Northwest University (China) - History

History

Northwest University has its origin in Shaanxi College founded in 1902, and assumed its present name in 1912. It was renamed National Northwest University in 1923, and called National Xi'an Provisional University after the merger with National Beiping University, Beiping Normal University, Beiyang College of Engineering and other institutions, which moved inland to Shaanxi when the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression broke out in 1937. The Provisional University was subsequently named National Northwest Associated University in 1938, and National Northwest University in 1939.

In the early period after the founding of the People's Republic of China, Northwest University was one of the 14 comprehensive universities under the direct administration of the central government's Ministry of Education. In 1958, the University came under the administration of the Shaanxi Provincial Government. In 1978, it was designated as one of the key universities in China. Currently, the University is one of China’s leading comprehensive, multi-disciplinary universities of liberal arts, sciences, engineering, management, law and medicine, with equal emphasis on both teaching and research. It is also one of the institutions of higher learning listed in the State's Project 211, and one of the universities supported by the State in its western China development campaign.