Shantou University (STU), founded in 1981，is a comprehensive university jointly supported by the Ministry of Education, the Guangdong Provincial Government and the Li Ka Shing Foundation and is the only public university in the world that receives long-term funding from the Li Ka Shing Foundation. The University campus is located in the northwestern part of Shantou, a seaside city, covering a total area of 1.26 square kilometers with a floor space of 435,200 m².   

The University consists of 10 colleges and schools, namely, Business School, Cheung Kong School of Art and Design, and Cheung Kong School of Journalism and Communication, College of Engineering, College of Graduate Studies, College of Liberal Arts, College of Sciences, Law School, Medical College and School of Continuing Education. It enrolls qualified students from all over the country (including Special Administrative Regions of Hong Kong and Macau, as well as Taiwan). Currently, the University has National Key Discipline, offers Cheung Kong Scholar Professorships, provides a number of Masters, Doctoral and Postdoctoral Programs. The University also has both National Key Laboratory and Provincial Key Laboratories, and National Pilot Sites for Innovative Talents Training. Currently, STU has a staff of 1,533 and over 10,005 students and has nurtured nearly 90,000 graduates.

Since its inception, Shantou University has received a generous support from the internationally distinguished philanthropist and entrepreneur, Mr. Li Ka-shing. The Li Ka Shing Foundation has earmarked grants of HK$8 billion through 2018 to support Shantou University. Mr. Li has given his heart and soul to the development of the University, a manifestation of his lofty ideal to “serve the good of all” and his firm conviction that education is vital to the young generation of the country.

The University library has been digitalized to meet the growing need for an electronic library. The affiliated hospitals, including the First Affiliated Hospital, a tertiary hospital that was awarded the “Nation’s 100 Best Hospitals”, with a total of 5,523 patient beds, provide ample opportunities for student training.

In September 2013，the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology and Shantou University signed a Memorandum of Understanding for jointly establishing Guangdong Technion - Israel Institute of Technology (GTIIT), an institution of higher learning in Shantou. On April 9th 2015, the Ministry of Education approved the preparation for the establishment of GTIIT.