Fujian Normal University (FNU), a century-old institution located in Fuzhou, a historic cultural city known as the “Land of Culture on the Coast”, is a well-regarded provincial university. Established in 1907 as Fujian Superior Normal School by the renowned late-Qing scholar Chen Baochen, who was the tutor of China’s last emperor, FNU has undergone several transformations. It merged with Hwa-Nan Women’s College of Arts and Sciences, Fukien Christian University, and Fujian Provincial Teachers School to become Fujian Teachers College in 1953. The institution was renamed Fujian Normal University in 1972. In 2012, the Ministry of Education and the Fujian government began jointly supporting FNU’s development. The university was designated as a provincial high-level university for prioritized construction in 2014, a provincial first-class university in 2018, and a Class-A university in the second round of “Double First-Class Construction” of Fujian Province in 2022.
Despite the vicissitudes in its century-old history, FNU has inherited and sustained a fine scholarly tradition through generations of its faculty and students. FNU is proud to count among its teaching staff several internationally renowned scientists and men of letters, including Ye Shengtao, Guo Shaoyu, Dong Zuobin, Lin Lanying, Zheng Zuoxin, Huang Weiyuan, Tang Zhongzhang, Tang Chongti, and Yao Jiannian. The university's commitment to academic excellence, both traditional and innovative, is embodied in its motto: “To Know and to Act, with Devotion and with Aspiration.”This ethos has inspired FNU to consistently “teach earnestly, study diligently, seek truth, and promote innovation.” As a result, the university has made remarkable achievements, including winning the titles of “National Civilized Institution” and “National Civilized Campus”, among other high-level honors. Since its establishment, FNU has graduated nearly 600,000 students, who have made significant contributions to the economic and social development of both the province and the country. The university’s dedication to fostering talent at various levels and in diverse fields underscores its pivotal role in advancing education and research in China.
FNU spans two campuses, Qishan and Cangshan, covering approximately 266 hectares. The university offers 85 undergraduate programs, with 75 enrolling students in 2024, and hosts over 25,000 full-time undergraduates and more than 10,000 graduate students. The faculty comprises 2,059 members, with 61.39% holding senior professional titles and 67.12% possessing doctorate degrees. FNU's faculty includes distinguished individuals such as:
1 academician of the Academy of Science of the Royal Society of Canada
1 academician of the Academy of Europe
1 academician of the International Eurasian Academy of Sciences
7 leading talents and 5 outstanding young talents from the Ten Thousand Talents Program
5 Distinguished Professors, 2 Young Scholars, and 1 Chair Professor from the Changjiang Scholars Award Program
8 winners of the National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars
13 awardees of the National Excellent Youth Science Foundation
3 members of the Consultative Group of the Academic Degrees Commission of the State Council
1 member of the Academic Advisory Committee of the Academic Degrees Commission of the State Council
6 state-level young experts with outstanding achievements
6 national talents from the New Century Talents Project
2 National Teaching Masters
4 National Cultural Celebrities
2 Leading Talents of Youth Science and Technology Innovation
13 talents from the New Century Excellent Talent in University program
3 teaching teams recognized as Huang Danian-Style Teacher Teams
2 innovation teams under the Ministry of Education
3 state-level excellent teaching groups
FNU places a strong emphasis on cultivating professionals with morality and integrity, alongside continuous efforts in educational reform. This focus has led to significant advancements in both teaching and research. The university has received an A rating in the undergraduate teaching evaluation by the Ministry of Education and has won 24 first or second state-level prizes for teaching achievements. FNU’s state-level recognitions include:
1 base for the Elite Student Development Program for Fundamental Disciplines 2.0
36 “first-class national undergraduate construction programs”
2 “state-level comprehensive pilot reform sites”
10 “programs with distinct features”
54 “state-level first-class undergraduate courses”
2 “state-level demonstration courses of ideological and political theory”
2 cases of the demonstration course of ideological and political theory
Additionally, 30 textbooks compiled by FNU have been included in the major national-level development program, with one receiving the Special Prize of the National Excellent Textbook Award, two the Second Prize, and one the Outstanding Group award.
FNU also boasts:
5 national (virtual simulation) demonstration centers for pilot teaching
2 national-level research and reform practice projects for emerging liberal arts education
1 national-level research and reform practice project for emerging engineering disciplines
4 national innovative pilot zones for talent training modes
1 education project for outstanding teachers
The university has been selected to implement the Outstanding Secondary School Teachers Fostering Plan under the Ministry of Education, with 17 education majors completing 2-level certification, and the bioengineering major obtaining accreditation from the Engineering Education Accreditation Program. The College of Marxism at FNU is one of China’s major institutions of Marxism. FNU also operates four personnel training bases: one for state-level talents, one for university counselors, one for teachers of ideological education, and one for teachers of vocational schools, all prioritized by the Ministry of Education. FNU students have achieved remarkable success in state-level competitions such as the “Challenge Cup” and “Internet+” Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition, winning Grand Prizes, Gold Prizes, and First Prizes. Additionally, three doctoral theses from FNU have been selected among China’s Top 100 outstanding doctoral dissertations.
FNU leverages its strong disciplines to create a comprehensive academic structure that includes top-tier Arts, advanced Sciences, and specialized Engineering. The university boasts 1 state-level key discipline, 3 main disciplines in Fujian Province's “Double First-Class” initiative, 9 provincial peak disciplines, and 13 plateau disciplines. FNU supports extensive research with 20 post-doctoral research centers, 19 primary discipline doctoral programs, 3 professional doctoral degree authorization stations, 32 primary discipline master programs, and 26 professional master programs. Notably, 8 disciplines—Chemistry, Engineering, Materials Science, Computer Science, Environmental Science & Ecology, Agriculture, General Social Sciences, and Plant & Animal Science—rank among the top 1% globally in ESI subject rankings, with 5 of these disciplines in the top 0.5%.
FNU is committed to promoting collaborative innovation in scientific research. The university has established a new research center for political economy on socialism with Chinese characteristics, one of only seven in China. At the state level, FNU boasts a field scientific observation and research station, a key lab cultivation base, an engineering research center supported by both the state and provincial government, a “2011” collaborative innovation center, and a base for the Higher Education Discipline Innovation and Talent Introduction Plan. Additionally, FNU has 123 ministerial and provincial-level scientific research platforms, including key laboratories under the Ministry of Education, engineering research centers, and research bases for humanities and social sciences. FNU researchers have received over 1,000 awards and prizes at the provincial level or above. These include 18 of the most prestigious national awards (the State Science Award, the State Technological Invention Award, and the National Science and Technology Progress Award), 4 first prizes for outstanding achievements in humanities and social sciences research in universities under the Ministry of Education, and 1 first prize in natural science. In the past five years, FNU researchers have undertaken over 630 state-level projects and more than 3,800 other projects. Among these, 47 are key projects funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China or key research and development projects supported by the Ministry of Science and Technology, and 19 are major programs sponsored by the National Social Science Foundation or key programs of humanities and social sciences research supported by the Ministry of Education. Leveraging Fujian’s strategic position as a demonstration zone for integrated development across the Taiwan Strait, the core area of the 21st-Century Maritime Silk Road, a pilot free trade zone, and a national ecological civilization pilot zone, FNU actively applies its research achievements to economic and social development. This is achieved through collaborations with enterprises and the commercialization of research findings. FNU has also developed several think tanks that serve as “brain trusts” and “idea banks” on major practical issues.
Located in the core area of the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road and adjacent to Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macao, FNU has a strategic advantage in developing international exchanges and cooperation. The university has established friendly and cooperative relations with over 130 universities and institutions in countries such as the USA, UK, Italy, Australia, Japan, and with UNESCO. Additionally, FNU has launched substantial cooperation with more than 40 universities in Taiwan. FNU currently boasts one Sino-foreign cooperative education institution—the University of Huddersfield College of Fujian Normal University. It also offers six Sino-foreign cooperative education programs at the undergraduate level and one at the graduate level, along with three International Cooperative Cultivation Projects for Innovative Talent funded by the China Scholarship Council. FNU’s Center for Studies of Fujian and Taiwan has been selected as a base for Chinese National Community Studies under the National Ethnic Affairs Commission. The Indonesian Studies Center is listed among international and regional studies centers by the Ministry of Education, and the Center for Philippines Studies has been designated as a “Belt and Road” International and Regional Studies Center under the National Ethnic Affairs Commission. Teaching Chinese as a foreign language is another significant achievement for FNU. To date, 1,025 volunteers in 22 groups have been sent to 29 countries, including the Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand, and the USA. Additionally, FNU has established two Confucius Institutes in collaboration with the Angeles University Foundation of the Philippines and the University of Al-Azhar Indonesia, exerting a positive influence both domestically and internationally.
FNU publishes a range of scholarly journals, including The Journal of Fujian Normal University in both humanities and social sciences, and natural sciences editions. These journals are recognized as “core periodicals published in Chinese” and are part of the RCCSE Chinese Core Academic Journals (A). The humanities and social sciences edition is noted for its “renowned columns” by the Ministry of Education and is a source journal for the Chinese Social Sciences Citation Index. The natural sciences edition is among China’s “core periodicals in science and technology.” The FNU library, a center for ancient book protection in China, houses nearly 5 million paper books and over 5.6 million electronic books. It is internationally renowned for its collections of ancient texts, rare books, rubbings of engraved tablets, calligraphic works, paintings, Fujian local cultural and historical documents, early foreign language publications, and major newspapers from the May Fourth Movement period. FNU offers advanced internet facilities with full Wi-Fi coverage and features state-of-the-art stadiums and sports fields for various sports, training, and fitness activities. The university also has affiliated educational institutions, including a high school, an elementary school, and an experimental kindergarten. The Affiliated High School of FNU is particularly noted for winning the most International Science Olympiad medals in the province.
FNU has proudly marked 117 years of excellence. Committed to principles of morality and integrity, FNU is actively pursuing comprehensive reforms, fostering broad-based development, and enhancing educational quality. The University is making significant progress towards becoming a top-tier comprehensive institution with unique characteristics. It aims to further contribute to the development of Fujian province and support the broader goal of national rejuvenation, known as the China Dream.
(Data above updated to May 2024)
(Translated by Yan Xiaoqi Reviewed by Huang Danqing & Li Guangze)