Yanbian University

Yanbian University was founded in 1949 as one of the earlier universities established by the Communist Party of China in an ethnic minority region. It is in Yanji, the capital of Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture, Jilin, a place known for education, and established a new campus in Hunchun in 2017. Through education, talent, science and technology, industry, scholarship and culture, it serves border-region development while educating people for the Party and talent for the country. It is a national Double First-Class university, a key Project 211 university, a priority institution for western development, and a university receiving joint priority support from the People’s Government of Jilin Province and the Ministry of Education and joint support from the provincial government and the National Ethnic Affairs Commission.

Upholding its motto, “Truth, Goodness and Integration,” and ethos of “Self-Improvement, Harmony and Daily Renewal,” it carries forward traditions of hard work and initiative, cultural inheritance and distinctive strengths, ethnic unity and shared teaching and learning, broad exchanges and multilateral cooperation. New strategies and measures for transformation continue to advance high-quality substantive development.

It covers 1295500 square meters, with 823700 square meters of buildings. The library holds 2.01 million printed and 2.031 million electronic volumes. It has 17 schools and 75 undergraduate programs; doctoral degree authorization in 11 disciplines; master’s degrees in 29 first-level disciplines and 26 professional categories; and 5 independently established interdisciplinary disciplines. It has 5 postdoctoral research stations, 1 postdoctoral workstation and 7 Jilin postgraduate workstations. Foreign languages and literatures was selected for national Double First-Class development in both 2017 and 2022. In April 2025, it became a pilot university for the interdisciplinary study of the Chinese national community. It also has 1 national key discipline, 14 Jilin distinctive high-level disciplines, 5 Jilin distinctive high-level disciplines or clusters, 1 discipline supported by Jilin’s World-Class Discipline Cultivation Plan, 3 National Ethnic Affairs Commission key disciplines, 2 National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine key disciplines, and 3 ESI top-1% disciplines.

Its 2,185 faculty and staff include appointments of 2 Chinese Academy of Engineering academicians and 3 overseas academy academicians, 20 State Council special allowance experts, 1 chief scientist for a National Key Research and Development special project, 14 national leading talents, 2 Four Batches talents under the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee, 3 national young talents, 1 nationally recognized young and middle-aged expert with outstanding contributions, 3 national Hundred, Thousand and Ten Thousand Talents Project participants, 1 national Huang Danian-style university teacher team, 3 National Model Teachers and 6 Ministry of Education New Century Excellent Talents. It has 6 State Council Academic Degrees Committee discipline evaluation group members, 4 Ministry of Education higher education teaching guidance committee members, 7 Changbai Mountain Scholar distinguished professors, 13 Changbai Talent Plan participants, 28 Jilin young and middle-aged experts with outstanding contributions and 49 Jilin top innovative talents.

The university has 30,229 students. Its 81 research institutions at provincial or ministerial level or above include the Center for North and South Korean Studies, a Ministry of Education key humanities and social sciences research base; the Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines from Changbai Mountain; the Ministry of Education Engineering Research Center for Beef Cattle Technology Innovation in Northeastern Cold Regions; and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs Key Laboratory for Innovation in Deep Processing of Distinctive High-Quality Yanbian Beef. It has established internationally recognized academic forum brands such as the Tumen River Forum and Changbai Mountain Forum. Over the past three years, it has undertaken 690 major, key and foundation projects at national, provincial and other levels and published 5196 academic papers.

Following an internationalization strategy, it has partnerships with 238 institutions and research organizations in 16 countries and regions. It steadily develops international education and is approved to receive Chinese Government Scholarship students. It is strengthening the Yanbian University Chinese-Foreign Language and Culture Exchange and Cooperation Center. Its partners include Far Eastern Federal University in Russia, Kanazawa University in Japan, Seoul National University in South Korea, Kim Il Sung University in North Korea, Stockholm University in Sweden and Boise State University in the United States. Nearly one thousand experts and scholars take part in reciprocal exchanges each year.

Guided by Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era and centered on fostering a strong sense of community for the Chinese nation, it seizes opportunities in national and Jilin Double First-Class and Double Distinctive university development. It focuses on building a new Yanbian University for the new era, strengthens the Party’s comprehensive leadership, fulfills the task of fostering virtue through education, deepens reform and improves educational quality and core competitiveness. With confidence, self-improvement and practical work, it strives to become a high-level university that is first-class nationally, known internationally and distinctly characterized.