As a key university under the direct administration of the Ministry of Education, Xi'an Jiaotong University (XJTU) is one of China's oldest and most prestigious higher education institutions and enjoys a strong reputation both domestically and internationally.

Since its relocation to Xi'an, capital of Northwest China's Shaanxi province, generations of XJTU members have rooted themselves in the western region, serving the nation and making outstanding contributions to the development of western China and the country as a whole.

China's last feudal government failed in the Sino-Japanese War of 1894-1895, plunging the entire nation into crisis. During those chaotic times, Sheng Xuanhuai, a famous industrialist and educator, established Shanghai-based Nanyang College in 1896 with the purpose of "promoting education for talents' development to realize the nation's rejuvenation".

In 1921, the college changed its name to Jiaotong University. By adhering to the mission of "learning practical skills, developing industries", the university stressed the pursuit of "a first-class code of conduct, first-class learning, first-class achievements, and first-class talent cultivation".

By the 1920s-1930s, it had developed into a university with science, engineering and management as distinctive disciplines.

During the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression (1931-45), one section of the university moved to Shanghai's foreign settlements. Another section moved to Chongqing to continue education. To defend their homeland, many students discontinued their studies and joined the military.

Before the People's Republic of China was founded in 1949, students and teachers were already engaged in a revolution to establish an independent nation.

In 1956, the main part of Jiaotong University was relocated to Xi'an pursuant to a State Council decision and was officially renamed Xi'an Jiaotong University in 1959. In the same year, it was listed as one of 16 key universities in China. In 2000, with approval from the State Council, the former Xi'an Medical University and former Shaanxi Institute of Finance and Economics were merged with XJTU.  

During the 7th and 8th Five-Year Plan periods (1986-95), XJTU was supported by the central government as a key university in China and was one of the first schools selected to China's "211" and "985" projects.

XJTU was on the list of universities that would be developed into world-class educational institutions released by the Ministry of Education in 2017, as a Double First-Class university in Category A. This means that government support will aim to develop XJTU into a world-class university, and its 8 disciplines will be developed to the international level.

In 2022, XJTU was selected as part of the second batch of China's Double First-Class Initiative, with 8 disciplines recognized as national Double First-Class disciplines and 12 disciplines recognized as Shaanxi province's Double First-Class disciplines.

According to data released by ESI (Essential Science Indicators) in January 2024, 19 disciplines of XJTU ranked in the top 1 percent globally among academic institutions, with 6 disciplines ranking in the top one-thousandth. Among them, engineering ranked 9th globally.

XJTU is currently a comprehensive research university with 11 major disciplines: science, engineering, medicine, economics, management, humanities, law, philosophy, art, education and inter-disciplines. The university has 34 schools, departments and centers, 9 colleges for undergraduates, and 3 affiliated hospitals.

XJTU now has 6,568 faculty and staff, including 3,755 full-time teachers. The university's faculty includes 588 individuals who have been selected as academicians and recipients of various national major talent programs such as the National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars. A total of 51 teams at the university were honored as national innovative teams, and 450 experts have made outstanding contributions to the nation and received special government allowances. Additionally, the school employs 11 national-level distinguished teachers recognized for their teaching excellence.

The university currently has 59,267 students, including 24,539 undergraduates, 31,194 postgraduates, and 3,534 international students from 136 countries. The university offers 76 undergraduate majors, and has 40 first-level disciplines authorized to confer doctoral degrees, 43 first-level disciplines authorized to confer master's degrees, 6 majors authorized to confer doctoral degrees, and 30 majors authorized to confer master's degrees.

XJTU has 30 postdoctoral research stations, 8 national first-level key disciplines, 8  national second-level key disciplines, and 3 national key or nurturing disciplines.

It also has a total of 228 provincial and ministerial-level or higher bases, including 9 national or state key laboratories, 10 national engineering technology research centers, 3 national industry-education-integrated innovation platforms, 5 national international science & technology cooperation bases, 1 national center for applied mathematics, and 1 collaborative innovation center (2011).

During its 128-year history, XJTU has championed the principles of developing education to make China strong, pioneering with painstaking efforts, advocating virtues and pragmatism, and seeking meticulous scholarship. It has formed management characteristics based on a strong start, featuring a solid foundation, strict requirements, and emphasis on real-world practice.

Over the years, XJTU has produced a large number of outstanding statesmen, scientists, social activists, educators, entrepreneurs, artists, and medical experts, such as Cai E, Zhang Yuanji, Cai Yuanpei, Huang Yanpei, Shao Lizi, Li Shutong, Zou Taofen, Lu Dingyi and Qian Xuesen.

Since its establishment, XJTU has had over 200 alumni elected as academicians of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Chinese Academy of Engineering, and since its relocation, it has nurtured or employed 89 academicians. Among them are 6 recipients of the "Two Bombs, One Satellite" Meritorious Medal, 4 winners of the National Supreme Science and Technology Award, 6 recipients of the title "Pioneer Striving for China," 2 recipients of the "Republic Medal" and national honorary titles, 10 CEOs from Fortune Global 500 companies, and 5 National Outstanding Engineers.

Since 2015, 171 individuals from XJTU have received national scientific and technological awards, and 86 individuals have been honored as National Model Workers, National Advanced Workers, or recipients of the National Labor Medal.

XJTU has fully implemented the model of "cultivation in conduct, impartation of knowledge, training abilities, and innovation in thinking" in the cultivation of talent and established the system of "general education + professional education with wide-ranging knowledge" and a well-rounded "undergraduate-postgraduate-doctoral students" education system.

It also adheres to a professional talent cultivation model that deeply integrates industry and education. The implementation of the National Hundred, Thousand and Ten Thousand Talents Program has broken down disciplinary barriers and actively explored new paths for cultivating high-end talent to enhance the quality of talent cultivation.

In 2006, XJTU took the lead among Chinese universities in creating a "School + College" system modeled on the traditional Chinese academy of learning. This "Dual-College" cultivation model pioneered the so-called "Party leadership, integration of knowledge and practice, coexistence of teachers and students, tailored teaching" comprehensive student community management service nationwide. In 2019, it was approved as one of the first pilot universities for the Ministry of Education's "comprehensive student community management model."

XJTU has consistently explored the cultivation of top-notch innovative talent. Since 1985, the university has been admitting students into special youth classes. Subsequently, it established the Qian Xuesen Pilot Class, Hou Zonglian Medical Pilot Class, Artificial Intelligence Pilot Class, and Energy Storage Class. Utilizing the Qian Xuesen Honors College, disciplines including mathematics, physics, computer science, mechanics, and basic medicine were selected for the 2.0 version of the Ministry of Education's elite program for cultivating outstanding students.

The university has built and managed various pilot classes with the goal of nurturing industry-leading talent with a global perspective and scientific literacy, applying the spirit and wisdom of Qian Xuesen to educational and teaching practices.

XJTU has 61 majors selected as national first-class undergraduate programs, received 100 national teaching achievement awards, and 12 Ministry of Education pilot projects for virtual teaching and research labs. It has developed 129 national first-class undergraduate courses, established 8 national teaching and talent cultivation bases, 12 national experimental teaching demonstration centers (including virtual simulation experiment teaching center), and 9 national-level teaching teams. Additionally, 27 XJTU student dissertations have been included in "China's 100 best doctoral dissertations" and another 46 have been nominated for that award.

Since 2000, XJTU has been a leader in carrying out hundreds of major projects, including national key science and technology projects, national key research and development programs, and Ministry of Science and Technology base and talent programs. It has been granted 8,117 projects from the National Natural Science Foundation and ranks among the top universities nationwide in terms of the number and funding of basic research projects.

The university has undertaken 53 national social science research projects, received 36 awards from the Ministry of Education for humanities and social sciences, and established 31 high-end think tanks in collaboration with government and enterprises. A large number of research achievements have been adopted and applied in practical settings.

XJTU's medical education is rapidly advancing, directed at serving the health needs of the people. Taking the building of national medical centers as an opportunity and new medical science as a focal point, the university has been leveraging the intersection of medicine and engineering to accelerate the integration of medical engineering, medical science, and medical humanities. It is promoting the integration of basic medicine with clinical medicine, clinical medicine with preventive medicine, and medical disciplines with other disciplines, and hastening the advancement of cutting-edge medical research.

XJTU continues its efforts in developing a new medical education system with distinctive features and demonstrative effects, and promotes the high-quality development of affiliated hospitals, aiming to achieve breakthroughs in medical disciplines and establish first-class medical disciplines, thereby contributing to the development of a healthy China.

XJTU is actively adapting to the ongoing technological revolution and industrial transformation, adopting the mission statement "assuming national missions, becoming a global hub of science and education, serving as an engine for Shaanxi's development, creating an innovation-driven platform, and serving as a smart campus demonstration site." It has built the Western China Science and Technology Innovation Harbour (iHarbour) and constructed 8 major platforms, 30 research institutes, and over 400 research bases and think tanks focusing on four major areas: science, engineering, medicine, and humanities.

Through these efforts, the university is proactively exploring new ways to achieve the in-depth integration of 21st-century modern universities and social development, aiming to become an innovative engine that serves the new era of western development.

Since the relocation, XJTU has made hundreds of landmark achievements in scientific research both domestically and internationally, including establishing China's first institute of engineering thermophysics and the first majors in steam turbines, automobile manufacturing, refrigeration and low-temperature compressors, and energy storage, and developing China's first large-scale general-purpose electronic computer and first digital processing chip with independent intellectual property rights. Additionally, XJTU was the first to propose the Unified Strength Theory of Double Shear internationally.

XJTU has generated over 30,000 research outcomes, among which 241 have received national awards and led to trillions of yuan worth of economic and societal benefits.

Focusing on student development, XJTU has a national base for cultural and high-quality education, along with 131 student societies and a diverse range of scientific, cultural, and sports activities. Events such as the "Daxiansheng" theater series, the Golden Wutong Festival, "Experts' Talks", "Talking Freely about the World","iHarbour Lectures", and the "Chuang Yuan Forum" help broaden the perspectives of both faculty and students.

Over the years, XJTU students have achieved outstanding results in various international and domestic competitions, including the SAE Aero Design Competition, VEX Robotics World Championship, International Mathematical Modeling Challenge, World Mandarin Debate Championship and International Public Speaking Competition.

XJTU has placed great importance on international cooperation and exchanges, and striven to cultivate top innovative talent with a global perspective through joint education programs, student exchanges, and other forms of collaboration.

Deep collaborations with world-class universities are ongoing. The university has jointly established a number of educational institutions and programs, including Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, the Xi'an Jiaotong University-Politecnico di Milano of Italy Joint School of Design and Innovation, and two Confucius Institutes respectively located at the University of Liverpool in the UK and the Yamanashi Gakuin University in Japan. It has also collaborated with Samarkand State University in Uzbekistan to establish a China Center, pioneering an innovative "Language + Technology" cooperation model in Central Asia.

In support of the Belt and Road Initiative, XJTU initiated the University Alliance of the Silk Road, attracting over 180 universities from 40 countries and regions to join diverse cooperation efforts.

XJTU currently has four campuses: Xingqing, Yanta, Qujiang, and iHarbour, covering an area of approximately 5,000 mu (333.33 hectares) and a total building area of about 4 million square meters.

On May 4, 1995, the university's library was officially named "Qian Xuesen Library" after being authorized by the CPC Publicity Department. The name was inscribed by then Chinese President Jiang Zemin, who was also an alumnus of XJTU.

The library now comprises three parts: the Qian Xuesen Library at Xingqing Campus, the Library at Yanta Campus, and the Library Data Center at iHarbour. Its total construction area is 42,818.82 square meters and it includes 3,939 reading seats as well as various learning and study spaces to meet diverse needs.

The library include 5.96 million book collections and is access to approximately 143 electronic resource platforms with 350 sub-libraries from domestic and international. The library also boasts over 76,000 full-text electronic journals in both Chinese and foreign languages, as well as more than 2.34 million domestic and international electronic books.

Motto: Study assiduously, resolve to succeed, act decisively, and manage affairs with magnanimity.

Orientation: Take root in western China, give service to the country, and strive to be world-class.

School spirit: Love country and school, pursue truth, work with diligence and steadfastness, and live in simplicity and austerity

Western relocation spirit:

Core: Patriotism

Quintessence: Following the Party's lead, and always be with the Party and the people.