Dr. Qiu Guanzhou was born on 2 February 1949 in Dapu, Guangdong.

He attended Yinjiang Kunlun Primary School in 1955 and entered Dapu Middle School in 1963.

From 1968 to 1970, he taught at Yinjiang Middle School in Dapu, and from 1970 to 1972 he worked at the Dabao Mountain Copper Smelter in Guangdong.

From 1972 to 1976, he studied mineral processing in the Department of Mineral Engineering at the Guangdong University of Mining and Metallurgy (the predecessor of Guangdong University of Technology).

Between 1976 and 1978, he worked at the Dabao Mountain Mine as a technician, workshop director, and plant director.

From 1978 to 1981, he completed his master’s degree in the Department of Mineral Engineering at the Central-South Institute of Mining and Metallurgy.

From 1981 to 1992, he engaged in teaching and research in the Department of Mineral Engineering at the Central South University of Technology, where he also earned his Ph.D. between 1981 and 1987.

In 1987, he was appointed Deputy Chair of the department, was promoted to Associate Professor the same year, and became Professor in 1988. From 1990 to 1992, he served as Chair of the department.

From December 1992 to April 2000, Dr. Qiu served as Vice President of the Central South University of Technology, and from April 2000 to April 2010, he served as a Standing Committee Member of the CPC Committee and Vice President of CSU.

He was appointed Doctoral Supervisor in 1993 and was elected an Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering in 2011.