Huaqiao University is directly led by the Overseas Chinese Affairs Office of the State Council and approved by Premier Zhou Enlai. It is the first institution of higher learning named "Overseas Chinese" in China. It is a comprehensive university jointly established by the Overseas Chinese Affairs Office of Fujian Province, Quanzhou City and Xiamen City, and has been designated as a "national key university" by the central government.

Huaqiao University, directly under the leadership of the Overseas Chinese Affairs Office of the State Council, is one of the earliest universities in New China to implement the board system, and is also a comprehensive university founded by the Overseas Chinese Affairs Office of the State Council in cooperation with Fujian, Quanzhou and Xiamen. The current president is Professor Xu Xipeng, the leader of the National Special Support Program for High-level Talents and the winner of the National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars.

Huaqiao University is a national cultural quality education base for college students and a national model university for deepening the reform of innovation and entrepreneurship education.