Hexi University(河西学院)

Hexi University is located in Zhangye, a national historical and cultural city in the central part of the Hexi Corridor, along the "Golden Section" of the Silk Road. It is the only comprehensive public undergraduate university between Lanzhou and Urumqi, covering nearly 2,000 kilometers. After 83 years of dedicated development, the university has become a comprehensive applied university with a complete range of disciplines, a reasonable scale and structure, distinctive educational features, and strong academic strength. It is a pilot institution for the reform of the "Excellent Agricultural and Forestry Talent Education and Training Program" and is recognized as a civilized campus in Gansu Province.

History of the University

Hexi University traces its origins to the establishment of the Gansu Provincial Zhangye Normal School in 1941. It became Zhangye Normal College in 1958 and was later restructured as a two-year college in 1959. It was reinstated as Zhangye Normal College in 1978. In 2000, the former Zhangye Agricultural College and Zhangye Vocational School were merged. In 2001, the university was upgraded to Hexi University. In 2014, Zhangye Medical College and Zhangye People's Hospital were incorporated, transforming the institution into a multi-disciplinary, applied university with a focus on teacher education, agriculture, and medicine.

Strategic Location

Hexi University is located in Zhangye, in the central part of the Hexi Corridor, an important area along the Silk Road. It serves regions including Gansu, Xinjiang, Qinghai, Inner Mongolia, and Ningxia, offering a strategic position with unique geographical advantages. The university is endowed with rich natural resources, a deep cultural heritage, and ample space for educational development.

Educational Mission

The university fully adheres to the educational principles of the Communist Party, upholds a socialist direction for education, and embraces the mission of "Rooted in Hexi, oriented towards Gansu, and radiating to the surrounding areas." Its goal is to establish itself as a prominent institution in the Hexi region, specializing in high-quality, applied talent training, scientific research, technological development, cultural inheritance, and social service. It is committed to becoming a leading base for education and research along the Silk Road and contributing to the region’s economic and social development.

Campus and Infrastructure

Hexi University covers an area of nearly 4,000 acres, with a total building area of 712,800 square meters. The university's fixed assets are valued at 2.601 billion yuan, with teaching and research equipment worth 348 million yuan. The library holds 1.6557 million paper books and 1.9104 million electronic books. The university is equipped with advanced academic exchange centers, a teaching development center, a smart employment center, and cultural activity spaces like the Dunhuang Cultural Innovation Center. It has two affiliated hospitals, including Zhangye People's Hospital, a Grade III, Class A comprehensive hospital and a national clinical teaching and training center.

Faculty

The university follows a strategy of strengthening the faculty and has implemented the "Qilian Talent Project" to build a high-quality, professional teaching team. Currently, there are 3,213 staff members, including 1,190 full-time teachers. Among them, 212 are professors, 472 are associate professors, and 24.1% hold doctoral degrees. The university has national and provincial-level teaching awards, with 14 provincial teaching masters and 22 provincial young teacher talent awards. Notable alumni include academician Li Can from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, who serves as the honorary president, and Yang Yuliang, former president of Fudan University, who is the honorary chairman of the academic committee.

Disciplines and Programs

Hexi University has a strong academic focus, with 6 key disciplines in Gansu Province, including Party history and education, and mathematics. The university offers 72 undergraduate programs across 11 academic fields. These disciplines include teacher education, ecological agriculture, medical and health sciences, applied liberal arts and sciences, and engineering technology. The university also has national and provincial-level first-class undergraduate programs and boasts 20 provincial-level specialty programs.

Teaching and Education

The university emphasizes moral education and offers a comprehensive talent training system. It has 20 colleges and provides education to 21,030 students, including 135 graduate students and 14 international students. It has been awarded national and provincial teaching achievement awards and is known for its strong teaching capabilities. The university has 16 provincial-level teaching teams and 12 provincial-level experimental teaching demonstration centers. It offers 2 national first-class undergraduate courses and 36 provincial first-class courses, with several prestigious teaching and research programs.

Research and Innovation

Hexi University has established several research platforms, including the Gansu Provincial Applied Fungal Engineering Laboratory, the Gansu Provincial Microalgae Engineering Research Center, and the Hexi History and Culture Research Center. It actively contributes to national and regional development, focusing on areas such as education, agriculture, healthcare, and ecological protection. In the past five years, it has completed numerous research projects, published 4,286 papers, and obtained 52 patents.

International and Domestic Cooperation

The university is committed to expanding its global cooperation and has established joint degree programs with international institutions, including the Belarusian State Economic University and Victoria University of Wellington. It has also invited over 140 experts from countries such as the U.S., UK, New Zealand, and Russia. The university has established the Central Asia Youth International College and has been awarded the "Advanced Unit for Foreign Talent Introduction" by Gansu Province.

Support for National Development

Hexi University is a key partner in the national development strategy, particularly in support of Xinjiang. It has dispatched over 12,000 students to Xinjiang for teaching internships and has implemented a "Thousand Talents to Xinjiang" program to support local development. The university has also helped improve education, healthcare, and cultural exchange in the region, contributing significantly to Xinjiang's social and economic progress.

Future Goals

Hexi University is committed to its mission of contributing to national and regional development. Guided by Xi Jinping's thoughts on socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era, the university aims to continuously enhance its quality of education, scientific research, social service, and international exchange. The university's strategic plan for further development includes strengthening talent cultivation, expanding scientific research, and establishing itself as a distinctive applied university along the Silk Road.

(Data as of October 30, 2024)