Southwest University of Science and Technology

Southwest University of Science and Technology(SWUST）is located in Mianyang--the only Science and Technology City in China,which is surrounded by green mountains and with beautiful Fujiang River running through.Mianyang boasts a magical land that had produced numerous talents and is the hometown of Dayu and Libai.The site where the campus stands now used to be occupied by the Mianyang branch of Tsinghua University.SWUSTdates back to 1939 during theAnti-Japanese War when Sichuan Jiang Jin Ceramics Vocational and Technical School and Sichuan Provincial Advanced Agricultural Vocational Schoool were founded.

Having witnessed many hardships and several relocations,SWUST has developed into a comprehensive regular full-time undergraduate university in Sichuan Province authorized to confer doctoral degree and a university jointly constructed by the State Administration of Science and Technology Industry of National Defence (SASTIND) and people's Government of Sichuan Province.SWUSThas become the one of 14 key institutions of higher learning which enjoys the priority for fuether development and approved by Ministry of Education and one of the pilot universities for modern distance education in China.It is qualified to recommend excellent undergraduates to pursue graduate studies without entrance exams and offer programs for part-time graduate students to apply for the master's degree and admit international students.The university adoptsa management system of joint construction by the ministries,the province and the city,with Sichuan province playing the leading role.And the university has been ranked as the “National Civilized Unit”。

Its campus covers an area of 272.53 hectares with a floor area of one million squar meters.With a beautiful and pleasant sceneryand thanks to the large numbers of green trees and several blue lakes,it is indeed an ideal place for learning and researching.

There are over 30000 college and graduate students .Besides Academy of Science and Technology for National defense,it consists of 17 schools,72 majors for undergraduates,the university has a range of disciplines covering 9 categories,namely,Engineering,Agriculture,Science,Economy,Law,Liberal Arts,Manegement,Education,Medicine and Arts.SWUST has 17 key disciplines coffering the master's degree in 4 categories：Engineering(13 fields),Business and Administration,Law and Translation and Interpreting.There are four subjects which confer the doctoral degree based on the cooperation with China Academy of Engineering Physics.

Currently,SWUST boasts one basic discipline for National Defence,11 Key Disciplines at the Provincial Level,6 featured majors constructed at the national level,1 badly-needed major for National Defence,1 Key major for Naional Defence and 15 featured majors at the provincial level.It also possesses 1 development base of state key laboratory jointed constructed by Sichuan province and the Ministry of Science and Technology.1 Key displinary Laboratory for National Defence,2 Key Laboratories jointly constructed by Bechance Provincial Ministry of Education,one Research Center for Engineering approved by ministry of Education,1 Key Laboratory at the provincial level,one Provincial Engineering Research Center,10 Key Provincial Laboratories,3 provincial Humanity and Social Science Research Bases,21 reserach Institutions,1 National Level Experiment Education Model Center.In addtion,the university offer 3 National Fine Courses and processes,2 National Level Teaching Teams and 6 Provincial Level Teams.

Among over 2690 faculty members,there are more than 1700 full-time teachers,a member of Chinese Academy of Engineerig (CAG),more than 700 associate and full professor.There is a team of scientific and technological innovations for national defence and 17 academicians are employed from board units.SWUST boasts a group of doctoral supervisors,experts who enjoy special government allowances from the State Council,outstanding contributive experts with great and academic and technical leaders in Sichuan province.

For having been located in the west part of China,SWUST has developed a campus spirit of“work arduously and strive for innovations”and established a motto of “Morility,Komwledge,Determination and Innvation”under the guidance of the educaional philosophy of “cultivation,morality,rationality,toleranceand excellence”and the educational methodology of “quality,talent,feature and harmony”.

The university highlights the idea of openness,deepens the reform of its educational system and strenthen the joint efforts made by businesses,institutions and the university itself to promote education in this region.It has set up the board of directors consisting of 36 large-scale research institutes and enterprises such as China Academy of Engineering Physics,China Aerodynamics Research and Development Center,Sichuan Changhong Electronics limiter company with being the chairman and vice governer of Sichuan province who is in charge of education.The university has been appionted some senior experits and technicians from the board unions as professors and assoicate professors and made up a team of high-qualified part-time teachers.By co-establishing and sharing 17 labs with the board unions sharing resources and managing jointly,SWUST has rapidly improved its educational level and promoted the common development of the board members,resulting in distinct feature of co-construction and joint management by business,institutions and the university itself.

SWUST has actively conducted extensive foreign exchanges and cooperation and has successively established relationships with more than 30 universities and research institutions in such countries as American,Britain and Canada.With all-dimensional and muti-level international communications and cooperation in the fields of instruction,research and talent cultivation,SWUST has witnessed an ever-expanding scope of international cooperation.In rcently years,the university has successfully accomplished some significant international cooperative programs such as the Distance Learning Programme in West China,sponsored by the Canadian government and development higher education and training module of low cost waste-water treatment technology,sponsored by EU,thus geatly improving its education level,scientific and technological power and international influence.

SWUST has been made great efforts to improve its capability of scientific and technological innovations and energetically participating in the regional economic construction.It has produced distinct features and advantages in the exploration of non-metallic mineral and biological resources,advanced construction material nuclear waste and enviromental security,robotics electronic information,biotechnology.Besides,it has set up the National University Scientific Park ratified by Ministry of Science and Technology and Minisry of Education.

In recent years,SWUST has been responsible for over 360 research projects including the“10th Five-Year Key Program”，“863program”,the 11 Five-Year supporting program of Science and Technology,National Natural Science Fund,State Social Sciences Fund,National Defence Fund for small and medium-sized enterprises as well as projects sponsored by ministries,provinces and multi-nations.The university has now achieved 5 National rewards for Scientific and Technological advancement,5 national rewards for teaching achievments and some 350 provincial-level prizes.

SWUST attaches much importance to the cultivation of the students' comprehensive capability and quality.In recent years,some students have obtained satisfaction results in the National Undergraduate Electronic Design Contest and the National Undergraduate Mathematics Modeling Contest.In particular,the robotics teem won the champion and “Best Technology Award”in the third National Undergraduate Robot Contest in July,2004.In september,on behalf of China,the team finished second and obtained “Best Technology Award”in the Undergraduate Robot Contest of the Asian-Pacific region.

Spring is flowery,autumn is fruitful and nowadays the students are fragrant.Over the past half century, the university has educated about 100000 talents,most of whom have become managerial and technical backbones in the areas of non-metallic resources in west China,constructing materials,electronics and machinery and agriculture.It is crowed as the cradle of the engineers in the above-mentioned areas as well as the military industry for national defence and an important base for producing professionals of various kinds.

Government officials at all levels are greatly concerned with and supportive of the university.Member of Politburo Standing Committee and Vice Premier Li Lanqing,State Councilor ChenZhili and Minister of Education Secretary Zhou ji made inspections and suggestion successively.Li Lanqing even entitled the name of SWUST.On March,16,2009,acccompanied by minister of science and technology,WangGang and other leaders of the State Council,Liu Yandong(a member of the National Politburo and State Counselor)visited this university and made some suggestions,praising much hope on the development of the university.

“A shinning pearl gushing over the sea in the southwest,A new fame and reputation enjoying in China”

Southwest University of Science and Technology is a full-time, multi-disciplinary national university with over 50 years. The university is supported by the central, provincial and municipal government in common. But it is mainly under the supervision of Sichuan provincial government. The university is one of 14 universities, which are the key universities in the western part of China approved by the Ministry of Education. It is one of 67 experimental universities offering distance education program. The university has qualifications such as recommending its excellent graduates to study for master degree with no examination, offering master degree program for applicants with education background equivalent to college graduates for master’s degree, enrolling international students. 

The university is located in Mianyang city, Sichuan Province, which is called as the city of science and technology in China. Originally the campus was Mianyang branch of Tsinghua University. The floor space accounts for 900, 000 square meters. The campus is surrounded with green trees and clear streams. The scenery is pleasant all the year around. Students in our university do have a study and living environment.

The university has 14 colleges and physical education department, offering 53 undergraduate programs and 19 postgraduate programs in the fields of engineering, science, economics, law, art, agriculture and management. The enrollment of all programs is taken all over the country and the graduates obtain employment across the country. At present there are over 24,000 postgraduate and undergraduate students, 9 key disciplines and laboratories at the provincial and ministerial level and 20 research institutes. There is a staff of over 2000 people, including 1400 teachers, more than 600 of which have acquired senior academic positions. 22 academicians are invited as guest professors from the board-member units. It has a group of supervisors of doctoral candidates and postgraduates, leading researchers in the areas of science and technology in Sichuan province.

The university strengthens the system reform of running school and makes its efforts to promote cooperatively running school with enterprises and research institutions. The board-governors of the university is administered by the provincial, municipal government, China Academy of Engineering Physics, China Air-Dynamic Research and Development Center, China Gas Turbine Research Institute, Southwest Automation Research Institute, Southwest Applied Magnetics Research Institute, Sichuan Changhong Electronics Group Corporation, Jiuzhou Group Corporation, etc. A group of high-level experts are invited as guest professors or associated professors from the board-member units. A stable high-level concurrent teaching group has been formed. 14 labs of the university are funded and shared with the board-member units. It cost over 200 million RMB yuan. The university takes fully advantage of talents, equipments and research projects resources of the board-member units to cooperatively run school with enterprises and research institutes and accelerate its fast-growing development and level of running school. 

The university is taking an active part in international exchange with overseas colleges and universities. It has cooperative relationship with more than 10 overseas higher education and research institutions. A Distance Education Center in the west of China was founded by the university and Laurentian University in Canada.

We place teaching at the center of the university, meanwhile it is promoted by scientific research. We dedicate to developing research activities. At present over 290 projects are funded, like “National Tenth Five-Year-Plan Key Project”, “863 Project”, “National Nature Science Funding”, “National Social Sciences Fund”, “Funding of National Defense Commission of Science and Technology”, “National Small- and Medium-sized Enterprises Innovation Fund” and projects at the ministerial level, provincial level, including some projects of international cooperation. 210 projects have got national and ministerial awards.

The Student Robot Team won the championship and best technology award in the Third National Robot Competition of College Students on TV in July 2004. Meanwhile this team won second place and best technology award in the Asia-Pacific Robot Contest of College Students in September 2004 on behalf of Chinese college students. Our students have achieved good results in series competitions such as “Challenge Cup of National College Students, Extracurricular Scientific & Technological Work Competition, Electronic Design Contest, Mathematical Modeling Contest, Innovative Mechanical Design Competition, Pilliples Football Matches for Chinese College Students etc.

The university has got a lot of attentions and supports from central, provincial and municipal governments and leaders. The former standing member of Central Political Bureau of CPC, vice-Premier Li Lanqing made special trips to the university for inspecting and supervising the development of the university in 2001, 2002.

Now grasping the historical opportunity of West Development strategy and Mianyang Science and Technology City Construction strategy, Southwest University of Science and Technology perseveres in conceptual innovation, system innovation and mechanism innovation. The university adheres to take discipline development as a dominant factor, quality improvement as a center, personnel development as a basic, system innovation as a driving force in running school. It will gradually deepen the common support system by the central, provincial and municipal governments in common. To be moral, learned, practical and innovative is our motto. Being based on Sichuan province, facing the western part of China, serving the whole country, we will make our efforts to build the university into a high-level multi-disciplinary university in China.