Nanning University was established in 1985, originally under the name “ Yongjiang University”, a private vocational college founded by the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Regional Committee of the Revolutionary Committee of Chinese Kuomintang. In 2009, Nanning Municipal People’s Government became a co-organizer of the school. In 2012, it was upgraded to a full-fledged undergraduate university and renamed “Nanning University” (UNN). It successfully passed the Ministry of Education’s evaluation of undergraduate teaching quality in 2019, and in 2021, was approved as a newly-added master’s degree granting unit in Guangxi. Nanning University has been recognized with many honors at both national and regional levels. It’s one of China’s first pilot universities of applied technology and a pilot program for the transformation and development of newly-established undergraduate universities in Guangxi. It’s also among the first in Guangxi for deepening innovation and entrepreneurship education reform, constructing innovation and entrepreneurship colleges and implementing the College Student Innovation and Entrepreneurship Training Program. Furthermore, UNN holds the title of a national outstanding base for arts and crafts education.

School Philosophy

The university adheres to the socialist direction of education, upholds the non-profit principle, and maintains a local, applied and engineering positioning. It operates with the educational concept of “Application, Openness, New Experience” and is guided by the motto of "Self-discipline, Self-improvement, Great Virtue, Profound Knowledge" and the core values of “Self-reliance, Responsibility, Excellence and Usefulness”. The university remains dedicated to its core mission of strengthening moral education and cultivating all-rounded talents through a comprehensive education system that integrates moral, intellectual, physical, aesthetic, and labor education. To serve regional economic needs, the university collaborates closely with industries, employs competency-based, problem-driven teaching methods and deepens its innovation and entrepreneurship programs. The goal is to cultivate highly capable, applied graduates who are morally grounded, employable, entrepreneurial, and prepared for future success, building a distinctive and nationally recognized university of applied technology.

School Facilities

UNN boasts excellent infrastructure and a picturesque campus environment. It covers a land area of 752,100 m² with a total floor area of 663,500 m². The value of teaching and research equipment amounts to 300.9 million yuan and the library holds 1,759.4 thousand printed books and 2,584.3 thousand electronic books. The university has established 1 Guangxi key laboratory, 2 Guangxi-level experimental teaching demonstration centers, 10 ministerial/provincial-level teaching-research platforms, and 15 municipal/bureau-level platforms. It also maintains 319 on-campus experimental and training labs, along with 179 off-campus internship bases. Recognized with honors such as the “Second Guangxi Civilized Campus” (2020) and “Guangxi’s First Batch of Green Schools” (2022), the university is also home to the “Bugu Lake” scenic area, a national AAA-level tourist attraction.

Academic Programs

UNN dynamically adjusts its disciplinary and program structure based on societal demands, initially forming a coordinated development pattern with engineering as the main focus and multiple disciplines growing in synergy. It currently offers 5 major disciplines: Engineering, Management, Economics, Arts and Education, including 18 first-level disciplines. The university has secured approval for 1 Guangxi Key (Fostering) Discipline and 3 master’s programs under development. It comprises 10 professional colleges and offers 40 undergraduate majors. Among these, 4 are recognized as Guangxi First-Class Major Construction Sites, and 9 are designated as Key Characteristic and Advantageous Majors at the autonomous region level. The university has a full-time enrollment of 22,598 students, with a full-time equivalent enrollment of 22,684.9, including 22,597 undergraduate students. Over the past 40 years, the university has cultivated more than 70,000 applied talents for the nation.

Faculty Team

UNN adheres to a talent-strengthening strategy and continuously develops a high-quality teaching faculty. Currently, the total full-time equivalent teaching staff is 1,363.5, including 1,196 in-house full-time faculty members. Among them, 88.21% hold master’s or higher degrees, and 35.12% hold senior professional titles. Faculty members have received 286 honorary titles, including National Outstanding Teacher, National Young and Middle-Aged Expert with Outstanding Contributions, Autonomous Region-Level Teaching Master, Autonomous Region Model Teacher, Autonomous Region High-Level Talent, National Outstanding Counselor in Private Higher Education Institutions, and Nanning High-Level Talent. Since the start of the “14th Five-Year Plan” period, faculty members have won 4 national third prizes in the National College Teaching Innovation Competition, along with 5 autonomous region first prizes, 8 second prizes, and 9 third prizes. The university has also established 2 autonomous region-level virtual teaching research offices, 3 autonomous region-level grassroots teaching organizations, 1 autonomous region-level curriculum ideology demonstration grassroots teaching organization, 7 autonomous region-level curriculum ideology teaching masters and teams, and 2 second-batch Guangxi High-Level Counselor Studio Cultivation and Construction Projects. Since the inception of undergraduate education, the university has received 18 autonomous region-level teaching achievement awards.

Scientific Research

UNN focuses on the needs of regional economic and social development, achieving notable results in scientific research and technological development. During the “14th Five-Year Plan” period, faculty members undertook 1,265 research projects, including 567 vertical projects (comprising 5 National Social Science Fund projects, 9 National Natural Science Fund projects, and 113 ministerial/provincial-level projects) and 698 horizontal research projects. Total research funding reached 189 million yuan. Faculty members published 675 high-level papers, obtained 307 authorized patents, and achieved 322 instances of patent and software copyright commercialization. The university received 9 ministerial/provincial-level scientific research awards and national industry research awards. It has been certified under the university intellectual property management system and serves as the Guangxi Workstation for the Integration and Development of Intellectual Property and Technological Innovations. In the 2024 Scientific Research Competitiveness Ranking of Chinese Private Undergraduate Universities released by the China Science and Education Evaluation Network, UNN ranked 43rd.

International Communication

UNN is committed to an open approach in education and continuously deepens its international exchanges and cooperation. So far, UNN has initiated the establishment of the “BuGu” (Virtue Not Alone) Alliance with 10 domestic applied universities and co-founded the “YouLin” (Virtue Has Neighbors) Alliance with 6 universities in Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam, aiming to promote talent cultivation, student exchanges, and academic research among member institutions. These collaborations have facilitated various international activities, with nearly 300 faculty members and students participating in exchange programs, cultural study tours, and further education opportunities. UNN actively fosters partnerships with over 200 enterprises, including Huawei and Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC), and has established cooperation with 71 overseas universities and institutions. UNN has been approved to establish 3 Nanning International Science and Technology Cooperation Demonstration Bases. Furthermore, leveraging the Guangxi China-ASEAN Comprehensive Transportation International Joint Key Laboratory, it has set up a “Guangxi Transportation New Technology Transfer Sub-Center” in Thailand.

Talent Cultivation

Adhering to its applied undergraduate orientation, UNN deepens industry-education integration and focuses on enhancing the quality of applied talent training. UNN collaborates with industries to establish 8 modern industry colleges. The Modern Industry College of Food Quality and Safety has been approved as a Guangxi Modern Model Industry College - the only one among private universities in Guangxi. Efforts are strengthened in applied curriculum development and practical teaching. UNN has secured 5 National-level First-class Undergraduate Courses and 12 Provincial-level First-class Undergraduate Courses, alongside 7 Provincial-level Course Ideology and Politics Demonstration Courses. During the “14th Five-Year Plan” period, students have won 401 national-level awards and 2,427 provincial-level awards in disciplinary competitions. In the China International College Students’ Innovation Competition, students have achieved outstanding results, including 1 National Gold Prize, 7 National Silver Prizes, and 19 National Bronze Prizes, along with 65 provincial gold medals, 122 silver medals, and 263 bronze medals. UNN’s performance ranks among the top in Guangxi, earning it the Guangxi Outstanding Organization Award for 11 consecutive years. According to the National Ranking of Student Competitions for Newly-Established Undergraduate Universities (2019-2023) released by the China Association of Higher Education, UNN ranked 47th among approximately 700 newly-established undergraduate institutions nationwide. The initial employment rate of graduates has consistently surpassed the average for Guangxi universities, and UNN has been honored as an Outstanding Unit for Graduate Employment and Entrepreneurship Work in Guangxi for 12 consecutive years.

(Data updated as of October 24, 2025. University Website: https://www.unn.edu.cn)