Northwest University (NWU), located in Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, China, is a public comprehensive university and a national "Double First-Class" construction university, as well as a "Project 211" key university. It is jointly administered by the Ministry of Education and the Shaanxi Provincial Government.
History
Northwest University traces its origins to 1902, with two institutional roots: the Shaanxi University Hall (陕西大学堂), established by imperial edict of the Guangxu Emperor, and the Quick Success Course and Official Training School of the Imperial University of Peking (京师大学堂速成科仕学馆). In 1912, it was first named Northwest University. It was renamed National Northwest University in 1923. In 1937, during the Second Sino-Japanese War, National Peking University, National Peking Normal University, Beiyang Institute of Technology, and the Peking Research Institute were relocated to Xi'an and merged to form the National Xi'an Temporary University, which became the National Northwest United University in 1938 and reverted to National Northwest University in 1939. After the establishment of the People's Republic of China, it became a university directly under the Ministry of Education and regained the name Northwest University in 1950. In 1958, its administration was transferred to Shaanxi Province. In 1978, it was designated a national key university.
Campuses
NWU has three campuses covering a total area of approximately 2,360 mu (about 157 hectares):
- Taibai Campus (No. 229 Taibai North Road, Beilin District): The historic main campus, located near the southwest corner of the Xi'an City Wall. The site was formerly the campus of National Northeastern University, which relocated to Xi'an after the Mukden Incident of 1931.
- Chang'an Campus (No. 1 Xuefu Avenue, Guodu Education Technology Industrial Zone, Chang'an District): The modern main campus, housing most academic facilities and the main library.
- Taoyuan Campus (No. 155 Gaoxin 4th Road, Yanta District).
Academic Profile
NWU has 26 colleges (departments), a graduate school, and one Sino-foreign cooperative education institution. It offers 81 undergraduate programs, of which 37 are national first-class undergraduate programs. The university has 29 doctoral degree authorization points (including 25 first-level disciplines and 4 professional degree categories) and 59 master's degree authorization points (including 38 first-level disciplines and 21 professional degree categories), along with 24 postdoctoral research stations.
Disciplines and Rankings
NWU has two national "Double First-Class" construction disciplines: Geology and Archaeology. It has one national first-level key discipline (Geology, covering 5 second-level disciplines), four national second-level key disciplines (Political Economy, Specialized History, Botany, and Mineral Prospecting and Exploration), and one national key (cultivation) discipline (History of Science and Technology).
Faculty
As of the latest data, NWU has over 3,000 faculty and staff members, including 4 academicians of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, 1 academician of the International Academy of the History of Science, 1 academician of the World Academy of Sciences for the developing world, 14 recipients of the National Outstanding Youth Science Fund, 16 recipients of the National Excellent Youth Science Fund, 18 members of the National "Hundred, Thousand, and Ten Thousand Talents Project," and 4 National Distinguished Teachers.
Student Body
The university has over 30,000 enrolled students, including approximately 14,000 undergraduates, 15,400 postgraduates, and over 600 international students.
Research and Achievements
NWU hosts 137 provincial-level and above research platforms, including 1 National Key Laboratory (Continental Dynamics State Key Laboratory), 1 National Engineering Technology Research Center, 1 National "Belt and Road" Joint Laboratory, and 1 National Innovation Talent Training Demonstration Base. The university has received numerous major awards, including the National Natural Science Award (first and second prizes), the National Technological Invention Award (second prize), the National Science and Technology Progress Award (second prize), and the China Patent Gold Award.
Cultural Heritage
The university's motto is "Gong Cheng Qin Pu" (公诚勤朴), meaning "Justice, Integrity, Diligence, and Simplicity," established during the National Northwest United University period. The university emblem features the seal-script characters for "Northwest University" superimposed on a Qin-Han dynasty tile design, reflecting the institution's deep historical roots in the ancient capital of Xi'an.
Reputation
NWU is known as the "Cradle of China's Petroleum Talents," the "Cradle of Economists," and the "Cradle of Writers." The Encyclopædia Britannica has listed Northwest University as one of the world's renowned universities. Notable alumni include Wang Qishan (former Vice President of China), as well as numerous academicians, scholars, writers, and economists.
