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Northwestern Polytechnical University

Coordinates: 34°14′41″N 108°54′42″E / 34.24472°N 108.91167°E / 34.24472; 108.91167
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Northwestern Polytechnical University
西北工业大学
Other name
NWPU
Motto公诚勇毅
Motto in English
Loyalty, Integrity, Courage, and Perseverance
TypePublic
Established1938; 86 years ago (1938)
PresidentWang Jinsong (汪劲松)
Academic staff
3,600
Students28,131
Undergraduates14,395
Postgraduates13,736
Location,
China

34°14′41″N 108°54′42″E / 34.24472°N 108.91167°E / 34.24472; 108.91167
CampusUrban
0.8 km2 (0.31 sq mi) (Youyi campus)
2.6 km2 (1.0 sq mi) (Chang'an campus)
Newspaper西北工大报
Colors    Blue & silver
AffiliationsExcellence League
Sino-Spanish University Alliance (SSU)
MascotAoxiang
Websitenwpu.edu.cn
Chinese name
Simplified Chinese西北工业大学
Traditional Chinese西北工業大學
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinXīběi Gōngyè Dàxué

Northwestern Polytechnical University (NWPU; 西北工业大学) is a public science and engineering university in Xi'an, Shaanxi, China. It is affiliated with the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology. The university is part of Project 211, Project 985, and the Double First-Class Construction.[1][2]

NPU specializes in education and research in the fields of aeronautical, astronautical and marine engineering. As of 2012, NPU had 13,736 graduate students (3,063 full-time doctorate candidates, 7,087 master candidates, 3,586 professional degree candidates) and 14,395 undergraduate students.

As of 2024, Northwestern Polytechnical University was listed as one of the top 300 universities in the Academic Ranking of World Universities and the U.S. News & World Report Best Global University Ranking.[3][4]

History

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NPU builds upon the legacies of its three major predecessors.[5]

Northwestern Engineering Institute

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In 1938, due to the Japanese invasion of China, many universities in the occupied east evacuated to "Free China" in the western hinterland. Among those that fled to Shaanxi, the National Beiyang Engineering Institute, the Engineering School of Beiping University, the Engineering School of the National Northeastern University, and the (private) Jiaozuo Engineering Institute were combined to form the National Northwestern Engineering Institute in Hanzhong, a city surrounded by mountains. In 1946, after the surrender of Japan, Northwestern Engineering Institute was relocated to the city of Xianyang.

East China Aeronautics Institute

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In 1952, to meet the demand for concentrated aeronautics research, the departments of aeronautical engineering of the former National Central University (later known as Nanjing University), Jiaotong University and Zhejiang University were relocated to Nanjing and combined to form the East China Aeronautics Institute. This institute was relocated to Xi'an and renamed the Xi'an Aeronautics Institute, which is the second predecessor of the NPU, in 1956.

In 1957, the Northwestern Engineering Institute and the Xi'an Aeronautics Institute were merged to form NPU, which concentrated its research efforts on defense technology for aeronautics, astronautics and marine engineering.

People's Liberation Army Military Engineering Institute

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In 1970, due to deteriorating relations with the former USSR, the People's Liberation Army Military Engineering Institute, which was located in Harbin, was disassembled. Many of its departments were relocated from the city near the China-Soviet border; among these, its Department of Aeronautical Engineering (the third predecessor of NPU) was moved to Xi'an and merged with the other two predecessors to form NPU.

Campuses

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NPU's campuses comprise about 4.58 km2, with the Youyi Campus, located in Beilin District, Xi'an, comprising about 0.8 km2 and the Chang'an Campus, located in Chang'an District, Xi'an, comprising about 2.6 km2.[2] and the Taicang Campus, located in Suzhou, Jiangsu, comprising about 1.18 km2.[2]

East Gate of Youyi Campus, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Beilin District, Xi'an, China

Youyi Campus

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The Youyi Campus, often referred as the 'old campus', is divided into three parts: the South, the West and the North by the West Youyi Road and the South Laodong Road. The campus contains education facilities, apartments of teachers and students, stadiums, logistics facilities, a kindergarten and the primary and middle school affiliated with NPU.[6]

Chang'an Campus

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The Chang'an Campus, often referred as the 'new campus', is divided into two parts: the East and the West by the Dongxiang Road. This campus contains many newly built administration buildings, school buildings, experiments facilities, sports facilities and so on. It serves as the main base for undergraduate education of NPU.[7]

Taicang Campus

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The Taicang Campus, located at the border between Suzhou and Shanghai, is currently under construction and will start to run in September 2021. This campus will contain 10 schools including School of Artificial Intelligence, School of Flexible Electronics, School of Business etc. It will serve around 10,000 students.[citation needed]

Infrastructure development

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NPU is building or going to build more facilities on both of these two campuses. Supported by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and the former Commission for Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense, NPU has received a 1.58 billion CNY (US$252.8 million) investment in infrastructure constructions from the central government and there're more than 20 construction projects running currently including the Material Science Building, the Innovation Science and Technology Building, the Reconstruction of Dangerous and Old Apartments after the earthquake, the #1 Student Apartment in the Youyi Campus and the New Library, Infrastructure Plan I & II, the High-tech Experimental Research Center and others in the Chang'an Campus.[8]

Academics

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NPU has a strong research capacity in engineering. It was confirmed as one of the National Key Universities by the State Council in 1960. In the seventh and eighth Five-year plan, NPU was listed as one of the 15 National Key Developing Universities. In the ninth Five-year plan, NPU joined the Project 211. And, in the tenth Five-year plan, NPU joined the Project 985.[2]

Since its establishment, NPU has educated more than 150,000 high level technicians and researchers for China's defense industry and national economy development. The first PhD from 6 disciplines in China was graduated from NPU.[2] And, among NPU's alumni, there are more than 30 fellows of the CAS and the CAE, 30 generals in PLA and 6 recipients of China's TOP 10 Outstanding Youth Elite.[9]

Accreditation and memberships

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NPU is one of the Seven Sons of National Defence[10] and member of SAP University Alliances.[11]

Funding

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The university's research funding has been continually rising every year. It reached 1.67 billion RMB in 2010 (US$0.26 billion), ranking fifth among all universities in China. with funding per faculty member ranked first. In 2011, funding reached 1.91 billion RMB.

Rankings and reputation

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University rankings
BCUR National[12] Domestic 23
Wu Shulian National[13] Domestic 21
CUAA National[14] Alumni 22
QS National[15] General 36
THE National[16] General 21–25
QS Asia
(Asia version)[17]
General =146
THE Asia
(Asia version)[18]
General 51
ARWU World[19] Research 151–200
QS World[20] General =547
THE World[21] General 301–350
USNWR World[22] General 253

In 2024, Northwestern Polytechnical University was listed as one of the world's top 300 universities in the Academic Ranking of World Universities and the U.S. News & World Report Best Global University Ranking.[4][3]

In 2022, NPU ranked 25th in the Best Chinese Universities Ranking compiled by Shanghai Ruanke.[23] NPU's engineering ranked the tenth among China's engineering universities.[24]

According to the results of the third Evaluation of Disciplines by the Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, the ranks of parts of NPU's disciplines are shown below.[25]

Discipline Rank
Material Science and Engineering 3
Aeronautical and Astronautical Science and Technology 1
Armament Science and Technology 3
Marine Science and Application 5
Dynamics 7
Computer Science and Technology 12
Mechanics Engineering 14
Control Science and Engineering 14
Transportation Engineering 15
Electronic Science and Engineering 17
Instrument Science and Technology 18
Power Engineering and Engineering Thermophysics 18
Information and Communication Engineering 20
Electrical Engineering 23
BiomedicalEngineering 23
Optical Engineering 24
Architecture 26
Mathematics 36
Chemistry 39
Civil Engineering 46
Business Administration 50
Foreign Languages and Literatures 52
Public Management 55
Applied Economics 58
Biology 64
Marxist Theory 69
Laws 72

Laboratories

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The university has seven State Key Laboratories and 28 Province/Ministry-level Key Laboratories. Only the State Key Laboratories are listed below.[26] These labs often specialize in particular areas of academic research and receive government funding:

Name Supporting School
State Key Laboratory of Solidification Processing School of Materials Science and Engineering
State Key Laboratory of Airfoil, Cascade Aerodynamics School of Aeronautics & School of Power and Energy
State Key Laboratory of Torpedo Guidance Technology School of Marine Technology
State Key Laboratory of Heat Structure and Inner Flow Field of Combustion of Solid Rocket Motor School of Astronautics
State Key Laboratory of UAV Special Technology Institute of National Defense
State Key Laboratory of Superhigh Temperature Structural Composite Materials School of Materials Science and Engineering
State Key Laboratory of Space Flight Dynamics Technology School of Astronautics

Organization

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Education Experimental School

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The Education Experimental School is the college with special honors in NPU. Its predecessor is the Education Reform Class established in 1985 which was upgraded to the current school in 2001. The aim of this school is to provide the most elite students of NPU with the best resources so that they can become future leaders in their fields.[27]

Academic schools

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NPU has 15 academic schools, 1 educational experimental school( known as Honors College), 1 independent school, 1 joint school and some other administrative schools.[28] The university offers 58 undergraduate programs, 117 master programs, 67 doctorate programs and 14 postdoctoral programs. Currently, there are 2 First-level National Key Disciplines, 7 Second-level National Key Disciplines, 2 National Key (to cultivate) Disciplines, 21 First-level Disciplines for Doctorate Degree Granting and 31 First-level Disciplines for master's degree Granting. Additionally, NPU has 7 State Key Laboratories, 28 Province/Ministry-level Key Laboratories and 19 Province/Ministry-level Engineering Research Centers. The 15 academic schools of NPU are listed here in the official order.

  1. School of Aeronautics
  2. School of Astronautics
  3. School of Marine Science and Technology
  4. School of Materials Science and Engineering
  5. School of Mechanical Engineering
  6. School of Mechanics, Civil Engineering and Architecture
  7. School of Power and Energy
  8. School of Electronics and Information
  9. School of Automation
  10. School of Computer Science and Technology
  11. School of Science
  12. School of Management
  13. School of Humanities, Economics and Law
  14. School of Software and Microelectronics
  15. School of Life Science
  16. School of Foreign Languages
  17. Queen Mary University of London Engineering School, NPU

Other schools

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Besides the 15 major academic schools and the education experimental school, NPU has other schools or institutes.[28] They are:

  • Engineering Practice Exercise Center
  • Physical Education Department
  • Continuing Education School
  • Internet Education School
  • International College
  • National Secrecy School
  • Mingde College (independent)

Student life

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Innovation Study Base

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The Innovation Study Base, directed by the Dean's Office of NPU, consists of multiple student competition programs including NPU's university team of Football Robotics, Dancing Robotics, Model United Nations, Mathematical Modeling, Model Airplanes and so on. In the 11th Five-year plan, NPU students won more than 1,400 awards at the international, state and provincial levels including 54 first or second place international level award and 147 first or second national level award.[citation needed]

Student Club Center

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The Student Club Center, directed by the Communist Youth League of NPU, serves all university-level student clubs. The center helps to organize and supervise student activities on the campus and acts like a bridge between the administration and students' clubs.[citation needed]

Affiliated secondary school

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Notable alumni

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Notable faculty members

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References

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  1. ^ "教育部 财政部 国家发展改革委 关于公布世界一流大学和一流学科建设高校及建设 学科名单的通知 (Notice from the Ministry of Education and other national governmental departments announcing the list of double first class universities and disciplines)". Mor.gov.cn.
  2. ^ a b c d e "学校简介-西北工业大学". Nwpu.edu.cn. Retrieved 5 August 2018.
  3. ^ a b "ShanghaiRanking's Academic Ranking of World Universities". www.shanghairanking.com. Retrieved 2023-08-27.
  4. ^ a b "US NEWS Best Global Universities: Northwestern Polytechnical University". U.S. News & World Report. Retrieved 2024-07-15.
  5. ^ "学校历史-西北工业大学". Nwpu.edu.cn. Retrieved 5 August 2018.
  6. ^ "友谊校区规划-发展规划处". Fazhan.nwpu.edu.cn. Retrieved 5 August 2018.
  7. ^ "长安校区规划-发展规划处". Fazhan.nwpu.edu.cn. Retrieved 5 August 2018.
  8. ^ "在建项目-发展计划处". Archived from the original on 2013-04-14. Retrieved 2013-05-17.
  9. ^ "The University -西工大英文站点". Archived from the original on 2013-05-19. Retrieved 2013-05-17.
  10. ^ Cong, Forest. "US Ban on Chinese Students With Military Links Divides Experts on Impact". www.voanews.com. Retrieved 15 June 2021.
  11. ^ "SAP University Alliances Member Universities". SAP. Retrieved 4 February 2023.
  12. ^ "2024 Best Chinese Universities Ranking". Shanghai Ranking. 2024. Retrieved April 17, 2024.
  13. ^ "Wu Shulian University Ranking". Chinese Academy of Management Science. 2023. Retrieved March 5, 2024.
  14. ^ Chinese Universities Alumni Association (2024). "Alumni Association (22nd Edition): Chinese University Rankings 2024". Retrieved January 16, 2024. Alternative URL
  15. ^ "QS University Rankings 2025 - China (Mainland)". Top Universities. 2025. Retrieved June 4, 2024.
  16. ^ "THE University Rankings 2024 - China". Times Higher Education (THE). 2024. Retrieved October 21, 2023.
  17. ^ "QS World University Rankings: Asia 2024". QS Quacquarelli Symonds Limited. 2024. Retrieved November 8, 2023.
  18. ^ "Asia University Rankings 2024". Times Higher Education. 2024. Retrieved April 30, 2024.
  19. ^ "Academic Ranking of World Universities". Institute of Higher Education, Shanghai Jiao Tong University. 2023. Retrieved August 20, 2023.
  20. ^ "QS World University Rankings". QS Quacquarelli Symonds Limited. 2025. Retrieved June 4, 2024.
  21. ^ "THE World University Rankings". Times Higher Education. 2024. Retrieved October 21, 2023.
  22. ^ U.S.News & World Report (2024). "2024-2025 Best Global Universities Rankings". Retrieved June 24, 2024.
  23. ^ "ShanghaiRanking's Best Chinese Universities Ranking". www.shanghairanking.com. Retrieved 2022-06-11.
  24. ^ "武书连2012中国大学工学排行榜". Edu.sina.com.cn. Retrieved 5 August 2018.
  25. ^ "教育部学位中心2012学科评估结果公布". Chinadegrees.cn. Retrieved 5 August 2018.
  26. ^ "西北工业大学研究生招生信息网--重点实验室". Archived from the original on 2010-04-23. Retrieved 2009-03-15.
  27. ^ "学院简介-教育实验学院". Honors.nwpu.edu.cn. Retrieved 5 August 2018.
  28. ^ a b "学院设置-西北工业大学". Nwpu.edu.cn. Retrieved 5 August 2018.
  29. ^ "Educational drone maker takes to water". Chinadailyhk. Retrieved 2018-03-27.
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