The origin of SHOU can be traced back to Jiangsu Provincial Fisheries School founded in 1912. In 1904, Zhang Jian, a well-known industrialist and educator, proposed “Fisheries rights are related to ocean rights” to defend encroachment on fishery resources and safeguard the sea rights of China. He proposed to the Qing Government to establish a fishery school. Later on, with assistance of Huang Yanpei and fund-raising efforts of Zhang Liu, the first president, the school was formally founded in 1912as one of the earliest fishery schools in China.
In 1927, the school was renamed Fisheries School of College of Agriculture, National 4th Zhongshan University, and then resumed its former name, namely Jiangsu Provincial Fisheries School. In 1937, the school was destroyed in the flames of war during Song Hu Anti-Janpanese Battle on August 13, and relocated to Hechuan in Sichuan Province to continue fishery education. In 1938, the fisheries department was established in the National Second Middle School, and then National Sichuan Fisheries Technical School was established in 1943. In 1947, the school was restored in Shanghai, named as Shanghai Municipal Wusong Fisheries Technical School, and then renamed Shanghai Fisheries Technical School in 1951. In 1952, the school was upgraded as Shanghai Fisheries Institute, becoming the first higher institute of fishery learning with undergraduate programs in China. In 1972, under the influence of the Cultural Revolution, the institute was relocated to Jimei, Xiamen, renamed as Xiamen Fisheries Institute. In 1979, it was relocated back to Shanghai and resumed its name, but Xiamen Fisheries Institute was kept as well. In 1985, it was renamed Shanghai Fisheries University. To cater to the need of marine development of China, it was renamed as Shanghai Ocean University in 2008.
The university created its school motto as early as in 1914, which is: Diligence, Sincerity, Dedication and Practicality.In the guidance of this philosophy, the university has gone through hardships in various forms. At the beginning of its foundation, it only rented several houses, and had only dozens of teachers and hundreds of students. Now it has developed into a higher institute of marine science featuring time-honored history, diversified disciplines and strong scientific research ability, with more than 1000 teaching staff, over 10,000 undergraduates, and 2000-odd master and doctorate candidates.
Recalling the past in the light of the present, SHOU has made innumerable great achievements, cultivating tens of thousands of talented fundamental personnel for the fishery industry of China. From SHOU sprung a galaxy of eminent fishery educators and scholars, such as Zhang Liu, Hou Chaohai, Zhu Yuanding, Chen Ziying, and Meng Qinwen. It has made hundreds of scientific research achievements at national and provincial/ministerial level. It has grown into a multi-disciplinary university featuring uniqueness and superiority in such disciplines as the marine science, fishery and food science, and with coordinated development in such disciplines as agriculture, science, engineering, economics, arts, management and law, thus making imperishable contribution to development of China’s fishery industry, known as “the Cradle for Modern Fishery Education of China.”
In 2012, Jiang Zemin wrote an inscription for the centennial of SHOU:”Carry forward the fine traditions, constantly blaze new trails in a pioneering spirit, so as to build Shanghai Ocean University into a world-renowned special university.” This is a historic entrustment and call of the new age. The university will try hard to grasp the tempo of the time as always, carry forward the spirit of the school motto, deepen the comprehensive reform, improve teaching quality, strengthen its ability in scientific research and innovation, and endeavor to promote sound and fast development of all causes of the university. Let us join hands, make constant efforts, forge ahead and accomplish new splendors, and work hard to build Shanghai Ocean University into a world-renowned special university with distinctive advantages in unique disciplines, coordinated development in multiple disciplines and equal emphasis on teaching and scientific research.
