Lishui University(丽水学院)

Lishui University is a public full-time higher education institution with the authority to confer master's degrees, located in Lishui City, Zhejiang Province, which is known as "China's Ecological Capital." The university’s history dates back to 1907 when the Chu Zhou Junior Normal School was founded under the guidance of the renowned educator Sun Yirang. Over its 117 years of development, Lishui University has undergone nine name changes, six school mergers, and four relocations. Throughout this period, the university has upheld the motto "Bright Virtue, Strong Action" and passed down its traditions, gradually forming the spirit of Lishui University, characterized by patriotism, a focus on practical knowledge, self-reliance, and strength.

In 2004, Lishui Teacher's College was upgraded and renamed Lishui University with the approval of the Ministry of Education. It has passed the Ministry of Education’s evaluation of undergraduate teaching quality and has been listed as a pilot school for the development of applied disciplines in Zhejiang Province. In 2021, it was authorized to confer master’s degrees in education, agriculture, and nursing. The university has received several honors, including being recognized as a national advanced unit in spiritual civilization construction, a model collective for ethnic unity and progress, and a “5A” level safe campus and green school.

Lishui University currently has two campuses, located in Liandu District and Songyang County, with a total area of 1,661.3 acres and a building area of 504,000 square meters. The university has educational and research equipment valued at 270 million yuan. The library holds 1.74 million physical books, 1.24 million e-books, 1,121 types of physical periodicals, and 34 electronic databases, including four foreign-language databases. It has 12 academic departments, including the School of Ethnic Studies, the School of Teacher Education, the School of Ecology, the School of Mathematics and Computer Science, the School of Engineering, the School of Medicine, the School of Business (Overseas Chinese School), the China Celadon Institute, the School of Music, the School of Marxism, the Vocational and Technical College, and the Continuing Education College. The university currently has more than 14,800 full-time students and over 1,360 faculty and staff, including 115 senior professionals. The faculty includes members such as academicians from the Chinese Academy of Engineering and the Japan Academy of Engineering, national leaders in talent programs, and numerous distinguished scholars and experts in various fields.

Lishui University is a comprehensive, application-oriented institution with a distinct character and a focus on both the humanities and natural sciences. Its disciplines cover 11 categories, including law, economics, education, literature, science, engineering, agriculture, medicine, management, arts, and interdisciplinary fields. The university offers 47 undergraduate programs, including two national first-class programs, 11 provincial first-class programs, two advantage programs, and seven distinctive programs. Several programs, such as nursing, primary education, music, physical education, preschool education, fine arts, and ideological and political education, have been accredited by the Ministry of Education. Lishui University has won numerous awards for teaching and research achievements, including national and provincial-level accolades in science, philosophy, and social sciences.

The university leverages its ecological advantages and local characteristics to develop distinctive academic disciplines and regional resources. It has been active in supporting local economic and social development and has built a reputation for its contributions. The university has established several provincial-level think tanks and has developed the first nationwide ecological product value accounting standard. It leads projects such as the Lishui Rural E-Commerce College and the Lishui Industrial Technology Research Institute, driving high-quality, leapfrog development in Lishui City. Lishui University also emphasizes local partnerships, having set up training centers for teachers and a variety of specialized platforms to support regional industries.

In terms of international engagement, the university has developed cooperative relationships with universities in the United States, Spain, Germany, South Korea, Malaysia, and regions including Hong Kong and Taiwan. It has a collaboration with Gävle University in Sweden to offer an undergraduate nursing program, which has been recognized as a successful example of international higher education cooperation. The university currently hosts international students from over 40 countries, and it has established reciprocal student training programs with several prestigious Chinese universities.

Lishui University has made notable strides in student achievements, with its art groups winning national-level awards, including gold at the China Choral Festival. The university's students have also excelled in national competitions such as the "Challenge Cup" and have earned numerous awards for their social practice activities, volunteer service, and academic competitions. In recent years, students have won over 600 provincial and national awards in academic and competitive events.

At its third Party Congress, the university set a goal of becoming a "high-level application-oriented university that serves green development," with a focus on "internal development and governance." The university aims to provide distinctive education, build a strong faculty, and cultivate a culture of excellence. The university also emphasizes the importance of integrating education with regional and national development goals and strives to foster a campus culture that fosters both academic and social progress.

Looking forward, Lishui University will continue to embrace the spirit of Xi Jinping's thought on socialism with Chinese characteristics for the new era, with the aim of becoming a university that both the faculty and students are proud of, while also meeting the expectations of the Lishui community. The university is committed to high-quality development, enhancing its governance systems, and fulfilling its mission of nurturing talent for the nation.