Ocean University of China

Profile 

Founded in 1924 and originally called Qingdao Private University, the university was renamed Ocean University of China in 2002. Located in the beautiful coastal city of Qingdao, Ocean University of China (OUC) nestles against nearby hills and faces the blue sea lining the city. The university covers an area of 3,100 hectares, with a total floor space of 340,000 square meters.

Spread across three campuses, the university's main campus is on Yushan Road, the second in Maidao and the third, still under construction, is located between the foot of Laoshan Mountain and the sea, near the new city center. OUC is one of 13 key comprehensive universities in China accredited by the Academic Degree Evaluation Committee under the administration of the State Ministry of Education, and was the first university approved as a base for fundamental scientific research and teacher training in the disciplines of Oceanography, Marine Chemistry and Life Science and Technology.

One of the university's major initiatives is its participation in international academic exchanges. OUC has accepted international students since 1958, and has established academic exchanges and cooperation with over 120 universities and research institutions. Ocean University of China offers a vast range of programs to international students, including some specially designed for students from overseas. The programs are well-known for their advanced teaching methods and have attracted students from all around the world. Many top universities, including the UK's University of Cambridge and the University of Western Australia, have chosen to implement tailor-made courses for their undergraduate students at OUC.

Through competing both domestically and internationally, the Ocean University of China aims to reach its goal of becoming a world-famous, first-class comprehensive research university with particular strength in the area of Marine Science and Fisheries. Currently, there are over 20,000 students enrolled at the university, with more than 600 international students. Each year, overseas students from over 30 countries and regions come to study at OUC.

Programs 

Study at Chinese UniversitiesOcean University of China consists of 22 colleges and departments offering 131 programs, including bachelors degrees, masters degrees, doctoral degrees and postdoctoral research programs. International students can be accepted to study in all specialties, including subjects like Economics, Liberal Arts, Medical Sciences (Pharmaceuticals), Management, Law, Sciences, Engineering, Language and Agronomy, provided they have met the university's entry requirements.

The College of Chinese Language and Culture offers Mandarin Chinese programs and International Chinese programs to overseas students. There are 20 – 25 international students in each class. For those who are interested, optional elective courses are also available.

Mandarin Chinese courses are taught completely in Chinese and cater to different levels of proficiency: ?Elementary level (A,B), Intermediate level (C,D) and Advanced level (E). These programs offer the following courses: ?intensive reading, speaking, listening comprehension, Chinese culture, writing Chinese characters and reading Chinese newspapers and periodicals. Lessons are usually conducted from 8 am – 12 pm Monday to Friday.

Supplementary to the mandatory courses, Ocean University of China students can select a number of courses from a choice including pronunciation, news listening, newspaper reading, translation, Chinese history, selective reading of classical literary masters, business Chinese, tourism Chinese, and research on modern and contemporary writers. All courses are taught in Chinese. For a small fee, a number of non-compulsory, elective courses are also held two afternoons a week, such as Chinese kung fu, Chinese calligraphy, and writing Chinese characters, among others.

Social activities are held periodically, including trips to Laoshan Mountain, sightseeing by boat, visits to the Tsingtao Brewery, and Lantern Festival celebrations. Students have to pay additional fees if they want to participate in these activities.

Teachers 

Ocean University of China was one of the first institutions of higher learning to be accredited by the Academic Degree Evaluation Committee under the administration of the State Council. Nowadays, the university has over 2,100 teachers, researchers and lab technicians, including 360 professors and 420 associate professors and lab technicians. Among the faculty members are many domestically and internationally recognized experts and scholars.

In the Chinese Language and Culture Department, there are over 40 teachers, including professors and associate professors. All staff are highly experienced native Chinese speakers, and faculty members have received many scholarships and awards. Certified by the State Ministry of Education, the teachers apply effective, modern teaching methods based on set curricula, attracting many overseas students to come to study in OUC every year.

Campus Facilities 

Library

Ocean University of China's library is open every day from 8 am – 5:30 pm. The old library covers an area of 15,600 square meters, with the new building, currently still under construction, taking up a total space of 48,000 square meters.

The library contains over one million books, with a particular focus on oceanography and fisheries. OUC's is categorized as a second grade collection, with 640,000 books in Chinese and Korean, 160,000 books in English, Japanese and Russian, 200,000 bound volumes of back issues, 1,943 newspapers and periodicals, and over 4,000 audio-visual materials.

The university library has been designated one of 15 centers for the State Ministry of Education's Latest Literature Search. The Academic Journal of the Ocean University of China, which is published in natural science and social science editions, is periodically issued in China and abroad, and the university publishing house has produced a great number of excellent books during the past few years.

The library also has automation and digitalization facilities, offering more than 200 computers and 9 servers providing network and internet access to students for academic, professional and personal research. An electronic reading room and multimedia reading room are also available in the OUC library.


 Recreation Facilities

A large gymnasium with many sports facilities is available near the campus gate, giving students a wide choice of indoor sporting activities and physical exercise. There are also tennis courts, badminton courts, basketball courts, volleyball courts, a football field and a running track available on campus. Both international students and Chinese students can use all campus facilities. Away from the university, students can also take advantage of the beach to go swimming, sailing, diving, jet skiing or surfing. For another interesting off-campus option, students can go sightseeing or visit Qingdao's beautiful old buildings.


 Laundry

Washing machines are available in every dormitory building. For cleaning items which would otherwise be damaged by water and soap or detergent, there is a laundromat which offers dry cleaning services. This laundromat can be found easily at the campus gate.


 Banking

The Bank of China, Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, Bank of Construction and Agricultural Bank of China are all located at the campus gate. All of these banks have their own 24-hour ATMs. They provide financial services including issuing money in the form of coins, banknotes or debit cards, receiving deposits, lending money and processing transactions.


 Medical Care

A small medical clinic is available on campus offering Chinese medicine at reasonable prices. Clinic staff speak Chinese and the doctors are on duty 24 hours a day.

The city has an international hospital called Qingdao Dongbu Private Hospital, which is the biggest hospital in Qingdao and provides foreign and Chinese doctors, with most staff speaking good English. The hospital has a well-stocked pharmacy offering Western medicine and TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) ingredients. Payment can be made by cash or credit card. Qingdao Dongbu is a ten-minute walk from the campus, is open 24 hours a day and appointments can be made by calling (86523) 8593 7676.


 Food & Groceries

The university provides several dining halls on campus. All dining halls provide Chinese food and eating in the dining halls three times a day costs around RMB 800 a month. There is also a coffee shop on campus, which is open from 9 am – 9 pm every day.

For daily goods, a convenience store is available on campus. Off campus and within 20 minutes waking distance, there is a Carrefour supermarket stocking different kinds of foods from assorted places and cultures, in addition to clothing and household items.


 Postal Services

There is a post office just ten minutes away from the campus offering mail-related services such as post boxes, postage stamps and packaging supplies. Small packages containing other materials can also be delivered to destinations around the world.

Accommodation 

The Ocean University of China offers single and double rooms dormitory accommodation for international students. Every room is equipped with a central heating system, air conditioner, TV, telephone, private toilet and basic furniture such as a desk, chair, and bed. There are public kitchens equipped with refrigerators, stoves and other cooking facilities on each floor.

Location 

From the airport to the university: ?30 minutes by car

From the train station to the university: ?20 minutes by car