Shanghai Ocean University, which was formerly Jiangsu Provincial Fisheries School established in 1912, is a university with 102-year history and glorious tradition. In 1952, it became the first fisheries college, namely, Shanghai Fisheries College and was renamed in 1985 Shanghai Fisheries University. In 2008, it was renamed Shanghai Ocean University. It has developed into a multi-disciplinary university focusing on the coordinated development in agriculture, science, engineering, economics, arts and management with complete disciplines and distinguishing features.

The university consists of 8 specialized colleges, namely, College of Aqua-life Science and Technology, College of Marine Science and Technology, College of Food Science and Technology, College of Economic Management, College of Information Technology, College of Humanities, College of Engineering, and College of Foreign Languages as well as other 4 colleges, including College of International Cultural Exchange, College of Continuing Education, College of Higher Technical and Vocational Education, and the joint IEN Institute by the University and Australia. In addition, the Central Agricultural Cadres Training Center, SHOU Branch and the Ocean Fisheries Training Center of Ministry of Agriculture are also located in the university.

The university has 1 national key discipline, 10 provincial and ministerial key disciplines, 1 educational highland of Shanghai and 1 E Institute of Shanghai Universities. It has one postdoctoral station, 1 doctoral program of the first-level discipline, 7 doctoral programs of the second-level disciplines, 2 master program of the first-level discipline, 23 master programs of the second-level disciplines, 7 equivalent-education master programs, 43 bachelor programs and research directions.

There are 12,700-odd undergraduate students and 1200 postgraduates enrolled in the university. Among 1040 work staff members, there are 680 teachers and scientific researchers, including 400 with senior titles and 343 master and doctoral supervisors. There is one professor from the University acting as the counselor in the Academic Degree Appraisal Board of the State Council, and another one selected in the State Project of Hundred. In addition, 2 and 3 teachers are respectively awarded the honorary title of the State Distinguished Young-and-Middle-Aged Expert and the title of the Provincial or Ministerial Distinguished Young-and-Middle-Aged Expert. Another 4 act as members in the 7th Session of the Science and Technology Commission of the Ministry of Agriculture,and 1 act as member in the 8th Session.

Enjoying good facilities for education and complete laboratories and special experimental equipment, the university owns the Key Open Laboratory of Aquatic Genetic Resources Excavation and Utilization of the Ministry of Education, the Key Open Laboratory of Aquatic Genetic Resources and Aquaculture Ecology of the Ministry of Agriculture, and the Bank and Refrigeration Center of Aquatic Animals and Plants Pathogens of the Ministry of Agriculture. The university has established such special laboratories as Laboratory for Fresh Water Fish Processing and Utilization Research, and Oceanic Fishery Remote Sensing and Information Research Center as well as 7 research centers at the university level. Besides, the university owns the Agriculture Research Institute of SHOU, Research Institute of Public Administration, Research Institute of China Ichthyological Culture, Museum of China Ichthyological Culture, Ichthyology Research Institute and Specimen Laboratory renowned home and abroad, and Museum of Whales, which is the biggest and a special one in Asia. The library has a total storage of 845,000 books and 389,000 electronic books featuring fishery, marine science and food. Owning a modern campus network, the university has established a platform China Fisheries Network serving the fisheries industry of our country. Journal of Fisheries and Journal of SHOU sponsored by the university are listed as key Chinese journals, China key scientific and technological journals and China scientific and technological papers citation source journals. Journal of Fisheries has been awarded the title of the first and second session of one hundred excellent academic journals of China.

Since 1990s, there are over 50 scientific and technological achievements leading the world, over 80 belonging to innovation or leading the country, over 40 awarded the state-level prizes and over 50 the provincial or ministerial-level prizes. In addition, over 30 patents have been achieved. The university has made great contribution in such fields as environmental protection, species protection, genetic breeding, food processing, marine resources development and utilization, aquaculture, agricultural economy and so on.

The university has built a close relationship and cooperation with the universities of the U.S.A, Japan, Russia, and Australia, as well as several international organizations. The university has exchanged overseas students with universities in several countries, participated in the Sino-US cooperative projects of marine living resources for a long period, and established a long-period and friendly cooperation with such international organizations as the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, UNESCO, Fisheries Information Center, Asian Fisheries Society, and International Aquatic Living Resources Management Center, etc.

The university has three campuses, namely, Jungong Road Campus, Minxing road Campus and Xuehai Road Campus, and three aquaculture bases in Nanhui(Shanghai), Fenghua, and Xiangshan(Zhejiang Province). According to the overall layout and planning of Shanghai universities, SHOU will move to Lingang New City in 2008. The new campus, which is located at the urban area of Lingang New City,occupies an area of 1600 mu, the planned construction area of which reaches 586,000 m2. In the near future, a modern university with complete functions, advanced facilities, and beautiful environment will erect to the shore of the East China Sea and Dishui Lake.

To cater to the trend of popularization of higher education in China, promote fisheries, marine science and technology, and higher education, cultivate special talents so as to meet the great need of the society and regional economy, the university has put forward the aim in the new age: in 2012, the centennial of the university, it will be developed into a world-renowned special university with distinctive advantages in such disciplines as aquaculture, marine science and technology, food engineering, etc. while agriculture, science, engineering, economics, art, and administration, etc. developing coordinately. Besides, the university will attach importance to both teaching and scientific research so that it will be a cradle for cultivating senior special talents and high quality applied talents, and an important base for scientific innovation in fisheries, marine science and technology, and food engineering, etc.