Northwest University of Political Science and Law (NWUPL), located in Xi’an, a world famous historical and cultural city, is well known for its legal academics and also enjoys a distinguished reputation in philosophy, economics, management and literature. NWUPL, awarded as the member of Legal Alliance among top legal institutes of higher education in China and Chang’an Alliance among high-quality institutes of higher education in Xi’an, is both the center for legal education and research and academic research on social science in the northwest of China. Currently, it has a variety of schools, including School of Philosophy and Social Development, School of Economics, School of Business, School of Criminal Law, School of Civil and Commercial Law, School of Economic Law, School of Administrative Law, School of International Law, School of Anti-Terrorism Law, School of Political Science and Public Administration, School of Public Security, School of Foreign Languages, School of Journalism and Communications, School of Marxism and School of International Education.
History
Enjoying a profound history, NWUPL’s predecessor was Shanbei Public School, founded by the Communist Party of China in 1937 in Shanbei, Shaanxi. Throughout its 81-year history, NWUPL has provided over 150,000 high-quality talents with good virtues, by sticking to its motto Rigorous, Realistic, Civilized, Fair and fully implementing its idea of fostering the belief in rule of law, China’s perspectives, international outlook and empathy for populace.
Faculties
NWUPL adheres to the strategy of reinvigorating the university through talents. It boasts more than 1000 faculty members led by a team of famous scholars, distinguished professors and part-time professors. Among them around 500 members have senior titles, some of which were awarded as Specialists Entitled to the State Council Special Allowance, National Outstanding Senior Jurist, National Top Ten Outstanding Young Jurists, , National/Provincial Excellent Teacher and other titles of honor. NWUPL, meanwhile, values faculties’ professional and practical experiences, by actively facilitating young teachers to work in related governmental departments.
Education
It has been 60 years since NWUPL started its undergraduate education in 1958. It currently recruits over 13,000 undergraduates by offering 32 degree programs, including Philosophy, Economics, Law, Literature, Engineering, Management and Art, etc. As elected in the first batch of State Outstanding Legal Talent Cultivation Project, NWUPL undertakes all three tasks in Outstanding Legal Talent Cultivation Project: the training of versatile and practical legal talents, the training of legal talents proficient in foreign affairs and the training of legal talents serving at grass-roots level in west of China. Its innovative pilot area for cultivating legal talents is awarded as state-level innovative pilot area.
NWUPL implements mentorship at undergraduate level. Each undergraduate is assigned to a mentor, who provides help and support in terms of life, study and employment throughout the four-year study. In addition, it launches 6 high -quality extra-curriculum activity themes, including legal culture, student academic life and international academic exchange, etc. These diverse extra-curriculum activities provide supportive and positive environment for cultivating legal talents.
Meanwhile, NWUPL has around 2,500 post-graduates with 35 degree programs, covering Law, Philosophy, Theoretical Economics, Journalism and Communication and Public Administration, etc. and the Doctoral Program in Law for State Special Need. The center for post-doctoral studies in Law has been opened since 2014.
Research Innovation
NWUPL actively serves the needs of national and regional economic and social development by adhering to research innovation and problem-based perspective. At present, it owns Research Base for Education Legislation supported by Ministry of Education, Research Center for Southern Asia, Collaborative Innovation Center of Social Policy and Social Public Opinion, a key research base in provincial philosophy and social science.
Furthermore, it establishes 7 research institutes, including Anti-Terrorism Research Institute, Research Institute of Ethnic and Religious Affairs, Research Institute of Chinese Legal System and Legal Civilization, Research Institute of Culture and Value Philosophy, Human Rights Research Institute, The Silk Road Area Cooperation and Development Law Institute and Ma Xiwu Mode Of Trial Research Institutes. NWUPL takes the leading position in a series of fields domestically, covering Marx’s basic legal principles, legal value and legal culture, history of legal system in the area of Shaanxi, Gansu and Ningxia, anti-terrorism under rule of law and legal interpretation and legal methods. Moreover, its sponsored academic journal Legal Science has been selected as National Top Three Excellent Journal in Social Science and National Top 100 Journal.
International Exchange
Responding to the call for the Belt and Road Initiative, NWUPL has been dedicated to reaching a higher level in terms of legal theory research on Silk Road area and promoting culture of rule of law. Furthermore, it devoted itself to establishing Think Tanks for the Belt and Road Construction, The Silk Road Area Cooperation and Development Law Institute, and Training Base for China- Eurasian Top Legal Talents .
NWUPL has vigorously expanded its international exchange channels, established cooperative relations with more than 70 famous universities and institutes in the US, the UK, Germany and other countries, such as Washington University in St Louis (US), University of Glasgow (UK), Seoul National University (South Korea), and signed more than 110 cooperative agreements, involving exchanges between teachers and students, joint academic activities, and academic resources sharing, etc. Meanwhile, NWUPL has more than 100 overseas students from countries along the Silk Road by offering degree programs (including undergraduate, postgraduate and PhD degree programs) and non-degree programs.
In recent years, NWUPL has invited more than 1,200 worldly well-known experts and scholars, including Mr. Hisashi Owada, the former President of the International Court of Justice of the UN, and Professor Henry Chang-Yu Lee, the famous forensic scientist, to our university for academic exchanges, such as conducting short-term lectures and attending conference. Meanwhile, NWUPL also welcomes the delegations from foreign universities and institutes around the world every year for academic and cultural exchange.
While actively introducing high-level overseas talents to visit NWUPL, our university strives to improve the current exchange platform and provide various opportunities for faculties and students. At present, more than 200 faculties and students visit famous foreign universities or institutes annually for international academic conferences, competitions, or cultural exchange. Meanwhile more than 100 faculties, supported by CSC or NWUPL, went to institutes of higher education in the United States, Britain, Australia and other countries as visiting scholars.
Students are encouraged to study abroad through exchange programs offered by NWUPL. Current programs include non-degree exchange programs and joint education degree programs, such as student exchange programs, training programs, vacation programs and internship programs. Up till now, over 400 students have been selected for overseas exchange.
