Education and human resources

One of the most important higher education bases in China, Shaanxi currently has 160 universities and colleges, of which 79 are mainstream government institutions, 12 are independent colleges, 18 are adult training schools, and seven are military facilities. The total enrollment is around 1.33 million. About 3,200 out of every 100,000 individuals in Shaanxi are enrolled at a university or college. This rate is the fourth highest in China and the highest in Western China. After years of construction and development, Shaanxi’s higher education system has significantly improved its core competencies, contribution to science and technology, and influence both domestically and internationally. It has maintained and consolidated its advantages in China and supported the development of both China’s and Shaanxi’s economies.

Shaanxi currently has 1,076 research institutes, of which 297 are independent facilities at the county level or above, 326 are research institutes affiliated with universities, and 417 are based in medium- and large-scale enterprises. In addition, Shaanxi is home to 11 national key laboratories and 50 specialized key laboratories affiliated with state departments. Moreover, Shaanxi has developed unique advantages in fields such as modern agriculture, electronic and information technology, bioengineering, space technology, new materials, and highly efficient and energy-saving techniques, and has conducted influential research with significant results.

After years of painstaking construction and development, Shaanxi has built a large number of teams composed of skilled senior experts, executives and managers, and professional technicians. At present, Shaanxi has 1.1 million science and technology personnel of all types, of whom 93,500 are at an advanced level in terms of technical skill and specialization. These teams have been continuously developed, expanded, and strengthened, and form an essential force in promoting Shaanxi’s technological innovation and the industrialization of scientific research results. In 2013, four expert scholars from Shaanxi Province were elected as academicians of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Chinese Academy of Engineering. Shaanxi now has 63 academicians, the highest number among all provinces; 22 are members of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and 41 are members of the Chinese Academy of Engineering.