Shanxi University, established in 1902, is in Taiyuan, the capital of Shanxi province, which has a history of 2,500 years. The school itself can be traced back to Sanli College, of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), and Jinyang College and Lingde College, of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1912). In its early period, the school worked on integrating Chinese culture and Western culture and the arts and sciences. It had great flexibility in its management and advanced educational ideas, and was a cradle of higher education in China and a crucial center of culture, science, and education in Shanxi province for more than 100 years.

It covers many disciplines and 12 academic fields, with 90 undergraduate specialties and 17 undergraduate double-majors. There are three academic worksites, 14 post-doc research sites, 15 PhD disciplines, 37 master’s degree disciplines, and 13 engineering master’s degree disciplines. It also has two special PhD cross-disciplines that are not included in the Education Ministry’s catalogue of disciplines.

It has key State-level laboratories, Education Ministry laboratories, Education Ministry humanities and social sciences research bases, and an Education Ministry approved engineering research center, giving it a solid academic and scientific research foundation. It also handles important national 973 Projects, national 863 Projects, and projects funded by the National Natural Science Foundation, and the Social Science Foundation, 16 of which have won awards, including a national Natural Science award, national Technological Innovation award, national Scientific and Technological Progress award, Outstanding Achievement in the Humanities award from the Education Ministry, a Social Sciences award for Chinese Higher Education Institutions, and an Education Ministry Natural Science award.

XJTU is a key university which is directly administered by the Chinese Education Ministry and is one of the oldest current institutions of higher education in China. The predecessor of XJTU was Nanyang College, which was founded in 1896 in Shanghai and renamed Jiaotong University in 1921. In 1956, the main body of Jiaotong University was moved to Xi’an according to the decision issued by the State Council, and was formally named Xi’an Jiaotong University in 1959, which was listed as a national key university. Xi’an Jiaotong University, as one of the first universities entering the seventh and eighth five-plan, as well as China’s "211 Project" and “985 Project”, is selected to be developed into a global first-class university. In April 2000, approved by the State Council, the original Xi’an Medical University and original Shaanxi Institute of Finance and Economics were integrated into Xi’an Jiaotong University.
Currently Xi’an Jiaotong University is a comprehensive research university with scientific focus. It is composed of 10 branches of learning, namely: science, engineering, medicine, economics, management, literature, law, philosophy, education and art.

School motto:
“Rigor, integrity, determination and loyalty.”
Mission:
Cultivate upstanding, industrious and truth-seeking talents with a strong sense of social responsibility and a commitment to scientific inquiry and innovation. Commit itself to the advancement, preservation, application and dissemination of knowledge, so that it may contribute to the progress of science and technology, and the betterment of human society in China and the world at large.
Vision:
Fulfill its three-pronged mission of education, research, and social service and achieve prominence. By the middle period of 21 century, become a world-class research university honored at home and respected throughout the world, where prestigious teachers and talented students gather.