Shenzhen, Guangdong · Founded 2011 · Double First Class
Southern University of Science and Technology 南方科技大学
SUSTech is China's boldest experiment in research university reform. Founded in 2011 in Shenzhen, it hires internationally, teaches in English and Chinese, and produces research output per faculty member that rivals much older institutions.
Overview
SUSTech is China's boldest experiment in research university reform. Founded in 2011 in Shenzhen, it hires internationally, teaches in English and Chinese, and produces research output per faculty member that rivals much older institutions.
Its faculty includes hundreds of scholars recruited from overseas, and 242 of its researchers appeared on the global top-2% scientists list. It is the best Chinese option for a young researcher who wants to work in English inside China.
History
SUSTech was established in 2011 as a public university founded by the Shenzhen municipal government with a clear mandate: to build a research university that could compete internationally within decades. Its first president was the chemist Zhu Qingshi.
The university was built around small-cohort teaching, international faculty recruitment and undergraduate research participation from the first year — a deliberate break from the traditional Chinese model.
SUSTech gained Double First Class status in 2022, unusually quickly. It now has around 11,000 students, of whom roughly half are postgraduates, and it operates a hospital and a large new campus in the Xili Lake area.
World rankings, 2017–2026
| Edition | QS | ARWU | THE |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | — | — | — |
| 2018 | — | — | — |
| 2019 | — | — | — |
| 2020 | 469 | — | — |
| 2021 | 475 | — | 251–300 |
| 2022 | 415 | — | 162 |
| 2023 | 296 | 301–400 | 166 |
| 2024 | 301 | 201–300 | 183 |
| 2025 | 284 | 201–300 | 183 |
| 2026 | 275 | 201–300 | 160 |
Compilations such as this one can lag a publisher's revisions; verify the current figure at source.
Campuses
| Campus | Location | Highlights |
|---|---|---|
| Xili Campus (Main) | 1088 Xueyuan Avenue, Nanshan District, Shenzhen | The main campus beside Xili Lake; all schools, laboratories and international student housing. |
| SUSTech School of Medicine Campus | Shenzhen | Medicine and biomedical engineering, with the affiliated Shenzhen Third People's Hospital. |
Faculty and research
Southern University of Science and Technology employs around 1,400 academic staff, including about 6 members of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Chinese Academy of Engineering. Over 90% of SUSTech faculty have overseas research experience and most research groups operate in English. Around 242 SUSTech scholars appear on the global top-2% most-cited list.
Discipline strength
| Discipline | National grade | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Materials Science & Engineering | B+ | Very high research output per faculty member. |
| Mathematics | B+ | Recruited internationally; strong in computational and applied mathematics. |
| Physics | B+ | Condensed matter and quantum materials. |
| Chemistry | B+ | Energy materials and catalysis. |
| Computer Science & Technology | B+ | AI and systems with Shenzhen industry links. |
| Biomedical Engineering | B+ | Medical imaging and bioelectronics. |
| Environmental Science & Engineering | B+ | Water treatment and sustainable energy. |
| Finance / Financial Engineering | B | Quantitative finance taught in English. |
Grades follow China's national discipline evaluation scheme (A+ is the highest). Consult the university for the most recent evaluation results.
Programmes open to international students
| Programme | Level | Language | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Materials Science and Engineering | Bachelor / Master / PhD | English | 4 / 2–3 / 4 years |
| Computer Science and Technology | Bachelor / Master | English | 4 / 3 years |
| Biomedical Engineering | Bachelor / Master | English | 4 / 3 years |
| Financial Engineering | Master | English | 2 years |
| Chinese Language Programme | Language | Chinese | 0.5–1 year |
Admissions, tuition and deadlines
Requirements
Bachelor: high school diploma, SUSTech assessment (it runs its own entrance examination for international applicants), IELTS 6.5 or TOEFL 90 since most teaching is bilingual. Graduate: degree, transcripts, two references, research plan and supervisor contact.
Deadlines and fees
Deadlines: Bachelor: December – April (assessment-based, early application advised). Graduate: rolling, typically December – April.. Application fee: CNY 600. Tuition: CNY 30,000–50,000 per year for bachelor's; master's and PhD places are commonly fully funded through faculty grants.
Scholarships
SUSTech Presidential Fellowship, Guangdong Provincial Government Scholarship, Chinese Government Scholarship, Shenzhen municipal research funding.
Notable alumni
| Alumnus | Field | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Zhu Qingshi | Founding president | Chemist and reformer of Chinese science education. |
| Chen Shiyi | President | Turbulence physicist, previously at Johns Hopkins and Brown. |
| Xia Zhihong | Mathematician | Leading SUSTech mathematician specialising in computational mathematics. |
Why students choose this university
- Ideal for a research career inside China while working in English
- Generous research funding and small group sizes
- Shenzhen is China's most dynamic technology city