The Guangdong Provincial Department of Education, in conjunction with the Provincial Development and Reform Commission, and the Provincial Department of Science and Technology, announced the list of key academic disciplines and higher education institutions. The institutions are those that are being promoted under the plan for a program for high-level universities in Guangdong Province.

Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech) has entered the rank of high-level universities to focus on the development of higher education institutions. SUSTech has also been commended for six key disciplines including materials science and engineering, mechanics, biology, mathematics, physics, and chemistry.

The improvement plan of Guangdong Province’s higher education is an important strategic development for the provincial government, following the development of high-level universities. The development of high-level science and engineering universities in Guangdong Province will further promote higher education across Guangdong Province. Such development shall provide continuous resources for future innovation-driven changes.

41 undergraduate colleges and 147 key disciplines across Guangdong were selected under the plan. Three new high-level universities were added to the existing list. SUSTech, Shenzhen University, and Guangzhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine were the new additions to the list. They joined key high-level universities Sun Yat-Sen University, South China University of Technology, Jinan University, South China Agricultural University, Southern Medical University, South China Normal University, and the Guangdong University of Technology.

A major qualification for the High-Level University Plan in Guangdong Province is the candidate university is a member of China’s “Double First-Class” universities program. Other key qualifications include the candidate has major scientific research centers and facilities, or it undertakes major scientific research tasks, and it employed international first-class high-level faculty members. High-Level University Plan is divided into two categories, one centered on the development of the university and the other centered on the development of the university’s academic disciplines.

SUSTech will firmly embrace the opportunity to develop as a key university in Guangdong Province and will develop first-class disciplines as a core part of its progress. SUSTech would continue to cultivate its innovative talent pipeline as part of its innovation-driven mission to serve society. SUSTech will lay a solid foundation through its development in its quest to seek early entry into National “Double First Class” status, with the goal of building a world-class research university.