1924, more than 300 teachers and students of Xiamen University left school for Shanghai due to the student tide. At that time, the former Minister of Communications of the National Government, who had just stepped down, and the former professors of Xiamen University, Ou Luohuai, Fu and others, set up the "Preparatory Office for the Preparation of the University". "Xiamen" is the inversion of "Xiamen University". Later, it was named Daxia University with the meaning of "China Everbright", with Ma as the president and Chairman, and became a comprehensive private university at that time.

In the early days of the school, the school advocated the "three bitter spirits" of hard work, diligent study and hard practice, teacher-student cooperation and saving the country by reading, and formulated the school motto of "self-improvement" as the motto of all teachers and students. The school has five colleges and three specialized courses, including the Faculty of Arts: Chinese Department, English Department, History and Society Department; Faculty of Science: Department of Mathematics, Department of Chemistry and Department of Civil Engineering; College of Education: Department of Education, Department of Educational Psychology, Department of Social Education; Business School: Banking Department, Accounting Department, Business Administration Department; Law School: Department of Politics, Department of Economics and Department of Law; Teachers' professional courses: Chinese studies group, English group, history and geography group, mathematics and science group; Physical education specialized courses; Specialized course of salt affairs.

The directors of Daxia University at that time were: Wu Zhihui, Wang Jingwei, Zhang, Ma and Fu. Professors include Ma, He Changshou, Guo Moruo, Tian Han, He Bingsong, Li Shicen, Zhu Jingnong and Cheng Xiangfan. Even Du Du, who was very popular at that time, sponsored the Great Xia many times, which shows the grand occasion of the Great Xia at that time. Good school-running strength makes Daxia University enjoy the reputation of "Oriental Columbia University".