East University of Heilongjiang is a full-time undergraduate institution founded in 1992 by a group of veteran educators, including Meng Xin, Shang Hexiang, Zhou Changyuan, and Liu Shiqin. It was the first private university established in Heilongjiang Province following China’s reform and opening-up. In 2023, its governance was restructured under the Heilongjiang Association of Higher Education. The university began enrolling full-time junior college students in 1993 and undergraduates in 2000. In 2003, it was officially approved by the Ministry of Education of the People’s Republic of China as a private undergraduate university. It obtained bachelor’s degree-granting authority in 2007 and was designated as a Pilot Institution for the Development of Applied Undergraduate Education with Distinctive Characteristics by People’s Government of Heilongjiang Province in 2010. In 2011, it became one of the first five private universities in China authorized by Academic Degrees Committee of the State Council to offer master’s degree programs in specialized fields. The university passed undergraduate teaching qualification evaluation of Ministry of Education of the People’s Republic of China in 2012, the provincial evaluation for Applied Undergraduate Education with Distinctive Characteristics in 2015, undergraduate teaching audit evaluation of Ministry of Education of the People’s Republic of China in 2018, and the comprehensive quality evaluation for private undergraduate institutions in Heilongjiang in 2019. In 2020, it was approved as a Pilot Institution for Applied Undergraduate Education with Distinctive Features in Heilongjiang Province.

The campus covers an area of 592,400 m², with a building area of 342,000 m². As of March 2025, its net assets have reached CNY 1.919 billion, including teaching and research equipment valued at CNY 109.4718 million. The sports facilities cover 52,000 m², including a 14,600 m² gymnasium. Currently, the university has 13,752 full-time students, including 13,683 undergraduates, 68 professional master’s students, and one international student. It comprises nine schools and two teaching departments, offering two master’s degree programs in Bioengineering and Medicine, as well as International Business, along with 47 undergraduate programs spanning seven disciplines: science, engineering, humanities, economics, management, law, and arts.

Adhering to the philosophy of “Expert-led governance and professor-guided teaching,” the university emphasizes an “industry-education integration and university-enterprise collaboration” approach to talent cultivation. It has established cooperative platforms with renowned domestic research institutes, organizations, and enterprises to foster industry-ready professionals with strong professional skills and innovative mindsets, serving regional economic and social development. Recognized as a national model institution for graduate employment, the university has trained over 60,000 students since its founding. 

      The university is committed to internationalization, having established partnerships with dozens of higher education institutions in Russia, South Korea, Japan, the United States, and other countries. These collaborations encompass joint talent cultivation, faculty exchanges, course sharing, scientific research, credit recognition, and international student education.