Southwest University

Southwest University

Overview of Southwest University

Southwest University is a key comprehensive university directly under the Ministry of Education of China and one of the national "211 Project" key institutions. The main campus is located at the foot of the scenic Jinyun Mountain in Beibei District, Chongqing, and by the picturesque Jialing River. The university is renowned as a garden-style institution, a national advanced unit in spiritual civilization, a national advanced unit in greening, and a civilized campus commended by the Ministry of Education. The current Party Secretary is Huang Rongsheng, and the President is Wang Xiaojia.

Established in July 2005, Southwest University was formed through the merger of the former Southwest China Normal University and the former Southwest Agricultural University. The two former institutions were adjacent to each other, sharing the same roots and origins, tracing back to the Sichuan Eastern Normal School founded in 1906 (the 32nd year of the Guangxu reign in the Qing Dynasty), which pioneered modern education in southwestern China. After years of development and evolution, it has grown into today’s Southwest University.

Nestled against mountains and beside water, Southwest University boasts picturesque scenery, covering a total area of approximately 641.93 hectares (9,629 mu), with a built-up area of 1.5794 million square meters. The university currently has nearly 50,000 students, including 34,637 undergraduates, 5,731 master's students, 819 doctoral students, and 65 international students. The university offers a comprehensive range of disciplines with distinct characteristics, spanning 11 major fields: philosophy, economics, law, literature, history, education, science, engineering, agriculture, medicine, and management. It comprises 30 colleges, with 3 national key disciplines, 36 provincial/ministerial (municipal) key disciplines, 11 postdoctoral research stations, 9 first-level doctoral degree authorization disciplines, 66 doctoral programs, 22 first-level master's degree authorization disciplines, 159 master's programs, 5 professional master's degree authorization programs, and 95 undergraduate majors. The university has 2,652 full-time faculty members, including 1 member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, 2 members of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, 932 professors and associate professors, 177 researchers and associate researchers, and 151 doctoral supervisors.

The university has strong research capabilities. It has established the Beibei National University Science Park, 1 key research base for humanities and social sciences under the Ministry of Education, 5 key laboratories under the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Agriculture, 1 engineering research center under the Ministry of Education, 12 key research bases for humanities and social sciences in Chongqing, 28 provincial/ministerial (municipal) key laboratories, 19 provincial/ministerial-level engineering technology research centers, 1 publishing house, and 12 academic journals. In recent years, the university has made new breakthroughs in national-level projects such as the 973 Program, the 863 Program, and the National Science and Technology Support Program. It has also achieved significant progress in high-level projects such as the National Social Science Fund, the Major Projects of the Philosophy and Social Science Research of the Ministry of Education, and the Annual Major Projects of Humanities and Social Science Research of the Ministry of Education. The university has secured over 1,500 national and provincial/ministerial-level scientific research projects and horizontal projects, with a total funding of nearly 200 million yuan. It has won 17 provincial/ministerial-level science and technology awards and more than 80 provincial/ministerial-level awards for outstanding achievements in humanities and social sciences. The research achievement on silkworm gene chips and expression maps was selected as one of the "Top Ten Domestic Scientific and Technological News Stories of 2006."

The university has always attached great importance to talent cultivation, taking the mission of nurturing high-caliber individuals with innovative spirit and practical abilities. Guided by the teaching philosophy of "emphasizing personality development, highlighting comprehensive training, strengthening practical experience, and serving society and people's livelihood," the university actively explores talent cultivation models that meet the needs of economic and social development, continuously reinforcing the central role of teaching. Over the years, the university has cultivated over 200,000 outstanding graduates. Generation after generation of students have devoted themselves to the nation, pursued truth, and made remarkable contributions to national construction and social development. The university is recognized as a "National Base for Cultural Quality Education of College Students." For many years, it has placed great emphasis on the comprehensive quality education of students, vigorously promoting the university spirit of "Standing Firm in the Southwest, Learning for the World," actively advancing the "College Students' Quality Development Plan," and organizing a variety of campus cultural, social practice, and public service activities. The university advocates bringing high art to campus and has established well-known campus cultural brands such as the College Students' Art Festival, Science and Technology Culture Festival, and Comprehensive Quality Competition. In 1999, the university was among the first to be awarded the title of "National Advanced Unit in Spiritual Civilization Construction" by the Central Civilization Commission. In 1994, 1999, and 2005, it was consecutively recognized three times as a "National Model Unit for National Unity and Progress" by the State Council. Since 1987, the university has been awarded the title of "National Advanced Collective for College Students' Social Practice" by the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee, the Ministry of Education, and the Central Committee of the Communist Youth League for 19 consecutive times.

The university places great emphasis on international exchanges and cooperation. It conducts academic exchanges and research collaborations with universities and research institutions in nearly 14 countries and regions, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, Australia, and Russia, and has established long-term friendly cooperative relationships with over 44 overseas universities and research institutions.

Educating people in the grove of academe, promoting agriculture and sericulture, learning for the world, and serving people's livelihood are the timeless pursuits of Southwest University. Upholding the motto of "Embracing Greatness and Continuing the Legacy," the university focuses on talent cultivation, leads with discipline development, ensures strength through faculty building, and supports innovation through scientific research. With unified determination, the entire university strives diligently toward the goal of becoming a distinctive, high-level comprehensive university.