Southern Medical University, formerly known as First Military Medical University, affiliated to the People's Liberation Army of China, is a Chinese institution of higher learning, located in Guangzhou, the capital city of Guangdong Province, China. It was founded in 1951 and became one of national key universities in 1979. Approved by the State Council and the Central Military Commission of the PLA, the university came under the jurisdiction of Guangdong Province in August 2004, whereupon it was renamed Southern Medical University.
Southern Medical University is located at the foothills of the picturesque Baiyun Mountain in Guangzhou. The main campus, together with its south campus in the southern suburb of Guangzhou, covers an area of nearly one square kilometer. The university has been awarded the first-class garden-like university, for rows of green trees nourish and bouquets of flowers blossom on the campuses all throughout the year. SMU has close links with 38 educational and medical research institutions from 19 countries (regions), including the U.S., Europe and Japan. Annually, the international academic exchanges by the staff members register more than 400 person-times and overseas experts and scholars are invited to host more than 70 lectures and forums in SMU. Over the past 5 years, 400-odd students went abroad for further academic studies.
The university has undertaken 68 short-term training courses for over 1,600 medical experts and health officials from 198 countries. The joint doctoral program for science on health management between ISCTE-IUL Business School in Portugal and SMU has been approved and included by the Ministry of Education. Totally, the university has co-established 3 laboratories and institutes with foreign prestigious universities or scientific institutes and consequently gained 40 internationally cooperative programs, making a breakthrough from zero both in the international cooperation in key state-funded projects and in Guangdong Province introduction of scientific innovation team.
