Overview
Chinese Name: 西北工业大学
English Name: Northwestern Polytechnical University
Abbreviation: 西工大(XiGongda); NPU
Established: 1938
Location: Xi’an
Website: https://www.nwpu.www.cn
Brief introduction of Northwestern Polytechnical University
Northwestern Polytechnical University, located in Xi’an, Shaanxi Province, is a multidisciplinary, research-oriented, and open university featuring the development of talents training and scientific research in the fields of aviation, aerospace, and navigation.
Northwestern Polytechnical University was established in October 1957 by the merger of Northwestern Institute of Technology西北工学院 and Xi’an Institute of Aeronautical Engineering西安航空学院 in Xi’an西安, and in 1970, the Department of Aeronautical Engineering of Harbin Institute of Engineering哈尔滨工程学院航空工程系 was merged into Northwestern Polytechnical University.
In 1938, the National Beiyang Institute of Technology国立北洋工学院, the School of Engineering of National Beiping University国立北平大学工学院, the School of Engineering of National Northeastern University国立东北大学工学院, and the private Jiaozuo Institute of Engineering私立焦作工学院 were established in Hanzhong汉中, and in 1946 they moved to Xianyang咸阳. In 1950, it was renamed Northwestern Institute of Technology西北工学院.
In 1952, the Department of Aeronautical Engineering of Jiaotong University交通大学, Nanjing University南京大学, and Zhejiang University浙江大学 established the East China Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics华东航空学院 in Nanjing南京. In 1956, it moved to Xi’an西安 and was renamed Xi’an Aviation Institute西安航空学院.
In 1952 the Chinese Air Force Engineering Department of the Military Engineering College of the People’s Liberation Army中国人民解放军军事工程学院空军工程系 was established in Harbin哈尔滨, and in 1966 it was renamed the Department of Aeronautical Engineering of Harbin Institute of Engineering哈尔滨工程学院航空工程系.
In the construction process of taking root in the West and devoting themselves to national defense, the university has always adhered to building morality, cultivating leading talents, scientific and technological innovation and building the important instrument of the country, keeping pace with the times and shouldering the major tasks of the times.
It has made important contributions to the development of the cause of the country, written many “firsts” in the history of new China, and contributed to the development of weapons and equipment. The independent, safe and controllable key core technologies in the field of national defense and the construction of the western region provide strong support. It is the only university that has been jointly awarded the “Major Contribution Award重大贡献奖” by the CPC Central Committee中共中央, the State Council国务院, and the Central Military Commission中央军委 for two consecutive times.
Education Achivements and Rankings
Covering an area of more than 3.1 million square meters, Northwestern Polytechnic University has 27 colleges, including the School of Aviation, Aerospace, Navigation, and International Education, the School of the Educational Experiment, and the School of Engineering of Queen Mary University in London. It has 74 undergraduate majors, 38 first-class authorized disciplines for master’s degree (including 1 interdisciplinary discipline), and 25 first-class authorized disciplines for doctor’s degree (including 1 interdisciplinary discipline).
Seven Disciplines of Northwestern Polytechnical University, including Materials Science, Engineering, Chemistry, Computer Science, Physics, Geoscience, and Mathematics, have entered the top 1% of the international disciplines of ESI. Among them, Materials Science and Engineering have entered the top 1%, forming a 3M (Materials, Electromechanical, and Mechanics) discipline group led by the three aviation (Aviation, Aerospace, and Navigation) discipline groups. The discipline system of coordinated development of 3C (Computer, Communication, and Control) discipline group, Science discipline group, and Humanities and Social Sciences discipline group has laid a good foundation for building a world-class discipline.
As of 2021, the Times Higher Education World University Rankings ranked Northwestern Polytechnical University 80th in Asia and 25th in China with its teaching and research achievements.
Academic Ranking of World Universities, also known as the “Shanghai Ranking”, placed Northwestern Polytechnical University 151-200th in the world and 25th in China.
Among the 16 national science and technology major projects, the Northwestern Polytechnical University has mainly participated in the demonstration and scientific research of 10 major projects, such as large aircraft manned spaceflight and lunar exploration, and deeply participated in the development of the Shenzhou神舟 series of spacecraft, which is one of the two universities that made contributions to China’s first manned space flight.
Characteristic Specialty
Aircraft Design and Engineering飞行器设计与工程: The major ranks first in China and trains senior engineers and researchers who have a good mathematical and mechanical foundation, aircraft design theory, aircraft overall structure design, strength analysis, and experimental ability, can engage in aircraft overall design, structural design, flight mechanics, and system simulation, and are oriented to aerospace, aviation, civil aviation and other national defense and national economy fields.
Flight Vehicle Propulsion Engineering飞行器动力工程: The Flight Vehicle Propulsion Engineering ranks the first in the country and ahead of the whole country.
Composite Materials and Engineering复合材料与工程: It is the special major in Northwestern Polytechnical University, which trains senior engineering and technical talents who have obtained basic training of engineers in the field of composite material science and engineering, and are engaged in scientific research, technology development, process and equipment design, production, and technology management in the fields of composite material design and preparation, structure and performance, molding and processing, etc.
Automatization: It is a featured specialty of the Ministry of Education, a famous specialty of Shaanxi Province, and a key specialty of the former Commission of Science, Technology, and Industry for National Defense. It aims to cultivate senior technical talents in the field of automation with a solid theoretical foundation, strong engineering practice ability, and broad professional knowledge.
Famous Alumni
On the 70th anniversary of the founding of the Aviation Industry of China, 4 of the 5 winners of the Aviation Meritorious Service Award航空报国功勋奖 are Northwestern Polytechnical University alumni, and 6 of the 10 winners of the Aviation Meritorious Service Award航空报国杰出奖 are Northwestern Polytechnical University alumni.
Among the 14 winners of the Aerospace Laurel Award since 2005, 23 have studied and worked in the aerospace field in the university since the early year’s Zhang Qingwei张庆伟 and Lei Fanpei雷凡培, the chief designer of China’s lunar exploration project, and Wu Weiren吴伟仁, a large number of outstanding alumni have served as government leaders and deputy chief engineers in large central enterprises and affiliated enterprises and institutions managed by the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council, making outstanding contributions to the rapid development of China’s space industry.
