The university is an institution to be built into a national clinical research base for traditional Chinese medicine and a newly listed institution by the State for doctorate project authorization. In addition, it is also a national base for international TCM cooperation and a recommendation unit for examination-exempted master student candidates. In the evaluation in 2005 on the undergraduate teaching level organized by the Ministry of Education, the university was awarded excellent appraisal. In the evaluation in 2006 on the ideological and political education of the university students organized by Anhui provincial government, the university got an excellent rating. In 2007 the university was honored as an advanced unit nationwide for its transparency of university management. Moreover, it was named consecutively a model unit in social progress in the 7th and 8th evaluations by Anhui provincial government. The university covers a total area of 328 mu in both the east and the west campuses. At present, there are more than 9,000 full-time undergraduate students, more than 600 master-degree candidates, 77 international students and nearly 2,000 adult-education students. The faculty of the university consists of 2,000 people (including those teaching and working in the two affiliated hospitals), among them 135 are professors or senior professional title holders, 271 associate professors or equivalent professional title holders, 2 chair professors, 10 doctoral tutors, 183 master tutors, 27 enjoying government subsidies and 80 PhD owners. In addition, 30 well-known experts and scholars from China and other countries are invited to be visiting professors at the university.
The university now has 18 units presenting programs for master degree students, 5 joint doctoral-student education bases, 26 undergraduate majors (direction). There are 12 secondary colleges or academies, two affiliated hospitals directly under the university and 4 hospitals closely tied and in collaboration and 10 TCM research institutes. The programs of traditional Chinese medicine, Chinese pharmacology, acupuncture and Chinese massage are categorized by the Minister of Education as specialties of higher-learning institutions with special features. The TCM internal medicine is a key subject supported by the State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine. In addition, the university has one key discipline rated at class-A and 7 disciplines at class-B of Anhui Province, 9 key specialties to be built by the State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine and 5 provincial level key specialties. And under the university there are 9 provincial key laboratories and engineering R&D centers, 4 education reform demo majors and 3 experimental teaching demonstration centers for basic courses at provincial-level, 6 provincial key courses and 16 provincial quality courses.
The University is rather strong in scientific research at a comparatively high level. Xin'an Medical Science Innovation Team, Modern TCM R&D and Industrial Innovation Team and the Innovation Team specializing in the basic studies and application of the TCM control for syndrome caused by Qi deficiency in the internal medicine are all provincial level innovation teams. Since the implementation of the 10th Five-year Plan, the university has taken about 600 projects in total under the national "973" program and other programs of the National Natural Science Foundation with a research funding input of more than 50 million RMB. Up to now, more than 200 research outcomes have been obtained. The university has established strategic cooperative relations with a dozen of cities and counties including Huangshan, Bozhou, Ningguo and Jixi and many large pharmaceutical enterprises in and outside of Anhui Province such as Sanjiu Medical & Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Kanion Pharmaceutical, Wanxi Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd, United Laboratories Co., Ltd. and Jiren Pharmaceutical. It is also an advanced unit in the integration of industry and academia in research in Anhui Province.
In 1995, the university was allowed to recruit foreign students and in 2001 it began to take foreign students for master degree studies. It has twinned with more than 30 medical and educational institutions in 19 countries and regions, such as the United States, Canada, Denmark and Australia.
By adhering for 50 years to the traditional Anhui medical culture summarized as "Hua Tuo's legacy in the north and Xin'an school of medicine in the South", the university has developed an educational characteristic of "carrying forward Xin'an medicine tradition in cultivating TCM doctors", established a "Perfection, Sincerity, Truthfulness and Innovation"education philosophy and accumulated unique advantages in TCM discipline building, TCM personnel training, international exchanges and the development and application of TCM industry. It has trained more than 20,000 high-level TCM professionals.
