National Sun Yat-sen University (NSYSU) is a public university established in Kaohsiung in 1980 to balance educational development and resources between northern and southern Taiwan. Before its inception, most well-established universities were concentrated in the north. Named in honor of Dr. Sun Yat-sen, the founder of the Republic of China, the University chose Dr. Sun's birthday, November 12th, as its anniversary.

The first president Dr. Huan Li laid a solid foundation that paved the way for the University to grow. Under the leadership of his successors, Dr. Chin-Chi CHAO, Dr. Chi-Yuan LIN, Dr. Victor Wei-Chi LIU, Dr. Chung-Cheng CHANG, Dr. Hung-Duen YANG, and the current President, Dr. Ying-Yao CHENG, the University has continued to thrive and become a top higher-education institution with well-balanced development in both humanities and sciences.

NSYSU is a comprehensive university with Colleges of Liberal Arts, Science, Engineering, Management, Marine Sciences, Social Sciences, and the interdisciplinary Si Wan College. In 2022, the School of Banking and Finance, the College of Semiconductor and Advanced Technology Research, and the College of Medicine were added.

Since 2006, NSYSU has been granted by the Ministry of Education (MOE) the fund of the "Aim for the Top University Plan" and "Higher Education Sprout Project" to support teaching and research excellence, indicative of the University as Taiwan's top-tier higher education institution. In 2019, NSYSU drafted its ten-year "Global Top Research University" development plan, pioneering bilingual education as the crucial component. The efforts were recognized by the MOE in 2020 to set up the "Southern Regional Resource Center for Bilingual Education" at NSYSU and grant NSYSU a benchmark bilingual campus.

NSYSU's research strengths have placed it in an internationally competitive position and achieved significant recognition in the Essential Science Indicators (ESI) database. Critical research areas include sustainable environment, bionic science, data analysis, semiconductors, telecommunications, cybersecurity, and sinology.

The University has been fulfilling its social responsibilities through educating generations of students and innovative research. It also actively contributes to society through its Social Engagement Center to promote community involvement projects. This commitment to social engagement earned NSYSU recognition through awards like the Taiwan Corporate Sustainability Awards (TCSA) and the TCSA Sustainability Report Silver Award in 2021.

NSYSU's beautiful campus sits at the crossing of hills and sea in Sizihwan, adjacent to the Kaohsiung Harbor. The geography prompts its feature advancements in marine science research, which heeds Kaohsiung's aspiration to develop into the country's Ocean Capital as the University becomes Taiwan's leading academic institution of marine sciences.

NSYSU has partnerships with more than 280 international institutions in 44 countries, engaging in various programs such as student exchanges, dual degree programs, research collaborations, and joint symposiums. The University remains committed to providing an internationalized campus environment that welcomes and supports local and international students and faculty in learning, teaching, and research.

University Motto
Erudite, Inquisitive, Deliberative, Discerning, Persistent

Vision
We aim to be a driving force for academic and cultural advancement, talent cultivation and industrial development of Greater Kaohsiung.

Goals
Cultivate leaders with a vision and promote social mobility
Pursue academic excellence and increase international competitiveness. Lead regional advancement and bring social and economic welfare.