Brief Introduction to Guangzhou Maritime University

（Updated to June. 2021）

Founded in 1964, Guangzhou Maritime University is a public university managed by the Guangzhou Municipal People’s Government and meanwhile the only independent maritime university in South China. The university gains its reputation as a Civilized Campus in Guangdong Province and participates in the characteristic discipline strengthening program in Guangdong’s education plan to strive for first-rate universities, make up for weaknesses and strengthen characteristics of colleges and universities. It has been awarded a provincial pilot institution by the People’s Armed Forces Department of Guangdong Province and the Advanced Institution for Conscription Work in Guangdong Province for six consecutive years; it is a maritime academy recognized by the International Maritime Organization and an important training base for senior talents in the shipping industry in South China, which is known as the cradle of navigators.

Guangzhou Maritime University is located in Guangzhou, an important national center city, covering an area of more than 680,000 square meters. It has two campuses. The Huangpu campus is adjacent to the world-famous Huangpu Military Academy, and the Pazhou campus is located in the Huangpu ancient port, the origin of the Ancient Maritime Silk Road.

Following the schooling philosophy of cultivation in moral composition, learning for practice, reinforcement from service and development with specialization as well as adhering to the motto of Diligent, Thinking, Virtues and Innovation, GMU devoted to building a distinctive high-level application-oriented university based in Guangdong Province, relying on the industry and facing South China and the ocean so as to serve the construction of Guangzhou International Shipping Center as well as regional economy and industry development, and to contribute to construction of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and Ocean Power strategy.

GMU is characterized by maritime education and follows the international requirements. It focuses on engineering discipline with coordinated development of multi-disciplines, aiming to cultivate application-oriented senior specialized talents with certain discipline knowledge background, solid professional foundation, innovative thinking, strong application ability, high comprehensive quality, international vision and social responsibility, and front-line service production and management.

The university focuses on undergraduate education and tries hard to develop postgraduate education; Its disciplines and majors are characterized by serving maritime affairs, with engineering as the main, forming a pattern of coordinated development of engineering, management, economics, literature, law, art and other disciplines .

Faculty

GMU attaches great importance to the construction of teaching staff team and now has a strong teaching force. Currently, there are 620 full-time teachers, among whom 217 are with senior professional titles (48 are professors, 1 Changjiang Scholars, and 1 New Century Excellent Talent of the Ministry of Education). There are 504 teachers with master's degree or above, including 102 teachers with doctor's degree.

There are 854 faculty members including 610 full-time teachers, among whom 222 are associate professors or above, accounting for 36.39% of full-time teachers; 496 are with doctoral and master's degrees accounting for 81.31%; 237 dual-qualified teachers, accounting for 38.85%. The school currently employs 1 national outstanding worker in science and technology, 1 Yangtze River scholar, 1 winner of the National Science Fund for Outstanding Youth, 3 New Century Outstanding Talents awarded by the Ministry of Education, 4 experts enjoying special government allowances from the State Council, and 1 expert from the review panel of the National Natural Science Foundation of China, 2 members of the Teaching Steering Committee of Higher Education of the Ministry of Education, 1 national May 1st Labor Medal winner, 6 Nan Yue Outstanding Teachers, 2 Nan Yue Outstanding Education Workers, and 7 outstanding Nan Yue Teaching Teachers, and 1 provincial-level advanced individual of teacher ethics. Among the teachers, two senior captains have been appointed by the Central Military Commission and the Ministry of Communications to serve as captains of the Gulf of Aden Escort of the Chinese Navy for three times.

Discipline and Specialty

The university has 17 teaching units, including the School of Navigation, School of Marine Engineering, School of Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering, School of Port and Shipping Management, School of Harbor Engineering, School of Computer Science and Information Engineering and School of Marxism, and 32 undergraduate majors comprising Navigation Technology, Marine Engineering, Marine Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Transportation, Harbour Navigable Channel and Coastal Engineering, Communication Engineering, Communication Engineering, Ship and Ocean Engineering, Maritime Management, Cruise Ship Engineering and Management (3 majors namely Navigation technology, Marine engineering, and Transportation were selected as provincial first-class undergraduate major construction site). The GMU recruits students from 28 provinces, municipalities, and autonomous regions across the country. The university currently has 12,082 full-time students and 5,507 continuing education students.

The Experimental Training

There are 123 on-campus laboratories, including 1 on-campus practice factory and 1 well-equipped aquatic training center and 88 off-campus practice bases. It has cooperated with COSCO Shipping Bulk Cargo Co., Ltd. to build 4 practice ships and it also enjoys a teaching yacht named GMU No.1.

Talent Cultivation

The Marine Talents Training and Collaborative Education Center of GMU has been recognized as the first batch of provincial collaborative education platforms. Moreover,16 provincial talent training base construction projects and demonstrative specialty construction projects have been approved. One IMO model course has been built, and 12 provincial-level high-quality resource-sharing courses, high-quality open video courses and other high-quality courses have been obtained. Students have won 203 national awards and 298 provincial awards in various discipline skills competitions and the teachers have won 5 national and provincial teaching achievement awards.

Since its establishment 56 years ago, the university has been committed to serving the national shipping industry and regional economic development, and has sent nearly 70,000 talents to the society. A large number of graduates hold leading positions and business backbone in the shipping, port, waterway, maritime affairs, customs, maritime salvage and other areas in South China. The employment rate of the graduates has always been among the best among the universities at the same level in the province. The graduates' professional quality and professional dedication have been highly affirmed and widely praised by employers.

Scientific Research and Social Services

At present, the university has 4 Guangdong Engineering Technology Development Centers, 5 Guangdong University Engineering Technology Research Centers, and more than 10 university-level research and development platforms such as the Shipping Research Institute of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and the Institute of Marine New Materials. In recent years, it has won more than 100 national projects supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China, key projects of the National Education and Science Planning of the Ministry of Education, major projects of Guangdong Science and Technology Plan and other provincial and ministerial projects. GMU has won two Third Prize of Provincial Science and Technology Progress and one Second Prize of Guangdong Development Research Award.

The university has strengthened ties with the industry and cooperated with the industry-university-research institute. It has established long-term cooperative relations with the IMO and Guangzhou Port Group Co., Ltd., and assisted the IMO and Guangdong Provincial Government in formulating and compiling relevant management measures and providing technical support. Moreover, GMU actively carry out training for enterprises and public institutions in the industry, such as crew training, road safety training, staff training of Maritime Safety Administration, ship management training of COSCO Shipping Bulk Cargo Transportation Co., Ltd., to meet the training needs of the industry.

It has provided effective proposals to government departments, which were affirmed by leaders of the State Council, Guangdong Province and Guangzhou City, and strongly promoted the development of Guangdong's shipping economy. In 2017, the Suggestions on Improving the Supporting Policies for the Development of Marine Industry as Soon as Possible was approved by Vice Premier Ma Kai. In 2017, Proposal on Focusing on Building an International Aviation Logistics Center and Promoting the Construction of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area was selected as the key proposal supervised by the provincial governor. The proposal of the Guangzhou Municipal People's Political Consultative Conference in 2009 -To formulate port economic development strategy and promote the implementation of the Pearl River Delta Development Planning Outline, was designated as the key supervision proposal of the Municipal Party Committee Secretary in 2009.

The university recommended and selected two experienced captains to participate in the naval escort missions of the 9th, 14th and 22nd naval escort fleets in the Gulf of Aden, fully displaying the good spirit of seafarers, promoting China's reputation and winning honor for the university.

International Exchange and Cooperation

GMU has always attached much importance to the process of internationalization, has promoted exchange and cooperation with around 50 universities or education groups in nearly 20 countries or regions and has signed cooperation agreements or memos with some of the above institutions in terms of research,teaching and exchange in teachers and students. GMU is a member of GlobalMet (Global Maritime Education and Training Association), AMETIAP (Asia Pacific Association of Maritime Schools), and HKSOA (Hong Kong Shipowners Association). The university has established close exchanges and cooperation with dozens of well-known foreign universities such as University of Plymouth, University of Technology Sydney, University of Padua, Fairfield University, World Maritime University in Sweden and so on. More than 10 high-end research centers have been set up by various forms of cooperation such as Sino-British Joint Maritime Research Center, Pan-Pearl River Delta International Maritime Innovation Research Institute, China-ASEAN Think Tank Network Maritime Cooperation Base, Guangzhou International Maritime Economy Research Center and so on. GMU has cooperated with the University of Technology Sydney, Curtin University in Sydney, Dresden International University in Germany and some other universities to carry out undergraduate double degree or postgraduate joint training programs.

In 2018, the Guangdong Provincial Party Committee and the Guangzhou Municipal Party Committee decided to build Guangzhou Jiaotong University on the basis of Guangzhou Maritime University. In April 2021, the construction project of Guangzhou Jiaotong University was officially approved by the Guangzhou Development and Reform Commission. The 14th Five-Year Plan announced by the Guangzhou Municipal Government in May 2021 clearly stated to accelerate the construction of Guangzhou Jiaotong University to build a high-level and distinctive application-oriented university. In May 2021, GMU was approved as a master's degree granting project construction unit in Guangdong Province.

History

In 1964, Guangzhou Maritime Administration Bureau of Ministry of Communications established Guangzhou Maritime School.

In 1981, with the approval of the Ministry of Communications, Guangzhou Maritime School and Guangzhou Water Transportation Industrial School were merged to set Guangzhou Maritime School directly under the Ministry of Communications.

In 1992, with the approval of the State Education Commission, Guangzhou Maritime School and Guangzhou Marine Branch of Wuhan Institute of Water Transportation Engineering merged to form Guangzhou Maritime College directly under the Ministry of Communications.

In 1998, Guangzhou Maritime College was transferred to the administration of Guangdong Provincial People's Government.

In 2002, with the approval of the People's Government of Guangdong Province, Guangzhou Waterway Engineering School was merged into Guangzhou Maritime College.

In 2013, with the approval of the Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, Guangzhou Maritime College was upgraded to a normal undergraduate college and changed its name to Guangzhou Maritime University.

In 2019, the university was handed over to the People's Government of Guangzhou Municipality.

In 2020, the executive meeting of the Guangzhou Municipal Government reviewed and approved the Work Plan for the Preparatory Establishment of Guangzhou Jiaotong University. The legal entity of Guangzhou Jiaotong University (under Preparation) was registered and listed, and was fully responsible for the preparatory work of Jiaotong University. In December 2020, the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Education Development Plan jointly issued by the Ministry of Education and Guangdong Province listed the construction of Guangzhou Jiaotong University as a key task.

In April 2021, the construction project of Guangzhou Jiaotong University was officially approved by the Guangzhou Development and Reform Commission.

In May 2021, the Guangzhou Municipal Bureau of Planning and Natural Resources announced the site selection of 413 acres of land acquired by Guangzhou Jiaotong University around the Huangpu campus of Guangzhou Maritime University.

In May 2021, the 14th Five-Year Plan announced by the Guangzhou Municipal Government clearly stated to accelerate the construction of Guangzhou Jiaotong University so as to build a high-level and distinctive application-oriented university.