The South China University of Technology (SCUT) is a leading higher education institution in China. It is a public research-intensive university directly governed by the Ministry of Education of China. In 2017, it was selected into China’s Double World Class project as a Category-A University. SCUT has a long history dating back to 1918. Formally founded in 1952, SCUT was one of the four major universities of technology in the new China.
In 1960, it became a National Key University. In 1995, SCUT was listed in China's Project 211, a national endeavor aiming at strengthening top institutions of higher education as a priority for the 21st century. In 2001, SCUT was listed in the Project 985, which at the time was the country's most significant education project for funding world-class universities. In 2020, it was ranked in the top 200 of the World University Academic Ranking by the Shanghai Ranking Consultancy.
The Department of Electronic Business, located in the picturesque University Town Campus, aims at constructing new humanities studies. It is founded on the academic basis of big data management and applications, and highlights digital commerce and intelligent supply chain as its research directions.
The department, through collaborative efforts of faculty members and students, is committed to establishing itself as a globally recognized academic institution and a leading think-tank specializing in digital commerce and intelligent supply chain. It is dedicated to nurturing visionary individuals with the capacity to make significant impacts and drive transformative changes on a global scale.
Discipline Development
Currently, the department is developing two specialty directions, Electronic Business and Logistics Management, under the authorization of the first-level discipline for doctoral degrees in Management Science and Engineering. There are two M.Sc programs in Electronic Business and Logistics Engineering, one M.Eng program in Logistics Engineering and Management, as well as a non-full time master program in Digital Commerce and Smart Supply Chain (Master of Engineering Management, MEM). The department provides three undergraduate programs, including Electronic Business (Bachelor of Management), Logistics Engineering (Bachelor of Engineering), and Big Data Management and Applications (Bachelor of Management), where the first two are designated as national first-class undergraduate programs.
In the fourth national discipline assessment, Management Science and Engineering received an A- grade, placing it in the top 5%-10% nationwide. The 2022 Chinese Universities Subjects Ranking provided by the Shanghai Ranking Consultancy classifies the Electronic Business and Logistics Engineering undergraduate programs into the A- and A+ categories, placing them 13th and 2nd in the country, respectively.
Characteristics of the Discipline
The Department of Electronic Business offers a comprehensive talent-training system that spans from undergraduate to doctoral levels, incorporating a post-doctoral research station in Management Science and Engineering.Regarding discipline development, it is grounded in the principles of big data management and application, with a focus on societal needs. The department emphasizes core engineering principles, including computer technology and data analysis skills, to develop students’ capabilities in areas such as business intelligence, digital commerce, smart logistics, and smart supply chains. The department endeavors to cultivate well-rounded talent with a robust theoretical foundation and proficiency in computer application technology, big data management and application, and business operations management, while also fostering strong adaptability and innovation skills.
Student Enrollment and Career Paths
The current student enrollment totals 898, comprising 27 doctoral students, 333 master’s students, and 538 undergraduate students, with 30 of them being international. Graduates benefit from a wide range of career opportunities with a high employment rate and quality placements. They have secured positions in prominent IT/Internet/e-commerce logistics companies (e.g., Huawei, Tencent, Alibaba, Bytedance, JD.com, Meituan, NetEase, Amazon, Shunfeng, VIPShop), as well as in large and medium-sized enterprises (e.g., Poly, Procter & Gamble, Gree, Midea, Haier, China Southern Airlines), financial institutions, government agencies, or have embarked on entrepreneurial endeavors. Others have pursued further studies at prestigious domestic and international universities (e.g., Tsinghua University, Peking University, University of Science and Technology of China, Fudan University, Zhejiang University, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Carnegie Mellon University, University of Pittsburgh , University of Warwick, The University of Manchester, The University of Hong Kong), specializing in master’s and doctoral programs in fields such as e-commerce, logistics engineering, computer science, management, and finance & economics.
Several alumni have been promoted to prominent positions within their respective organizations, serving as vice presidents in NASDAQ-listed companies, professors at domestic universities, founders of startup ventures, heads of governmental departments, and bank branch managers.
Faculty Team
The Department of Electronic Business comprises a faculty team of 45 members, consisting of 33 full-time teachers, including 11 professors, 12 doctoral supervisors, 15 associate professors, and 26 master’s supervisors, along with 1 postdoctoral researcher, as well as 12 administrative and laboratory management personnel. All full-time teachers possess doctoral degrees from prestigious domestic or international institutions. Moreover, the majority of them have acquired experience studying or conducting research abroad.
Scientific Research and Social Services
The Department of Electronic Business has achieved significant academic milestones, including the development of national-level high-quality online open courses, top-tier undergraduate programs, and prestigious teaching materials, resulting in provincial teaching awards. It prioritizes the integration of industry and education, forging strong scientific research partnerships with enterprises. It has undertaken nearly twenty national research projects, including those funded by the National Social Science Fund and the National Natural Science Foundation, as well as over a hundred provincial and ministerial research projects in recent years. In addition, more than 300 papers have been contributed to reputable domestic and international journals, such as “Production and Operations Management”, “Electronic Commerce Research and Applications”, “European Journal of Operational Research”, “Transportation Research Part E”, “International Journal of Production Economics”, “International Journal of Production Research”, “Journal of the Operational Research Society”, and “Journal of Cleaner Production”. Moreover, it has established a prominent research institution, namely, Institute of Digital Business & Intelligent Logistics, a national-level comprehensive Humanities experiment teaching center, and the Guangzhou Digital Commerce & Smart Supply Chain Research Base. Furthermore, the department emphasizes academic exchange and collaboration, evident through its academic exchange platforms such as the Data Baiyantang Academic Forum and Practice Forum.
