Shanxi University (SXU) was founded on May 8,1902 (28th year of Guangxu Emperor, Qing Dynasty) by the name of Shanxi Grand School, then as one of the only three state-sponsored universities in China. In the following 50 years of war, relocation and more importantly the diligence and endurance, SXU had developed into a nationally-renown large university with five schools: School of Arts, School of Science, School of Medicine, School of Engineering and School of Law. In 1953, as a result of the national college and department adjustmentprogram two schools became independent as the presently named Taiyuan University of Science and Technology, and Shanxi University of Medical Science, and several departments were acquired by other universities including China People’s University, Beijing University of Science and Technology and Northwestern University. Since early 1960s SXU entered into a new era of development and later started to experience a rapid growth in the recently 20 years after China’s adoption of reform and open-door policy. In 2002 Shanxi University observed its grand centennial anniversary celebration and was designated as one of the five universities in the middle part of China entitled to special support from the Ministry of Education.

　　At present Shanxi University is the sole comprehensive university in Shanxi as well as the key university jointly sponsored by Shanxi provincial government and the State Ministry of Education. Serving as an important teaching and research institution, SXU has maintained the position within the 60 top universities in China, or number one in Shanxi in terms of paper publications included in Science Citation Index (SCI), or 26 among the comprehensive universities in China.

　　Shanxi University covers 10 academic areas of literature, history, science, engineering, management, philosophy, law, education, physical education and fine arts. Its education programs include 65 majors of undergraduate study to bachelor’s degree, 93 majors offering master’s degree and 24 majors offering doctoral degree, and 4 academic areas for postdoctoral fellowship. Two academic fields of optics and Science Philosophy are designated as national key academic disciplines, and 16 others as provincial key academic disciplines. SXU also hosts a key research base of humanity and social science designated by the State Ministry of Education, 1 national key laboratory of quantum optics and instruments, 1 key laboratory of chemical biology and molecular engineering by the State Ministry of Education, and 3 key laboratories designated by Shanxi Province. In recent years the university has successfully attracted more than 1100 research grants including the national “973” projects, “863” projects, national “9th five-year” key research projects, national natural science foundation key projects and national project of humanity study and social science. More than 300 achievements in scientific research won the awards at provincial/ministerial or higher levels, and 20 inventions were patented.

　　The elegant-design and park-like campus helps SXU to win a title of green university. The campus covers an area of 800,417 square meters, in which is 476,695 square meters of building area. SXU houses the state-of-art teaching and research instruments with a total value of RMB117.4248 million, along with 1.9 million copies of books (items) in its libraries.

Shanxi University has 1,105 faculty members including 197 professors and 307 associate professors; 73 are eligible of advising doctoral students 306 eligible of advising Master’s students. Sixty-nine faculty members are entitled to the special government subsidy, and 4 are entitled experts with prominent contribution. Since 1999, SXU invited 207 internationally-renown prominence scholars like Yang Zhengning to serve as the guest or honorary professors. Mr. Peng Kunchi was elected as the Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in 2003, the first Shanxi-based academician ever.

　　Shanxi University currently has 19,913 students including 114 doctoral students, 1,075 mater’s students and 10,716 undergraduate students. Around 20% of undergraduate students purses higher degree studies upon graduation. The employment rate is consistently ranked top in Shanix province. The Besides strict academic training, the students participates diversified activities and win titles and championships like the first award of national teaching skill competition of physical education in 1999, “President Cup” in the National College Sport Competition in 2000, and seven first awards in the national competitions of mathematical modeling, electronic design, English competitation, etc.

　　In the recent three years, the faculty members of Shanxi University are involved in 1208 research grants and projects. The fund of 116 grants of national projects totaled RMB128 million. The research resulted in 4438 publications in academic journals, among which 173 papers were cited by Science Citation Index; 34 patents and more than 90 awards at province level or higher.

　　Shanxi University has established inter-collegiate relationship with 34 overseas universities and/or institutions and remain active in international academic communications including joint education programs, faculty and student exchanges.

　　Shanxi University, in her 102 years of history, has been making notable achievements and enjoying tremendous success. The further development goal of SXU is to become a high quality university engaged in both teaching and research, through serving as the center of education, academic research, technology development and decision making consultation of Shanxi province.