Shanghai Ocean University, formerly known as Jiangsu Provincial Fisheries College, was founded in 1912 by Zhang Jian and Huang Yanpei. It is a multi-disciplinary applied research-based institution of higher education jointly established by Shanghai Municipal People’s Government, State Oceanic Administration and the Ministry of Agriculture, and was upgraded to China’s first undergraduate institution of fisheries---Shanghai Fisheries College in 1952. It was renamed as Shanghai Fisheries University in 1985 and Shanghai Ocean University in 2008. And in September, 2017, it was selected by Ministry of Education into the “Double First-Class Initiative” program for its First-Class Discipline of fisheries. The school motto was defined on September 1st, 1914 as “Diligence, Sincerity, Dedication and Practicality”.

At present, the university has two campuses, namely, Hu cheng huang Road campus in Pudong New Area and Jungong Road campus. Huchenghuan Road campus covers an area of about 1,600 mu and its planned construction area is 586,000 square meters.

The university enjoys a well-developed education system, well-known preponderant disciplines and remarkable research findings, offering postgraduate, undergraduate and college education, continuing education, and education for foreign students. In addition to three post-doctoral research stations, three doctoral degree programs of LevelⅠacademic disciplines, ten master degree programs of Level I academic disciplines, four professional master degree programs, 47 undergraduate programs, and ten 10 higher vocational programs, the university has one national key academic discipline, three Shanghai “Gaofeng” and “Gaoyuan” academic disciplines, three Shanghai Leve II academic disciplines, nine key academic disciplines at the provincial and ministerial level, five national specialties, three national premium courses, 20 Shanghai premium courses, two Shanghai premium courses of physical and health education, eight Shanghai model English courses, one national and four municipal teaching teams, and two national demonstration centers for experimental teaching. Moreover, the university has won seven First Prizes and fourteen Second Prizes of Shanghai Teaching Achievement. Since the 12th Five Year Plan, the university has achieved many significant research results in natural sciences, humanity, philosophy, and social sciences, and made significant contributions in the fields of aquaculture, marine fisheries, marine resources, aquatic products processing, food safety, low-temperature logistics of agricultural products, fishery economic management, accompanied with one National Science and Technology Progress Award, eighteen awards at the provincial and ministerial level, and three awards of Shanghai Decision-making and Consultation.

With its 14 faculties, the university accommodates about 12,000 full-time undergraduates and over 3,800 full-time graduate students, as well as more than 1,300 faculty members and staff, including over 800 teaching staff and researchers, among whom nearly 500 have senior professional titles and more than 600 are doctoral and master supervisors. The university is home to two double-employed academicians, two winners of the National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars, six members of New Century Hundred, two members of the 7th Discipline Appraisal Group of the State Council, thirteen winners of Special Government Allowances of the State Council, one member of Youth Science and Technology Innovation Leader of the Ministry of Science and Technology, two members of Program for New Century Excellent Talents in University, two provincial experts with outstanding contributions, six members of Program for Shanghai Outstanding Leaders, nine excellent Shanghai academic leaders, two excellent Shanghai technological leaders, two provincial and municipal distinguished teachers, two members of provincial Hundred, and three presidents of the first-level academic societies. It boasts a strong teaching team, consisting of eighteen scholars of Dawn Program of Shanghai Education Commission, 21 scholars of Shanghai Pujiang Program, ten scholars of Shanghai Rising-Star Program, six scholars of Sunshine Program and eight scholars of Dawn Program.

The university has established Marine Science Research Institute of Shanghai Ocean University, consisting of 13 research institutes such as Marine Economy Research Center, Marine Culture Research Center, Marine Policy and Law Research Institute, Digital Ocean research institute, GIS Laboratory of Marine Fishery Remote Sensing, China-US Research Center for Marine Remote Sensing, Laboratory of Marine Ecosystem and Environment,Research Institute of Marine Eco-environment and Remediation, Research Center for Pelagic Fishery Engineering Technology, Marine Engineering Research Institute, Research Institute of Marine Drugs and Health Food, Research Institute of Marine Bio-system and Neuro science and Laboratory of Ballast Water Testing. The university has also established Research Center for Development Strategy of Chinese Fisheries, Public Administration Research Institute, Foreign Languages Research Institute, Translation and Dictionaries Research Center, Fishery Culture Research Institute, History Museum, Museum of Shanghai Ocean University, Aquatic Life and Science and Technology Museum, Whale Museum, Campus Culture of College Students Exhibition Room, and world-renowned Fish Laboratory (Specimen Room). The university enjoys modernized campus network and has set up the website of China fisheries to serve the fishery industry. There are more than 1.37 million paper books, 0.92 million e-books, and over 40 databases in the library, most of which are concerned with ocean, fisheries and foods. The university organizes Journal of Fisheries of China and hosts Journal of Shanghai Ocean University. These two journals are certified by CSSCI and CSTPCD. Journal of Fisheries of China has been awarded as Top 100 Journals in China and 100 Chinese Outstanding Academic Journals. Moreover, the university hosts the China’s first English journals of fisheries, Aquaculture and Fisheries. The university is affiliated with Shanghai Society of Fisheries, Shanghai Society of Food Science, Shanghai Research Society of Fishery Economy and Shanghai Research Society of Yan’An Spirit.

As one of the first experimental units of E-Class among Shanghai universities and colleges, the university has won the special prize in the outstanding achievement of the campus culture construction in national universities and colleges, the first prize in Shanghai educational reforms and experiments, various single prizes such as Top 100 University Websites, Best Innovation of Ideological and Political Education, and Best Online Model Community since 2010, and various honorary titles such as Shanghai Excellent Website of Education System, Excellent Online Campus Network Communication Station for College Students, Ministry of Education, and Shanghai Top 10 E-Class Student Work Stations. The university boasts rich campus culture, inviting Qin Yi, China’s famous performing artist, conductor Cao Ding, composer Chen Gang and other artists as its part-time professors. There are more than 90student associations concerning culture, entertainment, sports, science and technology. The university regularly hosts science and technology, culture and art festivals for college students. It has been appraised as Advanced Unit of Summer Social Practices for College Students by Publicity Department of the CPC, Ministry of Education, Communist Youth League of China, and All-China Students’ Federation.

The university keeps close communication and cooperation with universities and international organizations from countries like the US, UK, Japan, Russia, Australia, South Korea, New Zealand and regions like Taiwan and Hong Kong. It has signed cooperation agreements with 125 universities and research institutes from 34 countries, regions and international organizations. It is a long-term participant in Sino-US Cooperation Program for Marine Biological Resources and a long-term partner with UN Food and Agriculture Organization, Asian Fisheries Society, and International Center of Living Aquatic Resources Management. It has international students from over 80 countries.

Its education target in the new era is to establish an international, open and high-level university, featuring preponderant disciplines of marine sciences, fisheries, and food science and technology, balanced development in the fields of science, engineering, agriculture, economics, liberal arts, management and law science, cultivation of innovative and inter-disciplinary talents with global vision and equal attention to teaching and scientific researches by 2020.