According to the latest data of ESI (Essential Science Indicators) released by Clarivate Analytics up to September 2023, Social Science has entered ESI Global Top 1% Ranking, becoming the 10th STU selected ESI Global top 1% programs continued from Clinical medicine, Chemistry, Engineering, Environmental Science and Ecology, Biology and Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Genetics, Botany and Zoology, Pharmacology and Toxicology, Materials Science. This is not only an important breakthrough in the development of social science-related disciplines, but also another important milestone in the development of STU discipline construction.

ESI is sourced from the uniquely curated, meticulously indexed publications data in Web of Science Core Collection. ESI’s normalized metrics are built with high quality data and reliable baselines to help researchers accurately identify top performing research.

The social science discipline that entered the top 1% of ESI shows the strong foundation momentum of disciplines development in the field of philosophy and social sciences in the university. Meanwhile, it also reflects the high international academic influence of research in Medical school, Business school, College of Liberal Arts and other related disciplines. In recent years, STU has undertaken a total of 21 projects of the National Social Science Fund of China. Professor Li Bin of STU College of Liberal Arts has obtained the major project of the National Social Science Fund of China in 2021, Associate Professor Cheng Guiting has obtained the key project of the National Social Science Fund of China in 2023. A total of 168 horizontal projects in social science have been established, with a total value of CNY16.2 million, of which 6 are horizontal projects over CNY500,000. There are 10 Guangdong provincial humanities and social science platforms. In July 2023, it was newly approved as a Decision Making & Consultancy Base in Guangdong Province, the "Shantou University Overseas Chinese Hometown Revitalization Research Center", 3 Guangdong Social Science Research Bases - "Shantou University Digital Ideological and Political Education Research Center", "Shantou University Chinese Traditional Color Theory Research Center” and “Southeast Asian Culture and Language Strategic Research Center”.

A total of 15 consulting reports have been adopted by provincial and ministerial leaders. Business School has successively joined the European Foundation for Management Development (EFMD), the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), the International Silk Road Entrepreneurship Education Alliance (SREEN), and won the Business Graduates Association. , (BGA) gold medal certification, fully integrated into the international business administration education network. In 2020, College of Liberal Arts Professor Peng Jian'e's social science achievements won the second prize of the 8th Excellent Achievement Award of Collegiate Scientific Research of the Ministry of Education (Humanities and Social Sciences), and Shantou University was selected into the Ministry of Culture and Tourism's "Research and Training Plan for Inheritance of China's Intangible Cultural Heritage". In 2022, the first seminar held by STU was rated as an outstanding achievement of the China Intangible Cultural Heritage Research and Training Program, giving full support to local revitalization.