education, is located in Shaoxing, the hometown of the celebrated Chinese writer Lu Xun and a well-known ancient city of rich cultural heritage. The history of ZYU can date back to its founding in 1981. After decades of development, it was accredited in 2008 by Ministry of Education of the People’s Republic of China (MOE) as a four-year university. In 2015, ZYU passed the Undergraduate Education Assessment organized by Ministry of Education, and in 2017, ZYU was selected by Zhejiang Academic Degrees Committee as a university on the shortlist for master degree education.
ZYU comprises two campuses (i.e.,Jishan and Jinghu) and covers an area of some 1,600 mu (106 hectares) with a total floor area of about 470,000 square meters. Its libraries have a collection of 2.25 million paperback books in Chinese and foreign languages , 1.44 million e-books , 68 databases.
ZYU consists of 14 schools and its curricula involve 17 foreign language programs(i.e., English, French, German, Russian, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Czech, Turkish, Polish, Japanese, Korean, Arabic, Bahasa Indonesia, Thai, Persian and Hindi) and 6 disciplines(i.e.,literature,economics,management,arts,engineering and education).It enrolls candidates in 20 provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions nationwide. To date, ZYU has 17,000 full-time undergraduate students against a faculty of some 1,000. Also engaged in the university’s teaching and research are about 100 foreign teachers and scholars from the US, Britain, Canada, South Korea, and Japan, among others.
ZYU has established an overall structure of majors and disciplines which features foreign language education, defines literature as the core and economics and management as the backbone. Such a structure facilitates the complementary interaction between majors and disciplines and enables their coordinated growth. Accordingly, ZYU has won official recognition for its merits in disciplinary construction and development. Foreign Language & Literature is ranked in the list of Zhejiang provincial-level key disciplines. In the Shaoxing municipal-level list of key disciplines are its Foreign Linguistics and Applied Linguistics, French Language and Literature,Chinese Language and Literature as well as Japanese Language and Literature. According to Wu Shulian University Rankings by Subject, ZYU is ranked number one for literature among private universities in China , and its economics and management are in the top 20. 4 majors(i.e., Translation & Interpreting, Teaching Chinese to Speakers of Other Languages, Japanese and Korean) are on the shortlist for The First-class Undergraduate Majors at National Level, 10 majors(i.e., French, Korean, Japanese, Editing & Publishing, International Business, Hotel Management, Translation & Interpreting, Teaching Chinese to Speakers of Other Languages, Russian and International Economy & Trade) are on the shortlist for The First-class Undergraduate Majors at Provincial Level (Zhejiang), 8 majors (i.e., Korean, English, French, Media Studies, International Economy & Trade, Translation & Interpreting, Hotel Management and International Business) are on the list of Competitive Majors or Majors with Distinctive Features at Provincial Level (Zhejiang), 4 majors (i.e., English, Business English, Spanish and Electronic Commerce) are selected as Key Majors at Municipal Level(Shaoxing) and 2 course is selected as the the First-class Undergraduate Courses at National Level.
ZYU, as a member of the United Nations Academic Impact, has made steady progress in scientific research. Over the years, 61 research projects have been funded by National Foundations, including 3 key projects, 158 programs sponsored at provincial or ministerial level, including 2 key projects. Northeast Asian Studies Center and Center for the Studies of Great Lakes Region of Africa have been included in Region and Country-specific Studies Centers approved by MOE. Its faculty have won over 80 scientific research awards. ZYU boasts 2 provincial-level centers for foreign language application, a provincial-level off-campus practice education base, 3 municipal-level cultural innovation teams, 1 municipal-level key laboratory, 1 municipal-level think tank, and 7 municipal-level demonstration centers for teaching practices. In 2021, ZYU was selected as one of the first units for building a College-Enterprise Cooperative Demonstration Practice Base for Employment, Entrepreneurship and Innovation.
ZYU vigorously promotes its international education. In the University Rankings by Internationalization Level released by Zhejiang Provincial Department of Education, ZYU has ranked first among universities of its kind for 9 years. ZYU has cooperated with more than 180 colleges and universities in more than 30 countries and regions. Every year, some 600 students go for long-term and short-term language training and cultural exchanges in its partner schools. ZYU also offers to its students cooperation programs such as double BA degree, master's degree and other overseas study projects. Apart from its international faculty, ZYU admits about 500 international students every year and it has established an institution of cooperative education at the undergraduate level.
ZYU has won acclaim for its unremitting efforts over the years. It is listed among the top 20 private universities in China for many years in university rankings such as Wu shulian and China Alumni Association. Up to now, ZYU has graduated more than 70,000 students and they are popular with employers for their foreign language proficiency, comprehensive qualities, practical ability and other advantages. The employment rate of graduates remains top among universities of its kind. In recent years, the students of ZYU have won over 1800 national and provincial academic competitions.
In the face of the opportunities and challenges brought by the reform and development of China’s higher education in the new era, ZYU will adhere to the principle of development by quality and differentiation, complete the mission of fostering students’ virtues through education, and strive to realize the intensive development. ZYU is to forge ahead with confidence and fortitude towards the goal of building a top class private university with top class disciplines and making ZYU a model private university in China.
(The data is as of Nov. 2024)
