Zhengzhou College of Finance and Economics (ZCFE) Overview

Zhengzhou College of Finance and Economics (ZCFE) is a private undergraduate institution approved by China’s Ministry of Education. Located in Zhengzhou, Henan Province, it has two campuses: Huiji Campus and Airport Campus. Founded in 1997 as Zhengzhou School of Economics and Management, it became Zhengzhou Vocational College of Economics and Trade in 2003 and gained undergraduate status under its current name in 2014.

Guided by the Communist Party of China’s education policy, ZCFE is committed to socialist education, moral development and the public-interest principles of education. Its motto, “Virtue, Aspiration, Diligence, Practice,” reflects an educational philosophy centred on quality, distinctive strengths, talent development and service to society.

With a focus on applied education and regional needs, ZCFE serves the economic and social development of Zhengzhou and Henan. It prepares graduates with practical expertise while fostering their all-round development in moral character, intellectual ability, physical well-being, aesthetic appreciation and an appreciation of work and practical skills. The college aims to become a leading private undergraduate institution in Henan, recognised nationally for its distinctive strengths and high-quality applied education.

Academic Programmes and Teaching 

Teaching is central to ZCFE’s mission. The college comprises 13 academic schools, 10 of which offer undergraduate programmes, and one teaching department. It offers 41 undergraduate programmes across six disciplinary fields: economics, management, engineering, arts, literature and education.

Its academic strengths include three provincial key disciplines, three programmes selected for provincial first-class undergraduate programme development, six programmes selected for provincial brand programme development, and 12 provincially funded discipline and programme development projects. It also offers five provincial first-class undergraduate courses and 35 other provincially recognised courses, including high-quality, smart teaching and demonstration courses.

ZCFE has received 11 provincial teaching achievement awards and undertaken 60 provincial teaching reform projects, alongside 41 projects under the Ministry of Education’s industry–university collaborative education initiative. It has also been designated an institution for the development of a provincial innovation and entrepreneurship education practice base and a municipal pilot institution for innovation in industry–education integration.

Faculty Development 

ZCFE strengthens its faculty through recruitment and continuing professional development. It has a full-time-equivalent teaching staff of 1,356, including 1,107 directly employed full-time teachers. Its faculty includes 103 recipients of provincial-level recognition for academic leadership, teaching excellence and professional achievement.

The college has six provincial-level outstanding teaching units and two provincial innovation workshops. Faculty members have won 165 awards in provincial teaching competitions, including 45 grand prizes and first prizes.

Research and Community Engagement 

ZCFE integrates research with teaching, emphasising applied research and services that address regional needs. It operates 13 provincial and municipal research and innovation platforms, including a provincial engineering technology research centre.

The college has secured 127 provincial- or ministerial-level research projects and 2,011 municipal- or departmental-level projects. Its research output includes 5,613 papers published in journals classified as core journals in China and 455 granted patents, of which 148 have been commercialised.

In cooperation with organisations including the Zhengzhou Intellectual Property Association and the Zhengzhou Centre of Xi’an Jiaotong University’s National Technology Transfer Centre, ZCFE has strengthened its intellectual property management. It became the first private higher education institution in China to obtain certification for compliance with the relevant intellectual property management standard.

Faculty members and students have recorded 123 instances of participation in key municipal government research initiatives, producing 60 reports for internal policy reference. Eleven reports received Zhengzhou municipal government awards for outstanding policy research, and several received written comments from provincial and municipal leaders. Eight research reports were included in the Zhengzhou Urban Development Blue Book.

Campuses and Learning Resources 

ZCFE’s two campuses cover approximately 124 hectares. Its teaching and research equipment is valued at RMB 130.33 million. The college has 170 laboratories and practical training facilities, while its libraries hold 2.4 million printed books and 1.44 million e-books.

Facilities supporting teaching, innovation and entrepreneurship include a nationally recognised makerspace, a provincial university science park, a provincial experimental teaching demonstration centre, a provincial smart teaching research laboratory and 10 provincial off-campus practical education bases. Comprehensive network infrastructure provides connectivity across both campuses.

Partnerships and International Engagement 

ZCFE works with academic and industry partners to expand opportunities for education, research and professional development. Through partnerships with enterprises including Huawei, it has jointly established five industry-linked colleges. It has also signed a three-year cooperation agreement with Xi’an Jiaotong University to strengthen leadership and faculty development, alongside collaborative research and talent development.

The college has supported Naqu Vocational and Technical School in Xizang for 12 consecutive years, delivering 12 training cohorts with a cumulative attendance of 694 teachers and students.

Internationally, ZCFE has established partnerships with universities in the United Kingdom, Malaysia and other countries. These partnerships support overseas faculty training, academic visits and exchanges, further study abroad for outstanding graduates, and doctoral study abroad for key faculty members.

Since 2017, the college has supported 773 faculty and student participation in exchanges, study visits and professional training across 14 countries. It has also provided financial support for further study at universities in China and abroad to 115 outstanding graduates and 65 faculty members. 

Development and Recognition

Since its establishment in 1997, ZCFE has educated more than 100,000 graduates. Its educational quality and institutional development have earned recognition from education authorities and the wider community.

The college has received provincial honours recognising its achievements in private education, law-based institutional governance, campus culture, institutional strength and graduate employment outcomes.

Its educational initiatives and experience have been featured by major media outlets, including China Education Daily, Henan Daily, People.cn, Guangming Online, Xinhuanet and CCTV News, as well as the official website of the Henan Provincial Department of Education.