Xiamen University
Xiamen University is a public Chinese research university founded in 1921, serving 47,000+ students across 35 schools and four campuses including Malaysia, with nationally top-rated programs in marine science (A+) and accounting, multiple State Key Laboratories, and a global consortium of 73 partner universities.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1921
- HeadquartersXiamen, China
- Headcount—
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Xiamen University does
Xiamen University (XMU) is a public research university founded in 1921 in Xiamen, Fujian Province, China, operating under the Chinese Ministry of Education. It serves more than 47,000 students (21,000+ undergraduates and 26,000+ graduates) across 35 schools and 106 undergraduate programs through four physical campuses — Siming (167 hectares), Xiang'an, Zhangzhou (171 hectares), and Xiamen University Malaysia (XMUM), the first overseas campus of a Chinese university, established in 2016 and marking its 10th anniversary in 2026. XMU is nationally distinguished by an A+ rating in marine science, first-place national rankings in accounting (2002 and 2007), and consecutive Grade A evaluations of its State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces across five reviews from 1994 to 2014.
The university's research portfolio spans multiple State Key Laboratories — Marine Environmental Science, Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular Diagnostics, and Cellular Stress Biology — plus the provincial Tan Kah Kee Innovation Laboratory, which holds more than 500 million yuan in equipment across 70,000+ square meters of research space including Class 100/1000 cleanrooms. Notable technical outputs include the world's first Hepatitis E vaccine (NIDVD), 300+ patents from the Physical Chemistry laboratory, and in 2026 alone three Nature journal papers, first-author acceptance at OSDI 2026 for the ValScope DBMS testing tool (which uncovered 67 previously unknown logical bugs), and two IEEE TPAMI acceptances for AI research (DOtA++ and CPD++). The university anchors the University Consortium of the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road (UCMSR), which expanded to 73 member institutions across five continents in June 2026.
XMU's business model combines tuition and fees from domestic and international students (including scholarship programs such as Chinese Government, Hanban, Tan Kah Kee, Fujian Provincial, and XMU Scholarships), research grants from the Ministry of Science and Technology, National Natural Science Foundation of China, and provincial departments, and revenue from international student programs and the Malaysia overseas campus. Distribution is anchored by direct admissions channels, a dedicated international student portal, multi-campus physical operations, and the UCMSR network. Customer-facing digital infrastructure includes a UnionPay-integrated digital campus card, WeChat mini programs (XMUSPORTS, XMULibrary), eduroam campus Wi-Fi, and internal academic/LMS platforms. The university is governed by President Hu Wenping and University Council Chairman Zhang Rong (CAS Academician).
Xiamen University firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Xiamen University
- Legal name
- Xiamen University
- Website
- https://en.xmu.edu.cn
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1921
- Operating status
- Operating
- Short description
- Xiamen University is a public Chinese research university founded in 1921, serving 47,000+ students across 35 schools and four campuses including Malaysia, with nationally top-rated programs in marine science (A+) and accounting, multiple State Key Laboratories, and a global consortium of 73 partner universities.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Xiamen University industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Higher Education
- NAICS
- Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (61131)
- akta.pro primary industry
- International & Global Research Universities (Multi-Campus/International Footprint) (EDAHABAI)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Public Research Universities with Engineering/Polytechnic Emphasis (EDAHAAAD)
Keywords
Where Xiamen University is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Xiamen
- HQ country
- China
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices4 records
Markets served
Xiamen University business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Operations
Revenue model
- Tuition and Fees: Revenue from undergraduate, master's, and doctoral degree programs for both domestic and international students through comprehensive recruitment and education services.
- Research Grants and Funding: Significant research funding from government sources including the Ministry of Science and Technology, National Natural Science Foundation of China, and provincial departments. The university conducts funded research across multiple disciplines.
- International Student Programs: Revenue from international student recruitment, Chinese international education, and overseas campus operations (Xiamen University Malaysia).
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Annual | International Student Scholarships |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels7 records
Xiamen University product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Xiamen University is a public research university that delivers undergraduate, master's, and doctoral degree programs to over 47,000 students across four Chinese campuses (Siming, Xiang'an, Zhangzhou, and Tan Kah Kee Innovation Laboratory) and one overseas campus in Malaysia. Core offerings include international student recruitment and scholarship programs, State Key Laboratory research services in marine science, chemistry, and vaccinology, and the XMUM international branch campus serving Southeast Asian students.
Product overview
Xiamen University is a comprehensive research university offering educational services across multiple campuses in China and Malaysia. The university's product portfolio consists of core educational infrastructure services including physical and digital campus cards for identity verification and payments, library services and learning commons across multiple campuses, campus network infrastructure (XMUNET+, XMU-DORM, eduroam), academic services platform for student records and schedules, online learning management system, sports venue reservation, and research laboratories. The physical and digital campus cards serve as the primary access and payment mechanism across all services. The university also operates specialized state key laboratories including Marine Environmental Science, Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, and Tan Kah Kee Innovation Laboratory for research. Xiamen University Malaysia (XMUM) serves as the international branch campus offering the same educational services.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Undergraduate Degree Programs Bachelor's degree programs across 106 disciplines spanning humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, engineering, medicine, marine studies, and the arts, serving 21,000+ undergraduate students across XMU's campuses in China and Malaysia.
- Graduate Degree Programs Master's and doctoral degree programs across XMU's research-strong disciplines, serving 26,000+ graduate students with thesis-based research training and access to State Key Laboratories.
- International Student Programs Recruitment, admission, scholarship support, and academic services for international students pursuing degree programs at XMU campuses in China and Malaysia, supported by a dedicated international student services office.
- Xiamen University Malaysia (XMUM) International branch campus located in Sepang, Malaysia, offering undergraduate and graduate degree programs in Kah Kee style architecture with People's Great Hall, Furong Lake, and a 1-million-volume library capacity.
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science State-level research laboratory dedicated to cutting-edge research on global change with focus on marine biogeochemistry and ecosystem interactions, recognized as one of the best state key labs in MOST's nationwide reviews.
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces State-level research laboratory focused on chemical sciences of solid surfaces and interfaces covering catalysis, electrochemistry, and structural/theoretical chemistry, publishing in Nature and Science journals.
- Tan Kah Kee Innovation Laboratory Provincial innovation laboratory focusing on efficient energy storage, low-carbon energy systems, future display technologies, advanced materials, advanced equipment, and energy policies, with super-precision laboratories and cleanroom facilities.
- National Institute of Diagnostics and Vaccine Development in Infectious Diseases (NIDVD) Research institute developing novel human vaccines, biological therapeutic products, diagnostic reagents, and biomarkers for infectious and chronic diseases, operating E. coli-based protein expression platforms and in vitro/in vivo experimental models.
- Xiamen Atomistic Computing Suite (XACS) Cloud-based open-source platform delivering AI-driven quantum chemistry simulations with near gold-standard accuracy at reduced computational cost, supporting academic and industrial computational chemistry research.
Quantifiable outcome
- XMU's marine science discipline rated A+ in national academic assessments
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Xiamen University
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Xiamen University technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration4 records
AI capability9 records
Feature6 records
Xiamen University partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
17 partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.
- University of MacaocoreXMU School of Economics and Faculty of Business Administration at University of Macao signed memorandum of understanding forming a long-term academic partnership for finance research collaboration.
- Nnamdi Azikiwe University (Nigeria)coreNew member institution joining the University Consortium of the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road (UCMSR), expanding XMU's global academic network to 73 member universities across five continents.
- Prince of Songkla University (Thailand)coreNew UCMSR member joining the consortium, strengthening XMU's maritime silk road educational cooperation with Southeast Asian institutions.
- Royal University of Law and Economics (Cambodia)coreNew UCMSR member strengthening legal and economic academic exchanges along the maritime silk road corridor.
- Universitas Gadjah Mada (Indonesia)coreNew UCMSR member from Indonesia, one of two Indonesian universities joining in this expansion round.
- Universitas Pelita Harapan (Indonesia)coreNew UCMSR member from Indonesia, strengthening XMU's academic network in Southeast Asia's largest economy.
- Peking UniversityflagshipCo-founding partner of the China-ASEAN Association of Translation, Interpreting and Communication, an open non-profit organization initiated by XMU with institutions from China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.
- Fudan UniversityflagshipCo-founding partner of the China-ASEAN Association of Translation, Interpreting and Communication alongside Peking University, XMU, and institutions from multiple ASEAN countries.
- National University of SingaporecoreCo-founding member of the China-ASEAN Association of Translation, Interpreting and Communication representing Singapore in the multilateral academic collaboration.
- University of MalayacoreParticipating institution in the China-ASEAN Association of Translation, Interpreting and Communication with XMU as the initiating institution.
- Tsinghua UniversityflagshipCollaborative research partner in AI-powered motion capture technology, with Dr. Yipeng Qin from Cardiff University winning Best Paper Award at SIGGRAPH 2025 for research conducted jointly with XMU and Tsinghua.
- Cardiff UniversitycoreResearch collaboration partner in motion capture technology research, with Dr. Yipeng Qin winning Best Paper Award at SIGGRAPH 2025 for joint work with XMU and Tsinghua University.
- University of Hong KongcoreJoint study with XMU's College of the Environment and Ecology and Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory on subsoil enhanced nitrification layer (ENL) research published in Nature Communications.
- Huazhong University of Science and TechnologycoreCollaborating institution in Nature publication on lithium-sulfur battery research led by XMU's Sun Shigang and Professor Liao Honggang with Professor Huang Yunhui's team.
- Northwestern UniversitycoreResearch partnership in lithium-rich cathode study published in Nature, with Research Assistant Professor Li Jiantao contributing from Northwestern University.
- University of OxfordflagshipInternational collaboration with Professor Sebastian Shimeld on vertebrate brain cell type evolution research published in Nature, representing XMU's collaboration with leading global institutions.
- Xiamen University MalaysiaflagshipDr. Zulkifly Abbas from Xiamen University Malaysia contributes to AI and data center research discussions, highlighting the international collaboration between main campus and overseas branch.
Scale indicators13 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Xiamen University competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Peking University: China's flagship research university and co-founding partner of China-ASEAN Association alongside XMU. While broader in prestige and resource base, it competes directly with XMU for top students, faculty, and research funding across disciplines.
- Tsinghua University: China's top engineering and computer science university and XMU research partner on AI motion-capture research. Larger and more established, but competes with XMU for AI talent and research funding.
Direct peers
- Zhejiang University: Top-ranked Chinese research university with broad disciplinary coverage including marine science, AI, and life sciences. Comparable to XMU in operating model, scale, and government research funding structure.
- Nanjing University: One of China's oldest and most prestigious research universities, with comparable breadth across natural sciences, social sciences, and engineering. Similar historical standing and government research funding model to XMU.
- Huazhong University of Science and Technology: Major Chinese research university with strong engineering and science programs, and a research collaboration partner with XMU on Nature lithium-sulfur battery publications. Comparable in scale, STEM focus, and state key laboratory infrastructure.
- Fudan University: Top-tier Chinese research university in Shanghai with strong international profile and co-founding partner of China-ASEAN Association alongside XMU. Comparable in scale, public research university model, and emphasis on graduate programs.
- Sun Yat-sen University: Comprehensive Chinese research university in Guangzhou with similar scale, multiple campuses, and strong STEM and social science programs. Both are top-tier public universities with significant international student recruitment and broad disciplinary offerings comparable to XMU.
- Wuhan University: Comprehensive Chinese research university with strong reputation across humanities, sciences, and engineering. Comparable to XMU in multi-campus structure, public research university status, and international partnership approach.
Regional players
- University of Hong Kong: Leading Asian research university with comparable international research profile and active collaboration with XMU on environmental research (Nature Communications publication). Competes for top Mainland Chinese students and research talent.
- National University of Singapore: Top Asian research university and co-founding partner of the China-ASEAN Association with XMU. Competes with XMU for ASEAN-region international students and research talent, particularly at graduate level.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Xiamen University social profiles
Digital presenceXiamen University financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Xiamen University leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles10 records
Xiamen University subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Xiamen University funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Xiamen University M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Xiamen University
What does Xiamen University do?
Xiamen University is a public research university that delivers undergraduate, master's, and doctoral degree programs to over 47,000 students across four Chinese campuses (Siming, Xiang'an, Zhangzhou, and Tan Kah Kee Innovation Laboratory) and one overseas campus in Malaysia. Core offerings include international student recruitment and scholarship programs, State Key Laboratory research services in marine science, chemistry, and vaccinology, and the XMUM international branch campus serving Southeast Asian students.
Is Xiamen University a public or private company?
Xiamen University is a private company. It is classified as state government owned and is currently operating.
When was Xiamen University founded?
Xiamen University was founded in 1921.
Where is Xiamen University based?
Xiamen University is headquartered in Xiamen, China, in the Asia region.
How does Xiamen University make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Tuition and Fees are the primary driver. The others are research Grants and Funding and international Student Programs.
Who are Xiamen University's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Peking University and Tsinghua University. Direct peers are Zhejiang University, Nanjing University, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Fudan University, Sun Yat-sen University and Wuhan University. Regional players are University of Hong Kong and National University of Singapore.
Does Xiamen University have an API?
No public API is recorded for Xiamen University.
What industry is Xiamen University in?
Xiamen University's product category is Higher Education. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAHABAI, International & Global Research Universities (Multi-Campus/International Footprint), with a secondary code of EDAHAAAD, Public Research Universities with Engineering/Polytechnic Emphasis. Its NAICS code is 6113.