It operates under the direct leadership of the State Ministry of Education. It is a member of Project 985 and Project 211 which qualifies it as a top institution of teaching and research. Since 2012, SCUT has held a place in the top 500 of QS World University Rankings. In 2013, SCUT was among the first group accredited for the Study in China Model Base by the State Ministry of Education. The international status of SCUT has improved dramatically making it competitive enough to play a role globally. SCUT is located in Guangzhou which is very near Hong Kong and Macau. It has two campuses: the Wushan campus and the University Town campus. The Wushan campus is located in the Tianhe District of Guangzhou. It is an attractive area with rolling hills, lakes, lush greenery, and brilliant flowers. This campus has a mixture of both traditional and modern architecture with truly collegiate feel. The University Town campus is located in the recently built University Town of Panyu District. It has an open and spacious environment filled with beautiful landscaping and innovative and modern architecture. Since its establishment in 1952, SCUT has developed into a major comprehensive university that offers multiple disciplines of study including science, engineering, business, management, liberal arts, law, bio-medical science, and art design. It is currently composed of 28 colleges offering 81 bachelor degree programs, 193 master degree programs, and 107 Ph.D. programs. Seven subjects - Light Industrial Technology and Engineering, Food Science and Engineering, Urban and Rural planning, Materials Science and Engineering, Architecture, and Chemical Engineering and Technology - are ranked in the top 10 among Chinese universities. ESI ranks six disciplines in the top 1%. Material science, Chemistry, Engineering, Agricultural Science, Physics, and Biology and Biochemistry comprise this list. In the 2015 QS World University Rankings, South China University of Technology was ranked in top 400 integrally, top 50 in engineering, top 100-200 in chemistry, and top 200 in Mathematics and Computer Science. US News & World Report published 2016 Best Global Universities, and SCUT ranked in 395, with Agriculture science, engineering, and chemistry ranked in 40, 41 and 69 respectively these fields. SCUT comprises 4,555 faculty members and 43,000 full time students. Since its founding, SCUT has graduated over 290,000 students, many of which have gone on to become technological mainstays, distinguished entrepreneurs, and leading politicians. The university has appropriately been dubbed "a cradle of engineers" and "a birthplace of entrepreneurs". SCUT strives to be an exceptional example for the entire international university community. It is active in academic exchange and dedicated to promoting collaboration with more than 100 overseas universities. In addition, SCUT has co-constructed two Confucius Institutes, one with Lancaster University in the UK and the other with the University of Idaho in the US. In 2015, SCUT had more than 2,200 international students from 130 countries around the globe. The School of International Education (SIE) is responsible for recruiting, managing and teaching international students. In addition to both long- and short-term Chinese language and culture programs, SIE also offers degree courses like Bachelor of Arts in Chinese as a Foreign Language and Master of Journalism and Communication in the field of teaching Chinese to speakers of other languages. Guided by the university motto of "Study Extensively, Reflect Carefully, Discriminate Clearly, Practice Earnestly" we believe that SCUT is paving a wider path to a better tomorrow.