Academic Programs

Yunnan University of Finance and Economics comprises 17 schools, one teaching department, and six research institutes. The university offers four first-class academic disciplines at the doctoral level—Applied Economics, Business Administration, Statistics, and Theoretical Economics—along with five postdoctoral research stations. There are 12 master’s programs in primary disciplines, 17 professional degree master’s programs, and 66 undergraduate majors. The university has established ten provincial key disciplines, one provincially supported emerging discipline, two provincial key disciplines with distinctive characteristics, six provincial high-level disciplines and key directions, and seven provincial top-tier disciplines, making it one of the most comprehensive and focused institutions in Yunnan Province in the fields of economics and management.

At the national level, the university has established 20 first-class undergraduate programs and 4 programs with distinctive features. It is involved in 3 new liberal arts research and reform projects, and has been selected to pilot 2 virtual teaching and research office constructions. In terms of courses, it offers 3 first-class undergraduate courses, 1 quality course, 1 quality video open course, 1 bilingual teaching demonstration course, and 1 branded course for international students taught in English. Additionally, the university hosts 1 innovative experimental area for training international accounting talents and has received 1 national teaching achievement award. It has also published 4 national planning textbooks and has been selected as part of the second batch of national bases for the promotion of language and script.

At the provincial level, the university boasts 23 first-class undergraduate program construction sites, including 2 supported by Yunnan Province as top-tier programs for undergraduate universities and 2 emerging programs also supported by the province. Additionally, there are 16 programs recognized for their distinctive features, brands, or key disciplines, alongside 4 comprehensive reform pilot programs and 1 talent training model reform pilot program. In terms of courses, the university offers 50 first-class undergraduate courses, 6 ideological and political demonstration courses, 24 quality courses, and 6 bilingual teaching demonstration courses.

The university is also home to 4 innovation experimental zones for talent training models and 1 regional economic cooperation international talent training base. It has established 1 key teaching laboratory, 5 experimental teaching demonstration centers, 2 virtual simulation experimental teaching centers, 3 virtual simulation experimental teaching projects, and 3 first-class courses in virtual simulation experimental teaching. Furthermore, it has received 36 awards for teaching achievements and hosts 2 teacher teams modeled after the renowned educator Huang Danian.

In terms of educational materials, the university has published 12 outstanding textbooks for general higher education institutions in Yunnan Province and 23 planned and quality textbooks since 2009.

Scientific Research

Yunnan University of Finance and Economics is committed to advancing scientific research, continually enhancing its capacity to serve the local economy and society. The university’s library holds over 2.12 million volumes of print literature and more than 1.9 million e-books. Since the inception of the “13^th Five-Year Plan”, the university has actively promoted the construction of research platforms, accumulating a total of 48 various research platforms and teams.

Notable scientific achievements are made annually, including securing six major bidding projects and one key project from the National Social Science Fund, as well as four projects receiving later-stage funding, and two key projects from the National Natural Science Foundation of China. In total, the university has undertaken 141 projects under the National Natural Science Foundation, 80 projects under the National Social Science Fund, and 43 projects under the Humanities and Social Sciences Fund of the Ministry of Education. Additionally, it has been involved in 302 provincial and ministerial projects and 695 horizontal projects, receiving research funds totaling 356 million yuan.

The research achievements are significant, with 1,014 papers published in CSSCI journals and 1,117 papers indexed in SCI, SSCI, and EI. The university has published 770 books. Awards include three National Science and Technology Awards for Higher Education, one “An Zijie International Trade Research Award” for outstanding publications, one National Land and Resources Scientific and Technological Award, and eight Yunnan Provincial Science and Technology Awards (including two second-place awards). It has also received 79 Yunnan Provincial Awards for Philosophy and Social Sciences (including 12 first-place and 24 second-place awards), and 16 Yunnan Provincial Social Science Awards (including two first-place and seven second-place awards).

International Cooperation and Student Exchange

Yunnan University of Finance and Economics adheres to an open policy in education, actively serving and integrating into the national Belt and Road Initiative. The university recruits international exchange students from various countries as well as students from various regions of China, including Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan, offering programs at the language, undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral levels. It is authorized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to issue visa invitation letters for foreigners coming to China and is exempt from verification responsibilities. The university has established educational exchanges and partnerships with over 160 universities and institutions from more than 30 countries and regions, including the United States, France, and the United Kingdom. It hosts six Sino-foreign cooperative education programs, leading Yunnan’s institutions in the total number of programs.

Yunnan University of Finance and Economics has partnered with Rangsit University in Thailand to establish the “Yunnan University of Finance and Economics Bangkok Business School”. This institution is among the first batch of overseas educational entities approved by the Ministry of Education. It enrolls students from Thailand and other Southeast Asian countries, offering academic degree programs and business training.

As a training base for international business officials under the Ministry of Commerce, YUFE has hosted degree programs and short-term training for officials from developing countries, funded by the Ministry of Commerce. The university has trained over 4,600 government officials from 105 countries. Currently, YUFE has ongoing short and long-term student exchange programs with institutions from over 40 countries, including France, the UK, the USA, Australia, Thailand, and Myanmar.

Quality Education

Yunnan University of Finance and Economics is committed to enhancing quality education and actively encourages student participation in national and provincial competitions, as well as in campus cultural and social practice activities. The university’s Youth League Committee has been awarded the “National May Fourth Red Flag Youth League Committee” title. YUFE is among the first batch of national universities recognized as “Demonstration Universities for Deepening Educational Reform in Innovation and Entrepreneurship”. It has been named a “National Model University for Innovation and Entrepreneurship” and a “Demonstration University for Innovation and Entrepreneurship Education Reform among National Financial and Economic Institutions”.

Students have excelled in a variety of competitions and activities including the National College Students’ “Challenge Cup” Extracurricular Academic Science and Technology Competition (Entrepreneurial Plan Competition), National Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition for Financial and Economic Colleges, National College Students’ English Competition, National College Students’ Mathematical Modeling Competition, China College Students’ Computer Design Competition, National Statistical Modeling Contest, National College Students’ “Going to the Countryside” Social Practice, and National College Students’ Art Performance. The university has repeatedly won collective and individual awards. Notably, it secured a second-place national award in the 18th “Challenge Cup” Competition. Additionally, one project ranked first in the Yunnan Provincial SME Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition at the 8^th “Maker China” and represented Yunnan in the national finals, achieving the best historical result. In the realm of sports, YUFE students maintain a competitive edge in basketball, tennis, and other athletic events among public universities in Yunnan. In recent years, the university’s graduate employment rate has consistently exceeded 90% at year’s end, ranking it among the top public universities in Yunnan Province.

University Vision

Yunnan University of Finance and Economics adheres to the motto “Studious and Steadfast, Virtuous and Visionary”. The university culture is characterized by a relentless pursuit of truth and innovation, and promotes the YUFE ethos of “Forever Advancing, First to Dare”. It has cultivated a teaching style of “Combining Rigorousness with Compassion, Cultivating Oneself to Benefit Others” and a learning culture of “Aspiring to Virtue, Acquire through Practice”.

Rooted in Yunnan and serving the nation, YUFE aims to extend its influence across the region and globally. Committed to a people-centered ethos, the university fosters practical innovation and societal leadership. It upholds individual personality and academic freedom, promotes value creation and responsibility, and is dedicated to cultivating well-rounded talents. These individuals are proficient in morals, intelligence, physical fitness, aesthetics, and labor, embodying comprehensive development. YUFE strives to become a premier finance and economics institution, deeply integrated into the fabric of Yunnan yet with a vision that encompasses both the national and the South and Southeast Asian contexts, making substantial contributions to regional and international communities.

(Updated as of April 30th, 2024)