History of Development
In 1985, Shantou University established the Department of Architectural Engineering and began enrolling undergraduate students nationwide and from Hong Kong and Macau in 1990. In 1995, it was authorized to offer a master's degree program in Structural Engineering. In 1997, it was initiated as a key discipline under Shantou University's "211 Project." In 1999, it was approved as a Guangdong Provincial Key Discipline. In 2001, it was authorized to offer a master's degree program in Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Engineering and Protective Engineering. In 2003, it was authorized to offer a doctoral degree program in Structural Engineering, becoming the second discipline in Guangdong Province to be granted a doctoral program in Civil Engineering. In 2006, it took the lead nationally in implementing OBE-CDIO educational reform practices for the civil engineering major. In 2009, it was authorized to offer a professional degree program in Architecture and Civil Engineering (now Civil and Water Resources Engineering). In 2010, it was approved as a Specialty Program Construction Site by both the Ministry of Education and Guangdong Province. In 2011 and 2012, it was approved as a Guangdong Provincial Key Program Construction Site and a Comprehensive Reform Program Construction Site, respectively. In 2014, the Civil Engineering program received professional accreditation from the China Engineering Education Accreditation Association, followed by re-accreditation in 2017 and an interim expert review in 2020. In 2019, the Civil Engineering discipline became a established faculty position discipline in Guangdong Province's institutions of higher education and was approved as a National First-Class Undergraduate Program construction site. In the same year, two new majors were launched: "Architecture" and "Environmental Engineering." In 2020, Shantou University's "Engineering" discipline entered the top 1% of the ESI global ranking for the first time. Also in 2020, the discipline was authorized to offer both a First-Level Doctoral Degree Program and a First-Level Master's Degree Program in Civil Engineering. In 2021, the "Coastal Smart City Interdisciplinary Program" was included in Guangdong Province's High-Level Discipline construction initiative. Currently, a new major, "Intelligent Construction," is under development.
Program Objectives
The department is committed to cultivating technically proficient personnel and outstanding engineers who possess a well-structured knowledge base, comprehensive abilities, innovative thinking, global vision, and a strong sense of social responsibility. It aims to produce high-quality, internationally oriented engineering and technical talents in the fields of civil engineering, environmental engineering, and architecture, who have solid foundational skills and a strong innovative mindset, serving the needs of the nation, Guangdong Province, and the Greater Bay Area.
Faculty
The department has 56 faculty members, including 49 full-time teaching staff, of whom 16 are professors and 41 hold doctoral degrees. Academician Wang Quan and Professor Shen Shuilong have been recognized as World's Top 2% Scientists (career-long) and World's Top 2% Scientists (single-year), respectively. Professor Wang Quan is listed in the Materials discipline ranking, and Professor Shen Shuilong is listed in the Geological & Geomatics Engineering discipline ranking. In addition, the department invites renowned domestic and international experts to serve as chair professors or visiting professors under various programs, and engages senior experts from industries or enterprises as adjunct faculty.
Research
The department has established three distinctive research directions: "Structural Engineering," "Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Engineering," and "Environmental Geotechnical Engineering." Research outcomes have been applied to over 100 major engineering projects, including the Guangzhou New International Plaza, Shenzhen Kingkey Financial Center, the Pearl River Delta Intercity Railway Tunnel, the Wuhan Yangluo Yangtze River Bridge, and the Danjiangkou Reservoir Bridge. A series of original research results with international impact have been achieved, yielding substantial research accomplishments.
Platform Development
The department has established university-industry collaboration platforms including the Guangdong Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center for Structural Safety and Monitoring and the Guangdong Provincial Department of Education Key Laboratory of Structural and Wind Tunnel Engineering. The Structural Laboratory is equipped with advanced structural testing and loading systems. The high-level large-scale wind tunnel in the Wind Tunnel Laboratory is one of the earliest wind resistance laboratories established in China, providing critical support for the typhoon-resistant design of numerous major engineering projects in Guangdong Province, especially the Greater Bay Area, and serves as one of China's wind engineering research bases. The discipline has also established several additional university-industry collaboration bases and 12 specialized laboratories, covering a total area of over 5,000 m², with equipment valued at more than 50 million RMB.
Employment and Further Study
Infrastructure construction is a major engine driving China's GDP. Guangdong Province and the Greater Bay Area, with their developed economies and substantial investment in infrastructure construction, have a sustained and strong demand for civil engineering graduates. The employment rate exceeds 98%, with graduates primarily employed in Guangdong Province and the Greater Bay Area, enjoying competitive salaries and broad career prospects.
The university has the authority to recommend outstanding graduates for master's degree studies at high-level universities domestically and internationally without taking the entrance examination. Outstanding graduates of the Civil Engineering program may be admitted directly to doctoral studies upon completion of their bachelor's degree, following an accelerated Bachelor-Master-PhD track (completing a Ph.D. within five years of undergraduate graduation). The rate of graduates pursuing further study (postgraduate entrance rate) is 30%.
