Towering trees have their roots and the rivers flowing around the mountains have their sources. The predecessor of Xi'an Jiaotong University is Nanyang Public University that was founded in Shanghai in 1896; in 1905, it was transferred to the commercial department and was renamed High Industrial School; in 1906, it was under the command of postal transmission department. It was renamed Shanghai High Industrial School of Postal Transmission Department.

In 1911, Xinhai Revolution broke out. The school was renamed Grand Naiyang University; after Republic of China was founded in 1912, it was managed by traffic department and was renamed Shanghai Special Industrial School of Traffic Department; in 1921, Jiaotong university was set up by merging Shanghai Special Industrial School, Tangshan Special Industrial School, Beiping Railway Management School and Beiping Post Telecommunication School. So our university was called Shanghai School of Jiaotong University; in 1922,Jiaotong University had three schools. The original Shanghai School was renamed Nanyang University of Traffic Department. in 1927, it was renamed the First Jiaotong University of the Traffic Department; In 1928, the Guomin Government issued "Organizational Outline of Jiaotong University". The three schools in Shanghai, Tangshan and Beiping were all called Jiaotong University. The headquarter was in Shanghai. In the same year, it was transferred to railway department.

During the period of Anti -Japanese War, our university was moved to French Concession and in 1940 State-run Branch of Jiaotong university was set up in Chongqing; in 1941, in order to prevent Wang Puppet Government angst taking over the university, our university was run continually in the name of Private Nanyang University; In 1942, Wang Puppet Government took over Shanghai School.So the Education Department of Guomin Government chose Chongqing Branch as the headquarter of Jiaotong university.After Anti -Japanese War was won, Chongqing headquarter went back to Shanghai and merged with Shanghai School. In 1946, the name of State-run Jiaotong University was recovered.

In 1955, the State Council decided to move Jiaotong University to Xi'an. In May of 1956, it began to move. In September of 1957, Jiaotong University has two parts, one was in Xi'an. The other was in Shanghai. Later, most departments, specialties, books, equipment and instruments and teachers, students and staffs moved to Xi'an; on July 31, 1959, No, 212 Guoerluzi document of State Council approved and agreed education department's decision that the Xi'an part and Shanghai part of Jiaotong university become independent and set up two universities, Xi'an Jiaotong University and Shanghai University. The president of former Jiaotong University acted as the president of Xi'an Jiaotong University. In the same year, Xi'an Jiaotong University was listed as the key university in China. Later, it became one of a few universities built according to the "Seventh Five- Year Plan" and "Eighth Five- Year Plan" of China. It was also one of the universities that entered the construction of "211 project" of China. In September, it was determined to be one of a few universities that had the target to build world famous high level University. In April of 2000, approved by the State Council, Xi'an Medical University, Shannxi Institute of Finance and Economics and Xi'an Jiaotong University were merged and formed the new Xi'an Jiaotong University.

Last updated date: 23/August/2019