XAUAT News Network — With a 130-year legacy carried forward through generations and a remarkable 70-year journey since the institutional merger, Xi’an University of Architecture and Technology (XAUAT) held a Conference on High-Quality Development to mark its 130 years of history and the 70th Anniversary of the merger on the morning of September 12 at the Cultural and Sports Center on the Yanta Campus.
Zhao Yide, Secretary of the CPC Shaanxi Provincial Committee and Chairman of the Standing Committee of the Shaanxi Provincial People’s Congress; Zhao Gang, Deputy Secretary of the CPC Shaanxi Provincial Committee and Governor of Shaanxi Province; Gan Yuping, former Deputy Director (ministerial level) of the State Council Three Gorges Project Construction Committee and former Deputy Secretary of the CPC Chongqing Municipal Committee; Song Youchun, Member of the CPC Leadership Group and Vice Minister of the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development(MOHURD); Li Deren, Academician of both the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Chinese Academy of Engineering and recipient of China’s highest scientific and technological award; Xing Shanping, Deputy Secretary of the CPC Shaanxi Provincial Committee; Gao Huijie, Member of the CPC Shaanxi Provincial Committee and Secretary of the CPC Xi’an Municipal Committee; Li Jun, Member of the CPC Shaanxi Provincial Committee and Secretary-General of the CPC Shaanxi Provincial Committee; Li Jiuhong, Vice Governor of Shaanxi Province; Zhao Jing, Secretary of the CPC Leadership Group and Chairman of the Standing Committee of the Xi’an Municipal People’s Congress; Wang Shilei, Director, General Manager and Deputy Secretary of the CPC Leadership Group of Aluminum Corporation of China Limited; Hu Xijie, former Member of the CPC Leadership Group and Vice Minister of the Ministry of Transport; Yuan Fenglan, former Vice Chairwoman of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region; Zhang Maizeng, former Secretary of the CPC Xi’an Jiaotong University Committee; Zhang Jian, former General Manager and Deputy Secretary of the CPC Leadership Group of China Nonferrous Mining Group Co., Ltd.; and Mo Dingge, Secretary of the CPC Committee and Chairman of China National Chemical Engineering Group Corporation Ltd., attended the conference.
University leaders in attendance included Han Jiecai, President of Harbin Institute of Technology; Wu Guosheng, Secretary of the CPC Xi’an Jiaotong University Committee; Zheng Qinghua, Secretary of the CPC Tongji University Committee; Sun Youhong, President of Southeast University; Song Baowei, President of Northwestern Polytechnical University; Li Shucai, President of Shandong University; Yang Zhongmin, President of South China University of Technology; Feng Xiating, President of Northeastern University; Liu Pan, President of Beijing Jiaotong University; Xu Xiaoping, Secretary of the CPC Beijing University of Science and Technology Committee; Li Nan, Secretary of the CPC Committee of Beijing University of Chemical Technology and Secretary-General of the Chinese Association of Higher Education; Xing Feng, President of Jinan University; Yan Xuedong, Secretary of the CPC Southwest Jiaotong University Committee; Guo Jianchun, President of Southwest Petroleum University; Gao Xinbo, President of Xidian University; Chen Xinbing, President of Shaanxi Normal University; Li Shutao, President of Chang’an University; Jiang Lin, Secretary of the CPC Northwest University Committee; Yang Bin, President of Kunming University of Science and Technology; Wang Tianyou, Executive Vice President of Tianjin University; and Duan Baoyan, President of City University of Hong Kong (Dongguan) and former President of Xidian University. More than 60 academicians and experts also attended the event.
International guests included Shahlo Abdurahimzoda, Deputy Permanent Delegate of Tajikistan to UNESCO; Mohmad Asari Bin Daud, Vice President of the International Water Association; Jessica Gallagher, Deputy Vice Chancellor of the University of Adelaide, Australia; David Craig, Assistant Vice-Chancellor of the University of Canterbury, New Zealand; Bruce Frayne, Dean of the Faculty of Environment at the University of Waterloo, Canada; Zegiimaa Choidon, President of Graduate University of Mongolia; Turaev Rasul Nortojievich, Rector of Termez State University of Engineering and Agrotechnologies, Uzbekistan, and Majitov Makhmud Abdimumin Ugli, Vice Rector of the university; Osman Hasan, Pro Rector of National University of Sciences and Technology, Pakistan; Yousef Ali Sobhi Dama, Vice President of An-Najah National University, Palestine; Patrick Eyroi, Vice President of École Supérieure Libre d’Art de Paris, France; Han Sung Kim, Vice President of Hanyang University, South Korea; Ernisbek Alaichiev, Vice President of Osh Technological University, Kyrgyzstan; Shakhnoza Kuldasheva, Vice Rector of Termiz State Pedagogical Institute, Uzbekistan; Mardov Sanjar Khudoykulovich, Vice Rector of Tashkent University of Architecture and Civil Engineering, Uzbekistan; Pham Xuan Anh, Deputy Secretary of the CPC Hanoi University of Civil Engineering Committee, Vietnam. A total of 58 university leaders and heads of institutions from 27 countries and regions attended the event, together with representatives of international organizations. Also in attendance were heads of relevant provincial departments in Shaanxi, representatives of more than 100 Chinese universities and research institutes, representatives of more than 300 partner enterprises, principals of secondary schools, media representatives, former university leaders Su Sanqing and Liu Xiaojun, retired faculty and staff, family members of distinguished figures in the University’s history, and representatives of faculty, students and alumni. Nearly 200 congratulatory letters and messages were received from partner universities, friendly institutions, and international partners. Zhu Xiaowei, Secretary of the CPC XAUAT Committee, presided over the conference. The conference officially opened with all participants singing the national anthem in unison.
Zhao Yide, on behalf of the CPC Shaanxi Provincial Committee and the Shaanxi Provincial People’s Government, extended congratulations to XAUAT on its 130 years of history and the 70th Anniversary of the merger. He noted that, over the years, XAUAT has remained rooted in Shaanxi, carried forward its educational philosophy of “Building the University through Academic Excellence and Serving the Nation through Self-Reliance,” and pursued its mission of advancing innovation in architectural science and technology and creating better living environments. The university has educated and trained a large number of highly qualified professionals and made important contributions to Shaanxi’s high-quality development and modernization. Looking ahead, Zhao Yide expressed the hope that XAUAT would thoroughly study and implement General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important expositions on education, as well as his important speeches and important instructions during his inspections of Shaanxi; remain committed to the socialist direction of education; fulfill its fundamental mission of fostering virtue through education; deepen educational and teaching reform; strengthen the faculty; and accelerate its development into a research-oriented university with distinctive strengths, international recognition and a high level of academic excellence in China. He called on the University to cultivate more young people capable of shouldering the responsibilities of national rejuvenation. He also called on the University to take a more proactive role in serving national strategies, leverage its disciplinary strengths to advance original innovation and make breakthroughs in key and core technologies, and make greater contributions to achieving a high level of self-reliance and strength in science and technology. He urged the University to align talent development and think-tank support more closely with Shaanxi’s priorities for economic and social development, and to demonstrate greater responsibility and initiative in writing a new chapter for Shaanxi and serving as a model for western China. The CPC Shaanxi Provincial Committee and the Shaanxi Provincial People’s Government, he added, will continue to support the University’s development and create a better environment for faculty, staff and students to work and study.
Song Youchun, on behalf of MOHURD, extended congratulations to XAUAT on its to mark 130 years of history and the 70th Anniversary of the merger. He noted that, over the years, XAUAT has kept pace with the times and aligned its development with the needs of the nation, producing a large number of high-level research achievements and making positive contributions to the high-quality development of China’s housing and urban-rural development sector. He expressed the hope that XAUAT would remain committed to its mission of educating people for the Party and cultivating talent for the country, fully implement the Party’s educational principles, and strive to cultivate a new generation of professionals in the built environment who are politically committed, academically grounded, innovative and ready to shoulder major responsibilities. He called on the University to focus on the “Four Orientations” of serving the world’s scientific and technological frontiers, the main economic battlefield, the major needs of the country, and people’s lives and health; strengthen its capacity for original innovation; deepen the integration of science and technology and the integration of industry and education; accelerate the application and commercialization of research achievements; and produce more strategic and critical scientific and technological breakthroughs. He also encouraged the University to make full use of the province-ministry co-construction mechanism, integrate advantageous resources and leverage its disciplinary strengths to provide intellectual support for the high-quality development of the housing and urban-rural development sector. MOHURD, he said, will continue to support the University’s development and work together with Shaanxi Province to enhance its overall strength.
President Zhao Xiangmo delivered a report on the university’s high-quality development entitled “Carrying Forward the Torch of 130 Years with Our Original Mission in Mind, Embarking on a New Journey after 70 Years of the Merger.” He reviewed the University’s 130-year history of educational development, its 70-year journey since the institutional merger, and the achievements it has made in recent years. Zhao Xiangmo noted that the history of XAUAT is a history of generations of educators dedicating themselves to building the University and serving the country, and also a vivid reflection of the arduous journey of modern Chinese higher education and the nation’s determined pursuit of rejuvenation. Over the past 70 years since the merger, the University has educated more than 350,000 outstanding professionals for the country. Its high-impact research achievements have laid a solid foundation for national development and helped enhance the quality of major national initiatives, vividly demonstrating the commitment of XAUAT faculty and alumni to conducting research grounded in China’s needs and putting research outcomes to work on the front lines of national development. Looking back on the journey, he said, the past 70 years have been 70 years of serving national strategies and shouldering the mission of contributing to major national development; 70 years of leveraging distinctive disciplines to strengthen the talent and scientific foundation of key industries; and 70 years of remaining rooted in Shaanxi and contributing to the province’s high-quality development. After 70 years of endeavor, the University has come to understand deeply that a commitment to the country and the people is the foundation of its educational mission; a reverence for scholarship is the cornerstone of the institution; the pursuit of excellence is essential to its prosperity; seeking truth and delivering results is the foundation for achieving success; and strengthening its internal strengths is the path to becoming a first-class University. Standing at a new historical starting point, XAUAT will thoroughly study and implement General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important expositions on education and his important speeches and instructions during his inspections of Shaanxi. Guided by Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era and under the leadership of the CPC Shaanxi Provincial Committee and the Shaanxi Provincial People’s Government, the University will remain committed to its original mission of educating people for the Party and cultivating talent for the country, focus on the “Four Orientations,” leverage high-quality research to drive high-quality local development, accelerate the transformation and upgrading of its disciplines, further enhance the level of openness and international engagement, and carry forward the spirit of XAUAT. He said that all members of the XAUAT community will remain true to the University’s original mission, uphold fundamental principles while pursuing innovation, translate commitment into action, and strive for excellence. Together, they will write a new chapter of high-quality development for the University and make greater contributions from XAUAT to building China into a strong modern country and advancing the great cause of national rejuvenation.
Academician Li Deren said that, as one of China’s renowned “Old Eight” universities in civil engineering and architecture, XAUAT has remained rooted in western China, served key industries and contributed to national development over the years, following a distinctive path of educational development. The University has made a significant mark on the grand landscape of China’s economic and social development. Against the backdrop of a rapidly advancing new round of scientific and technological and industrial revolutions, he expressed the hope that XAUAT would continue to deepen its work in areas such as green buildings, urban renewal and digital twins; make new and greater contributions to major national strategies including new urbanization and ecological civilization; cultivate more talent capable of shouldering major responsibilities; overcome challenges in key and core technologies; and achieve further success in its pursuit of becoming a research-oriented university with distinctive strengths, international recognition and a high level of academic excellence in China.
Academician Zheng Qinghua, Secretary of the CPC Tongji University Committee, extended warm congratulations and best wishes on behalf of Tongji University and other partner universities to the faculty, staff, students and alumni of XAUAT. He noted that Tongji University and XAUAT share a common academic heritage and have similar disciplinary strengths, and both are among China’s “Old Eight” universities in civil engineering and architecture. In recent years, the two universities have conducted joint research and cultivated high-level talent in interdisciplinary areas including green buildings, urban renewal and heritage conservation. Tongji University, he said, is willing to work hand in hand with XAUAT to pursue a strategy of disciplinary transformation empowered by artificial intelligence, leverage their strengths in interdisciplinary innovation in engineering and intelligent technologies, further expand channels for academic exchange, deepen interdisciplinary integration, jointly explore new pathways for cultivating top innovative talent, undertake collaborative research on key areas, and serve major national strategic needs. Together, the two universities will advance along the path of building world-class universities with Chinese characteristics and contribute the wisdom and strength of higher education to the comprehensive advancement of national rejuvenation through Chinese modernization.
Jessica Gallagher, Deputy Vice Chancellor of Adelaide University, said that XAUAT has continued to lead the way in areas such as sustainable design, heritage conservation, and global urban and community planning. Over the past decade, the two universities have sustained their partnership and made continuous progress in emerging technologies, robotics, energy storage and sustainable infrastructure, with nearly 3,000 students having benefited from their collaboration. She expressed the hope that the two universities would further strengthen cooperation in student exchange, postgraduate education and joint research, among other areas, and work together to build a better future for industry and society.
Mohammed Al-Asari Bin Dawood, Vice President of the International Water Association, said that the challenges facing cities today are increasingly interconnected, creating an urgent need for innovative knowledge systems, new models of collaboration, and professionals capable of working across disciplines and national borders. XAUAT has an indispensable role to play in this process, he said, expressing the hope that the two sides would pursue closer collaboration, bring together stakeholders from different fields, share professional knowledge, inspire the next generation, and jointly create lasting and far-reaching social value.
Gan Yuping, a member of the Class of 1955, shared his heartfelt memories of studying at XAUAT after the Department of Civil Engineering of Northwest Institute of Technology was incorporated into the university 70 years ago. He said that the values instilled by his alma mater and the dedicated guidance of his teachers laid a solid foundation for the lives and careers of generations of alumni. He said alumni were deeply proud of the University’s rich history, outstanding concentration of talent, deep-rooted heritage, vibrant campus community, rapid development and solid achievements. He pledged that alumni would continue to carry forward the spirit of their alma mater, give back to the University in every way possible, and contribute to its high-quality development.
Luo Jianbin, a member of the Class of 1985 and a doctoral alumnus, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Director of the National Key Laboratory of Interfacial Science and Technology for High-End Equipment at Tsinghua University, said that the outstanding academic qualities of his teachers at XAUAT and their perseverance in taking on difficult challenges have continued to inspire him throughout his career. Looking ahead, he said he would continue to uphold the practical spirit of XAUAT alumni, deepen university-enterprise collaboration, bring together resources from all sectors, and work with his alma mater to advance talent development, scientific research and the application of research achievements, making new accomplishments together.
Liu Jiaping, faculty representative, Director of the State Key Laboratory of Green Building and Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, introduced the achievements made by his team over more than 40 years in research on ultra-low-energy buildings in extreme climate zones and technological advances in polar construction. He said the team would carry forward the University’s academic traditions of integrating knowledge with practice, maintaining a pragmatic and low-profile approach, persevering with determination, and remaining indifferent to fame and material gain. The team will focus on theoretical innovation and technological development in green buildings in the era of industrialization and digitalization, implement strategies for building livable, resilient and smart cities as well as livable and thriving rural communities, improve the quality of urban and rural living environments, and make new contributions to the high-quality development of Shaanxi.
Wang Haoyu, a student representative and doctoral student of Mining Engineering enrolled in 2025 at the School of Resources Engineering, shared her growth and experiences at XAUAT. She said that, standing at the new starting point of the University’s “fourth venture,” young people at XAUAT will develop solid professional expertise, address real-world challenges in response to national needs, contribute Chinese solutions to the world, integrate their personal growth with the development of the university, and align their professional aspirations with the needs of the country. In this new journey toward building a strong country, they will write their own chapter as young people of XAUAT.
Zhu Xiaowei said that achieving a historic leap forward in the University’s “Double First-Class” initiative and building XAUAT into a research-oriented university with distinctive strengths, international recognition and a high level of academic excellence in China is an unshirkable historic responsibility for the XAUAT community in the new era. Taking the 130th Anniversary of History and 70th Anniversary of the Merger as an opportunity, XAUAT will thoroughly study and implement General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important expositions on education, as well as his important speeches and important instructions during his inspections of Shaanxi. The university will fully implement the Party’s educational principles, keep the fundamental interests of the country in mind, and shoulder its mission for the times. With a broader vision, it will fulfill its fundamental task of fostering virtue through education; with stronger resolve, it will advance the “Double First-Class” initiative; and it will stay in step with the nation and move with the times. XAUAT will strive to write a magnificent new chapter in its high-quality development and contribute the full measure of its wisdom and strength to the building of a strong country and the great cause of national rejuvenation through Chinese modernization.
The conference concluded with all participants singing the University anthem, “Hold High the Great Banner of National Rejuvenation.”
