Xi'an International University

About Us

Xi'an International University (XAIU) is a private institution of higher education with the accreditation of China's Ministry of Education for four-year baccalaureate programs. Founded in 1992 and located in the heart of Xi'an, the most historic city in China, the University sits on 1.26 million square meters of land, possesses state-of-the-art classroom buildings, spacious dormitories, well-stocked libraries, standardized sports fields, and has about 22,000 students and 2000 faculty and staff.

The academics of the university include seven colleges offering 67 major fields of study, which cover management, economics, humanities, medicine, engineering, agriculture, and arts. A relatively young institution and an outcome of China's marketization and reforms, XAIU has over the years grown into a multi-discipline comprehensive university and has stabilized in scale. The university now places its primary emphasis on quality-enhancing and successful transformation.

In the era of information technology, XAIU invests heavily in equipping the campus with advanced information technological system infrastructure and has recently, as the only higher education institution in northwest China, been classified to enter the list of “100-School Big Data Project" as part of the Industry-Education Integration and Innovation Initiative jointly launched by School Planning and Development Center of China's Education Ministry and the Dawning Information Industry Co., Ltd.

Facilities, Faculty and Academic Development

The University upholds highly the values of strong ethics, professionalism, appreciation, dedication, self-improvement, and life-long learning. It strives to provide equal access to higher education especially for those who are less advantaged and to foster the campus culture of diversity and creativity. The University is equipped with modern facilities and beautiful campus and, more importantly, pays considerable efforts at enhancing academic quality and developing faculty of high professionalism. Professor CHEN Aimin, Ph.D. in economics from Pennsylvania State University, tenured and distinguished professor of the College of Arts and Sciences at Indiana State University, and former vice president of Sichuan University, has provided the university with forward-thinking leadership as president since 2015.

Professor GAO Fu, the academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, serves as honorary dean of the Institute of Applied Life Sciences; Professor KANG Le, the academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, serves as honorary director of XAIU Academic Committee; Professor WU Tianyi, the academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, is invited as consultant of the Institute of Applied Life Sciences Research; Professor SHI Yong, consultant of the State Council and director of the Virtual Economy and Data Research Center of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, serves as honorary dean of the Institute of Applied Big Data Research; Professor PAN Maoyuan, former vice president of Xiamen University, and Professor SHI Qiuheng, director of Institute of Education of Xiamen University, serve as honorary deans of Qifang Institute of Education Research; Dr. LU Ding, Professor of economics and former president of the Chinese Economists Society, serves as the associate director of the Institute of Shaanxi Free Trade Zone Research; Professor ZHANG Xiaofeng, Ph.D. Supervisor of the Chengdu Institute of Biology at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and the former deputy director of the Bureau of Health in Tibet, serves as the dean of the College of Medicine.

Academic colleges have formed their own emphasis and distinction in academic fields. The College of Business offers a series of business majors while placing a strong emphasis on the major of logistics and research field of Shaanxi Free Trade Zone Development. The College of Medicine features a strong major in nursing and is building a nationally advanced research field of applied life sciences. The College of Humanities is relatively strong in the field of media technology while servicing the university with good liberal arts programs, such as writing, artistic design, and language study. The College of Engineering is building majors with New Engineering features in the areas of Internet of Things, electronics and computer science. The College of Performing Arts practices innovative programs that integrate real-world stage performances and classroom teaching.

The University also provides online learning platforms and the best MOOCs from around the world. In promoting quality research, the University has established research institutes, such as Qi Fang Education Research Institute, Shaanxi Free Trade Zone Research Institute, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship Institute, Applied Life Sciences Institute, and Applied Big Data Research Institute. Our projects and awards continue to increase every year. In 2016, the University is ranked first among private universities in terms of a number of projects from government offices at provincial, ministerial and national levels.

Among many academic conferences and forums, the University has also launched international congress of the Global Advancement of Universities and Colleges and has twice held its annual conference on campus. It also held the 32nd Annual Conference of the Association of Universities of Asia and the Pacific (AUAP) in November 2017.

Supply-side Education Reform and Distinctive Programs

As the first private university permitted to carry out international education programs in Shaanxi province, XAIU builds a broad platform emphasizing “education without borders”. In the process, XAIU has established collaborative programs in efforts to cultivate talents with a global vision and contribute to local social and economic development, as well as the country’s on-going “Belt and Road” initiative.

Through its international student and faculty exchange programs, XAIU collaborates on academic research and mutual credit articulation with numerous universities. Thousands of students have gone overseas to study, and XAIU has received many international students to study in China.

XAIU is also proud to be among the first to establish a College of Entrepreneurship among universities in China, and the College has cultivated students with entrepreneurship spirit and abilities, as well as creative and innovative thinking.

As a result, XAIU graduates have a higher rate of becoming entrepreneurs. As examples, LU Xin won the national championship in the Laugh-making Show; SUN Guoxiu earned the title of the "Sweet Potato Prince" and achieved his dream by roasting sweet potato; entrepreneurial star CHEN Rugang has become a leader in the distribution industry; DIAO Long has won the title of “Donkey King”.

XAIU became one of the first batches of National Top 50 Universities and Colleges of Outstanding Experiences in Creativity and Entrepreneurship Education awarded by China’s Ministry of Education.

The third distinctive feature lies in XAIU's College + Academy system and whole-person education, in which an Academy is established and located in a designated student dormitory complex, and serves as a center for student after-class educational activities facilitated with spaces for conferences, psychological counseling, and group projects. It is a unique model of student affairs management involving in-class and extra-curricular activities.

In Qi Fang Academy, students can enjoy Chinese songs, classical instruments, traditional paintings and calligraphy, graceful dances and insightful lectures.

Honors and Responsibilities

Over the past 25 years, XAIU has graduated more than 190,000 students, and many of them have achieved highly in employment, entrepreneurship, and their graduate studies domestically and abroad. Among its noteworthy achievements, the University was ranked No. 1 among China’s Private Universities and Colleges by China’s Alumni Network many times.

The University has even become a case of the study by Professor William Kirby, director of John King Fairbank Center at Harvard University, in his research on the Growth of Private Universities in China. Chairman HUANG Teng had been invited to lecture at Harvard Business School a number of times regarding the case study, and the news was announced by CCTV.

CHEN Baosheng, China's Minister of Education, summarized the following three points after his visit to the University: 1) XAIU aims high; 2) XAIU has been ranked among the top of China’s private colleges and universities; 3) XAIU combines nicely the historic and modern, as well as oriental and occidental characteristics on the land of Shaanxi province.

HUANG Teng, Chairman of the Board of Trustees: “Despite difficulties, we maintain the principle to best serve the interest of the public. We’ll continue to better ourselves in university governance, faculty development, and academic quality. We’ll strive to build a world-class private university.”

Situated in Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, the origin of ancient Silk Road, XAIU commits itself to contribute to the One Belt One Road Initiative as well as the economic and social development of the local economy.

Administratively, the University Board of Directors, led by Dr. HUANG Teng, founding owner of XAIU, makes decisions and policies on the University’s strategic development, and the President is responsible for carrying out the Board's policies and for routine operation. Faculty members participate in shared governance through serving on various university, college, and department level committees.