History

The Department of Economics was established at the very beginning of Sun Yat-sen University. As it was merged into Lingnan College in 1989, the economics discipline has become a key discipline supported by Lingnan College. Over the past century, the economics discipline of Sun Yat-sen University has made sustained efforts and delivered a large number of talents for the country.

After the outbreak of Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, the Department of Economics moved to Chengjiang, Yunnan and Shaoguan, Guangdong successively. Since 1940, Mr. Wang Yanan and Mr. Mei Gongbin had successively served as the Director of the Department of Economics of Sun Yat-sen University. Wang Yanan, one of the pioneers of China's Marxist economic history, initiated the concept of "China's Economics" and strongly advocated that "we should study economy from the standpoint of Chinese people". He believed that economic science is a practical science, where we should face the reality of China, adapt Marxist political economics to the Chinese context, and establish "China's Economics". He set himself an example by earnestly practicing what he advocated. One of his masterpieces, Original Theory of China's Economics, is hailed as a version of Capital in China. Mr. Mei Gongbin was an outstanding figure on the secret front of the Communist Party of China. Since 1928, he had been appointed by Zhou Enlai as an agent. He united progressive professors, spread Marxist economic theories, and encouraged students to maintain firm ideals and convictions and study hard.

In 1972, Sun Yat-sen University re-established the Department of Economics, resumed undergraduate enrollment, and set up majors in Political Economics, Sectoral Economics, and Accounting.

On December 11, 1987, the State Education Commission approved the establishment of Lingnan College, Sun Yat-sen University. In November 1989, Lingnan College, Sun Yat-sen University was officially established, with Mr. Wang Pingshan, former Vice Governor of Guangdong Province, as the first President, Professor Zou Zhizhuang as the Honorary President, and Professor Gui Zhiyong as the Secretary of the Party Committee. Lingnan College consisted of two departments: the Department of Economics and the Department of Computer Science.

After 34 years of efforts, Lingnan College has now grown into an economics college which is top-tier in China and renowned in the world. The college has 940 undergraduates, 1,191 postgraduates (including part-time ones), 83 doctoral candidates, and 80 teaching and research staff members. Focusing on the development of Theoretical Economics and Applied Economics into first-level disciplines, it is committed to forming a synergy of general education and professional education and leading the development of economics education in China.

Taking root in China and based on the great practice of China's economic development, the college is committed to building China's economic knowledge system and continuously promoting economic theoretical innovation. Centering on Xi Jinping's Economic Thought and Theoretical Innovation of Economy with Chinese Characteristics, the college gives priority to the development of such directions as Socialist Political Economics with Chinese Characteristics, Finance and Risk Management, Theory of Open Economy, Green Economy and Sustainable Development, as well as Digital Economy and Data Science, actively serves the needs of major national strategies, as well as those of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area for social and economic development, and cultivates innovative economics talents with humanistic spirit and global vision for China and even the world.

Centering on the development of students, the college works to improve students' capabilities of learning, thinking and acting, so as to provide diversified training paths and independent learning space for students' all-round growth around the concept of "strengthening foundation and internationalization". The college's two courses, Economics and Finance, were selected as the sites for the development of first-class undergraduate courses at national level in the Double Ten Thousand Plan (10,000 first-class undergraduate courses at national level and 10,000 courses at provincial level), and its Top-notch Economics Student Training Base was selected as one of the Bases for the Top-notch Basic Discipline Student Training Program 2.0. of the Ministry of Education in 2021. In ShanghaiRanking's Best Chinese Majors Ranking 2022, both Economics and Finance of the college were rated as A. In Times Higher Education's China Subjects Rating 2022, both Theoretical Economics and Applied Economics of the college were rated as A. The college is committed to telling China's stories well and enhancing the international influence of China's higher education. It has established long-term exchanges and cooperation with more than 50 universities around the world, including MIT, Yale University, Oxford University and the University of Minnesota. The alumni of Lingnan College are active in various fields in China and the world, contributing to the social and economic development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and even the whole country.