The predecessor of the School of Public Administration at Jilin University, the Department of Political Science, was established in 1983. It was the first political science department established in Chinese higher education institutions following the restoration of the political science discipline. The founders were Mr. Wang Huiyan, a renowned Chinese political scientist and one of the inaugural senior professors in philosophy and social sciences at Jilin University; Mr. Du Ruoqun, former Vice President of the Chinese Political Science Association; and Mr. Zhu Riyao. In December 1993, with the approval of the former State Education Commission, the School of Public Administration was founded on the basis of the Department of Political Science. The current Dean is Professor Ma Xuesong, a national-level leading talent.

For over 40 years since its establishment, the School of Public Administration has upheld the academic tradition of “profound scholarship, inclusiveness, integrity, and innovation.” It is dedicated to contributing to the flourishing development of political science and public administration in contemporary China and to advancing the modernization of national governance. Over the years, the School has made remarkable progress and achieved outstanding results in discipline construction, talent cultivation, faculty development, academic research, international cooperation, and social service.

The School has built a distinctive and comprehensive discipline system. It hosts two postdoctoral research stations (Political Science and Public Administration) and doctoral degree authorization points at the first-level discipline level for both Political Science and Public Administration. It offers doctoral programs in eight sub-disciplines: Political Science Theory, Law and Politics, Anti-Corruption Studies, International Politics, International Relations, Public Administration, Emergency Management, and Public Governance and Public Policy. For master’s degrees, it provides ten program areas (Political Science Theory, Chinese and Foreign Political Systems, Law and Politics, Anti-Corruption Studies, International Politics, International Relations, Public Administration, Emergency Management, Public Governance and Public Policy, and E-Government) alongside a Master of Public Administration (MPA) professional degree program. The School also offers three undergraduate majors: Politics and Public Administration, International Politics, and Public Administration. Political Science Theory is a national key discipline. Both first-level disciplines, Political Science and Public Administration, were key construction disciplines under Phase II of the “985 Project” and Phase III of the “211 Project.” Political Science serves as a supporting discipline within Jilin University’s “Double First-Class” initiative and is classified as a Class A first-class discipline in Jilin Province, while Public Administration is classified as a Class A advantageous and distinctive discipline in Jilin Province. Politics and Public Administration, International Politics, and Public Administration have all been recognized as National First-Class Undergraduate Majors.

Guided by high-level talents, the School continuously optimizes its faculty structure. Currently, the School employs 72 staff members, including 47 full-time professional faculty members: 22 professors, 13 associate professors, and 12 lecturers. There are 26 doctoral supervisors and 29 master’s supervisors. The faculty also includes 2 Kang Yaming Chair Professors and 4 postdoctoral researchers currently in residence. The School boasts 2 specially appointed professors from the National Major Talent Program, 4 national-level leading talents in philosophy and social sciences, 1 young top talent from the National Talent Program, 1 national teaching master, 1 national teaching innovation team, 3 talents selected by the National Cultural and Propaganda System’s “Four Batches” program, 1 expert included in the National “Hundred, Thousand, and Ten Thousand Talents Project,” 1 MOE Cross-Century Outstanding Talent, 1 MOE New Century Outstanding Talent, 1 recipient of the MOE University Young Teachers Award, and 3 recipients of the State Council Special Government Allowance. Several faculty members who have made significant contributions to discipline development have been selected into Jilin University’s “Kang Yaming Scholars” talent program. Recognized as a cohesive academic team with strong innovative capacity and excellent collaborative spirit, the School’s faculty enjoys widespread acclaim in academic circles.

Focused on the comprehensive development of students, the School’s talent cultivation quality has won extensive recognition. The annual enrollment currently comprises over 140 undergraduate students, over 80 academic master’s students, over 190 professional master’s students in Public Administration (MPA), and over 40 doctoral students. The School actively welcomes international students from around the world, continuously refining its student body diversity and consistently improving cultivation quality. Undergraduates have repeatedly achieved outstanding results in various national competitions, with notable figures such as the Executive President of the All-China Students’ Federation and National Excellent Communist Youth League Members emerging from their ranks. Graduates at the master’s and doctoral levels have demonstrated profound academic achievements, having won 2 National Excellent Doctoral Dissertation Awards, 1 nomination for the National Excellent Doctoral Dissertation Award, and multiple provincial awards for outstanding master’s and doctoral theses, ranking among the top in similar universities nationwide. Rooted in its disciplinary strengths and committed to serving national and social needs, the School has graduated nearly 10,000 students across all academic levels over the years. It has nurtured a large number of outstanding talents who serve as academic elites and experts in education and research, as well as high-ranking officials in the party, government, and military, and backbone professionals across diverse industries and sectors.

With a profound research foundation, the School has produced abundant academic achievements. It undertakes numerous high-level research projects, yielding a series of landmark, high-quality scholarly outputs, and has been honored with multiple prestigious awards. Faculty members have served as chief investigators on 13 major projects funded by the National Social Science Fund and the Ministry of Education’s Major Research Projects in Social Sciences. A wide range of academic papers has been published in top-tier journals such as Social Sciences in China, Chinese Journal of Political Science, and SSCI-indexed publications. The School has earned recognition in major humanities and social science awards, including the Central Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee’s “Five-One Project” Award, the Chinese University Scientific Research Award (Humanities and Social Sciences), and the National Outstanding Textbook Award for Regular Higher Education Institutions. Notably, it has received 17 awards for the Chinese University Scientific Research Award (Humanities and Social Sciences), winning consecutively for nine editions since its inception. Relying on the School as its foundation, Jilin University has established seven research institutions, including the Research Institute of China’s New Type of Political Party System, the Research Institute of Anti-Corruption, the Research Institute of Consultative Governance, the Research Center for Social Justice and Government Governance, the Research Center for Local Government Innovation in China, the Research Institute for the Innovative Development of Social Work, and the Institute for Northeast Asian Geopolitics and Political Economy. Four of these are designated as Key Research Bases in Philosophy and Social Sciences in Jilin Province, all serving as crucial platforms for the School’s academic research.

Committed to open education, the School actively expands domestic and international cooperation through multiple channels. It hosts nationwide initiatives such as the “Wang Huiyan Outstanding Doctoral Dissertation Award in Political Science,” the National Political Science and Public Administration Doctoral Students’ “Beichen Forum,” and the National Political Science and Public Administration Undergraduate Students’ “Beichen Summer Camp.” Institutionalized platforms for academic exchange include the Wang Huiyan Academic Lecture, China Politics Workshop, Weigong Forum, and International Affairs Workshop. The School maintains extensive exchanges with renowned domestic universities and research institutions, including Peking University, Tsinghua University, and Fudan University. Highly valuing and vigorously promoting internationalization, the School has established cooperative partnerships with nearly 40 higher education institutions and research organizations across 15 countries and regions. These include globally top-100 universities such as Harvard University, University of Cambridge, Columbia University, and the University of California, Berkeley. The School offers a 2+2 dual-degree undergraduate program in Politics and Public Administration in collaboration with the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Kentucky, provides premium overseas courses through its “School of Public Administration Internationalization Demonstration Base,” and hosts a series of international academic conferences. It actively encourages enrolled students to participate in international exchange programs, with the annual proportion of students studying abroad for exchange or learning consistently exceeding 10%.

Dedicated to meeting national and social needs, the School strengthens its social service awareness and functions to fulfill its mission of contributing to society. Relying on the School, the Jilin University Research Institute of Anti-Corruption and the Research Center for Social Justice and Government Governance have been selected as Jilin University’s New Type Think Tanks and listed in the China Think Tank Index (CTTI). The School actively responds to the needs of central government departments, local governments, and various sectors of society, having completed 144 commissioned research projects for institutions including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Science and Technology, State Ethnic Affairs Commission, State Commission for Public Sector Restructuring, State Population and Family Planning Commission, as well as the Jilin Provincial Party Committee, Provincial Government, Provincial Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, and Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection. It has also produced 297 policy advisory reports. Aligning with the CPC Central Committee’s national cadre education and training plan, the School leverages its professional expertise to deliver high-quality, systematic training for civil servants. Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, it has conducted over 60 specialized training programs, reaching more than 5,000 participants. Several faculty experts serve as advisory committee members for the Jilin Provincial Party Committee and the Jilin Provincial Government, providing scientific policy consultation to support regional economic and social development.

Centered on the well-being of the academic community, the School enhances the satisfaction of faculty, students, and staff by continuously improving both hardware and software conditions for teaching and research. The School is equipped with advanced and comprehensive teaching and research facilities. It operates two specialized reference rooms for books and academic journals, housing over 34,000 volumes of academic literature and periodicals. The School also features a modern, information-driven Public Administration Experimental Center, which includes an open E-Government Laboratory, a Case Analysis Laboratory, an MPA Multimedia Classroom, an MPA Case Discussion Room, and a Government Simulation Laboratory currently under construction.