Xiamen University started graduate programs in 1926. After the National Liberation, Xiamen University restarted its graduate programs in 1950 and established graduate office in 1952, in order to meet the demand of the Chinese Socialist Construction and the advancement for the cause of higher education. From 1950 to 1965, 22 majors of the university had a total enrollment of 110 graduate students, which had produced a number of talents for the country. Owing to the opportunity of national recommencement of graduate education in 1978 and the establishment of academic degree system in 1981, the Graduate School of Xiamen University was founded in September, 1986, and after ten years’ trial, it was officially approved by the former State Education Committee in March, 1996. With President Zhang Rong holding a concurrent post as the school dean, and Professor Fang Ying as the executive associate dean. The graduate school at present consists of three offices: office of academic affairs, office of postgraduate degrees and programs, and office of general affairs.
Xiamen University has 34 Doctoral degrees in first-level disciplines and 46 Master degrees in first-level disciplines. It also has 5 national first-level key disciplines and 9 national second-level key disciplines (covering 38 second-level disciplines). Besides, 46 first-level disciplines such as philosophy are approved as provincial key disciplines, and 17 first-level disciplines such as theoretical economics are approved as provincial key characteristic disciplines.
The university has a well-structured and highly-competent faculty team. It has 1109 doctoral advisors and almost 3200 graduate advisors, among whom 22 are members of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Chinese Academy of Engineering (9 are adjunct). There are 10 chief scientists of the National Major Research Projects, 31 that have obtained the "Science Grant for National Outstanding Youth" from the state, and 24 special and 13 youth professorships of "Chang Jiang Scholars Program".
Up to October, 2019, Xiamen University has 21311 registered graduate students, including 6240 master's academic degree candidates, among whom 237 are overseas; 10613 master's professional degree candidates, among whom 105 are overseas; 4336 doctoral candidates, among whom 248 are overseas.
The graduate school of Xiamen University has always been concentrating its work on improving the quality of its training programs. It promotes bachelor-master programs and master-doctor programs to select more outstanding graduate students; establishes a strict supervisor qualification system and strengthens the supervision of the degree-granting quality; applies flexible educational system and deepens the reform of teaching and curriculum; advances the construction of creative talents projects including outstanding doctors training plan, talents training, etc., focusing on cultivating innovative and experimental capabilities of graduate students; adheres to the open education, launching a full range of international and regional academic exchanges and cooperation. Currently, Xiamen University has inter-university cooperative ties with over 170 institutions of higher education at home and abroad. Xiamen University vigorously promotes the campaign of teaching Chinese as a foreign language. The university has co-established 15 Confucius Institutes with universities in the Great Britain, the United States, Japan, France, Russia, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan, etc. Because of its especially favourable geographical location and advantageous human resources, it is the key university most actively engaged in cross-straits educational, scientific and cultural exchanges.
Stick to the guidance of “Pursue Excellence, Strive for Perfection, Xiamen University is now making great strides towards its goal of “building a high-level university well-known both at home and abroad”, and making great efforts to cultivate top talent with creativity and practical abilities for the country and the society.
(The data presented above is as of October, 2019)