Situated in Urumqi, the capital city of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region of China, Xinjiang Agricultural University (XJAU) was established in 1952. It is one of the key universities in Xinjiang, taking agricultural sciences as its strength and feature. It is listed as the “National High-quality Institution for the Cultivation of Rural Revitalization Talents”, and is among the first batch of Xinjiang regional “Green Universities”. The university has 4 campuses including Laomancheng, Yaxin, Lu’gang and Tianger, 7 university-affiliated practical education bases and 426 off-campus bases. It currently has 1,612 faculty and staff members including 1,055 full-time teachers. The university’s current student enrollment is 36,048, among them 4,584 are graduate students (master’s and doctoral candidates) and 29,218 are undergraduates. In the 71 years since its establishment, starting as an agricultural college, XJAU has developed into a multidisciplinary university with a complete talent training system for undergraduate, master and doctoral degree programs. Among over 200,000 graduates of the university, many are extraordinary talents in all walks of life.
XJAU is currently consisted of 24 college and 1 teaching section (P.E). It has 7 postdoctoral research stations, 8 first-level doctoral degree programs in the areas of Hydraulic Engineering, Agricultural Engineering, Crop Science, Horticulture, Animal Husbandry Science, Veterinary Medicine, Agrostology and Agricultural & Forestry Economic Management, 19 first-level academic master’s degree programs, 14 professional master’s degree programs, 65 bachelor’s degree programs covered in 7 academic disciplines of agriculture, science, engineering, economics, management, literature and law.
XJAU has attached great importance to the construction of first-class undergraduate majors. There are 15 majors recommended and listed for the “Double-Ten-Thousand Plan of Undergraduate Major Construction Plan” of the Ministry of Education, 12 majors included in the “Provincial First-Class Major Construction Plan”, 7 Courses evaluated as the National First-class Undergraduate Courses and 22 Courses approved as Provincial First-Class Course. Focusing on the fields of modern agriculture, animal husbandry, featured trees and fruits, there are 1 national key discipline (Agrostology), 1 national key (cultivating) discipline (Hydraulic and Hydropower Engineering), 3 key disciplines (Silviculture, Forestry, Agricultural Resources & Environment) and 2 key (cultivating) discipline (Ecology, Pomology) of the National Forestry and Administration are constructed and developed in the university. The Discipline of Plant and Animal Science ranks in the top 1% ESI disciplines worldwide. The university is also equipped with 35 ministerial or provincial research centers or key Laboratories including Cotton Engineering Research Center of Ministry of Education, Xinjiang Grassland Resources and Ecology Laboratory.
Focusing on serving the major needs of economic and social development in Xinjiang and relying on the university’s strength in agriculture teaching and research, XJAU has quickened the commercialization of it’s scientific and research findings, and released the efficiency driven by innovation outcomes. Outstanding research accomplishments such as “Total Sand Flushing Funnel Technology”, the “Demonstration Project of Breeding and Industrialization of New Types of Dairy and Meat Horses”, “Xinjiang New Fine-Wool Sheep”, “Hongyou No. 2 watermelon variety” and the project of “Technologies for Large-scale and High Yield Cotton” have earned national reputation. During the 13th Five-Year Plan period, nearly 500 million yuan RMB of scientific research funds was allocated, and 48 provincial or ministerial awards for scientific and technological achievements were obtained. XJAU took the lead in organizing the “Xinjiang New Agricultural Education Alliance” and established the “Xinjiang Rural Revitalization Research Institute”. Institute of Modern Wine Industry, Institute of Equine Industry and Institute of Cotton Industry were also jointly established with local governments and leading enterprises. The university has given full play to its agricultural research and science-technology services, and helped to nourish and strengthen the advantageous industries in Xinjiang.
XJAU has always adhered to the strategy of opening up and actively expand international cooperation and exchanges in science, technology and education. It has established cooperative relations with more than 70 universities and research institutes in more than 20 countries and regions including the United States, Canada, Russia and Pakistan. It has made solid progress to the implementation of “Belt and Road Education Action Plan” and promoted its cooperation in education with higher education institutions in the neighbouring countries. The university has joined the “Belt and Road Initiative & South-South Cooperation Agricultural Education”, “Science and Technology Innovation League”, “Silk Road Agricultural Education and Research Innovation Alliance”, “Alliance of Agricultural Associated Universities of SCO states” and “Consortium for innovation in Agricultural Education and Research in Asia”. Such endeavor has expanded the academic influence and reputation of the university and strongly promoted the common development of agricultural education among Silk Road Economic Belt countries.
Focusing on education, scientific research and talent cultivation, XJAU has sent considerable amount of faculty members and students to visit foreign universities and scientific research institutions for academic exchanges or pursuing higher degrees. The university has also invited many international experts and scholars from prestigious universities for academic exchanges on campus. With steady steps, the university has enhanced its education internationalization. XJAU has also cooperated with Russian universities on 2 joint international undergraduate education programs and introduced 5 joint undergraduate education programs from UK. The university has jointly established Confucius Institute in Pakistan with University of Agriculture, Faisalabad and two “Education and Scientific Research Centers (Chinese Language Center)” with universities in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan to carry out activities such as Chinese language teaching, training, and summer camps. The university has continued to promote the communication between Chinese and international students and improve its educational capabilities. XJAU will stride forward with one mind toward the goal of building a first-class agricultural university.
