Guizhou University (GZU) was founded in 1902 as Guizhou Institute of Higher Learning and has undergone several name changes over the years, including Provincial Guizhou University, National Guizhou College of Agriculture and Engineering, and National Guizhou University. The University officially adopted the name “Guizhou University” in October 1950, which was formally inscribed by Chairman Mao Zedong in 1951. In August 1997, GZU merged with Guizhou Agricultural College and other institutions. Then, in August 2004, it merged with Guizhou University of Technology. GZU has a rich history of 120 years and has achieved significant milestones. It is first included under the national “Project 211” and then on the lists of universities and disciplines to be developed under China’s “Double First-Class” initiative. GZU is also recognized as an institution of higher learning developed through ministerial-provincial cooperation between the Ministry of Education (MOE) and the People’s Government of Guizhou Province. In 2021, the Government Work Report of Guizhou Province explicitly proposed to “strengthen Guizhou University” for the first time. In November of the same year, the Guizhou Provincial Department of Education and 11 other departments jointly issued the “Implementation Plan for Strengthening Guizhou University.” The plan aims to transform Guizhou University into a nationally and internationally renowned comprehensive university that embodies Chinese characteristics, adheres to world-class standards, and addresses the needs of Guizhou. In 2023, the CPC Guizhou Provincial Committee and the Guizhou Provincial Government reiterated their commitment to enhancing the university’s strengths and leading the advancement of higher education in Guizhou. GZU is dedicated to fostering moral education and has received several accolades, including being recognized as a “Model University” among the first batch of universities for nationwide CPC development in higher education institutions, awarded “National Civilized Campus” in the first nationwide competition, and designated as a “Trial University” for implementing reforms on “Three Comprehensive Educational Approaches” (whole-person education, whole-process education, and all-round education) under the MOE.  

GZU covers an area of 309.17 hectares and includes 65.69 hectares of farmland for teaching and experiments. Its library boasts a collection of over 3.93 million paper documents, including more than 3.74 million electronic copies. It offers a wide range of courses across 12 major disciplines, including literature, history, philosophy, science, engineering, agronomy, medicine, economics, management, law, education, and art. GZU has 40 colleges and serves over 34,000 full-time undergraduate students and over 16,000 graduate students. It has a faculty of over 4,200 members, with over 2,800 full-time teachers, 59.64% of whom hold doctoral degrees.

GZU is dedicated to achieving the status of a world-class university. Presently, GZU has one discipline recognized under China’s “Double First Class” initiative, one national-level key discipline, two discipline clusters tailored to local distinctive industries via provincial-ministerial collaborations, nine national world-class disciplines, and 10 regional world-class disciplines. According to the latest ESI data, GZU has seven disciplines among the global top 1%. Moreover, there are 84 first-class majors under the “Double Ten Thousand Plan,” of which 52 are at the national level. The University offers 19 first-level discipline doctoral programs, one professional doctoral degree program, 50 first-level master’s degree programs, and 28 professional master’s degree programs.

GZU boasts a distinguished faculty, including eight top-tier experts, several of whom are academicians of the Chinese Academy of Engineering. The University also has 41 leading scholars who have received the National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars, 27 elite individuals selected for the “National Hundred, Thousand and Ten Thousand Talent” Project, 23 members on the National Advisory Committee on Higher Education, one as the coordinator for the Discipline Appraisal Group of the State Council’s Academic Degree Appraisal Committee, and three on the Science and Technology Commission (STC). GZU also receives strong governmental support from the CPC Guizhou Provincial Committee, with 27 members serving as key liaison experts and 93 serving as liaison experts. In addition to academic achievements and social commitment, GZU’s faculty have been active in publication. One member has been ranked as one of the “Highly Cited Researchers” in the world for six consecutive years, and three have been included in the Elsevier “China Highly Cited Scholars” list. 

GZU has established one State Key Laboratory and a Ministerial-Provincial State Key Laboratory, along with 26 ministerial-level, 57 provincial-level research platforms, and 10 postdoctoral research mobile stations. The University is also highly regarded for its teaching quality, with two faculty teams honored with the title “Huang Danian-Style Teacher Team” among Chinese colleges and universities. GZU has also fostered 35 national-level teaching platforms and two national-level teaching teams. GZU has been commended for its dedication to promoting ideological and political education in the classroom, with two distinguished teachers, two exceptional teaching teams, and one workshop recognized by the MOE for delivering exemplary demonstration classes on ideological and political theory courses. The University’s exceptional teaching standards are widely acknowledged in the province, with 11 teams recognized for their outstanding teaching, 56 teachers honored as the provincial-level “Golden Teaching Masters”, and 14 teaching teams and 14 Teaching Masters acknowledged for excellence in conducting ideological and political classes. Additionally, two workshops were commended for exceptional presentation of ideological and political theories in the classroom, and nine bases were designated for humanities and social sciences research demonstration.

Guizhou University is dedicated to implementing key strategies related to new technologies, industries, business models, and advancing industrialization, informatization, urbanization, and agricultural modernization. To enhance Guizhou’s development in western China, GZU is focusing on transforming the region into a model for an open inland economy, a demonstration of comprehensive reform in western regional development, a leader in poverty alleviation initiatives, a trailblazer in digital economic growth, and a testing ground for ecological progress. With these objectives in mind, GZU is working diligently to contribute to Guizhou’s overall development. The University is fully capitalizing on the distinctive features of its academic disciplines and the expertise of its talented scholars. It is focusing on building six major industrial bases covering new energy sources, deep resources processing, R&D and production of power batteries and materials, computing power, Chinese baijiu (distilled spirits), and advanced equipment manufacturing. Concurrently, the University is making efforts to implement the strategic plan for the careful exploration of the rich mineral deposits in Guizhou, and continues to undertake academic programs and research initiatives focused on the region. The University’s green prevention and control team, specializing in research on green pesticides and pest management operations, has been recognized with the title of “National Advanced Poverty-alleviation Group.” Additionally, the CPC Committee of the College of Agriculture has been honored as a “National Advanced Grassroots Party Organization.” Furthermore, GZU has been acknowledged by the MOE for four consecutive years for its exemplary cases in implementing poverty-alleviation projects and rural revitalization efforts.

Thanks to the counterpart support program, GZU has established partnerships with Zhejiang University, China Agricultural University, and East China Normal University. The University is committed to advancing higher education in Guizhou through active engagement and has forged collaborative relationships with nine municipal cities (prefectures) across the province. GZU has entered into agreements with over 500 enterprises, including Maotai Group, Dabeinong Group, National Astronomical Observatories, Guangxi Tianyuan Biochemistry Co. Ltd., Guizhou Phosphate Chemical Group, Guizhou Branch of China Tobacco Corporation, Guiyang Agricultural Investment Group, and Jiangsu Fengshan Group. Moreover, the University has been providing scientific and technological support across Guizhou through programs such as “Technological Support in Three Areas,” “Special Technician Plan,” “Ph.D. Village Chief,” and “Professors and Doctoral Scholars Helping Enterprises.” Additionally, GZU has made substantial efforts to foster innovative collaborations between universities, regions, academia, and industry. This collaboration extends to every county within the nine cities (prefectures). 

Guizhou University is dedicated to developing open educational resources, promoting international exchanges, and collaborative education. Currently, the University maintains partnerships with 195 universities or research institutions across 43 countries and regions. It also has secured two bases of the national “Higher Education Discipline Innovation Project” (known as the“111 Project”). GZU has been designated as the International Education Aid Base by the MOE, an International Science & Technology Cooperation Base under the Ministry of Science and Technology, and the institution offering the Chinese Government Scholarship and the International Chinese Language Teachers Scholarship. The University has successively established a Confucius Institute at the University of the Gambia and a Chinese Language Teaching Center at the Presbyterian College in the United States. Currently, the University operates collaborative education institutes or programs with various countries including the USA, the UK, Canada, and Thailand. Furthermore, GZU actively participates in international associations such as the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization (SEAMEO), the ASEAN University Network (AUN), and Eurasia-Pacific Uninet (EPU). Since 2008, GZU has hosted and co-organized the “China-ASEAN Education Cooperation Week” along with other related activities for 16 consecutive years.

Guizhou University has a long history of nurturing virtue and ethical excellence through education and is dedicated to its mission of fostering talented individuals. This commitment is encapsulated in the University’s motto: “Illustrious Virtue, Utmost Goodness, Extensive Learning, and Earnest Practice.” In this new era, aligning with principles that embody Chinese characteristics, adhere to world-class standards, and meet the needs of Guizhou, GZU will diligently strive to transform itself into an institution developed through Provincial-Ministerial collaboration, and fully implement the “Double First-Class” initiative. To contribute to the broader picture of the Chinese path to modernization, the University will prioritize advancing Guizhou’s economic development by providing skilled manpower and intellectual support and continue to play a vital role in strengthening the country’s capabilities in both science and technology.

（Updated in July 2024）