Shanxi University, situated in Taiyuan (capital of Shanxi Province), has a century-long history and profound cultural accumulation. Shanxi University, was founded on May 8 th , 1902, as Shanxi Grand School, alongside the Metropolitan Grand School (the predecessor of Peking University) and the Northern Grand School (the Predecessor of Tianjing University), inaugurating a new era for modern Chinese higher education. In May 2005, Shanxi University was co-established by the state Ministry of Education and the Peoples government of Shanxi province. Over her one hundred years, Shanxi University has evolved a cultural tradition of "knowing the East and the West; seeking the good and true; promoting the virtuous and the talented; being self-reliant and serving the country", and a school spirit of " being industrious, strict, honest and creative".
Shanxi University is currently the sole comprehensive university in Shanxi Province with all academic fields covering philosophy, economics, law, education, literature, history, science, engineering, medicine and management. Its education programs extend to 66 specialities for undergraduates and 18 specialities for the double bachelors degree. At present, it has 137 general Masters of Arts / Masters of Sciences (M. A. / M. S.) programs, 6 specialized M. A. / M. S. programs, 48 doctorate programs and 4 centres for post-doctoral studies. Among these many programs, philosophy of Science and Technology and Quantum Optics are designated as state key programs and 20 others are designated as provincial key- or key- constructing programs. Shanxi University also hosts one key ministerial research centre for humanities and social sciences (i.e.: Centre for Philosophy of Science and Technology), three provincial research bases for humanities and social sciences, one state key laboratory of quantum optics and optical quantum devices, one key ministerial laboratory of chemical biology and molecular engineering, and one key laboratory to circulate intelligence and process Chinese information, which was co-established by the provincial and ministerial Education Department and three key provincial laboratories. Moreover, the Laboratory of Quantum Optics and Optical Quantum Devices won the title of Outstanding Research Innovation Group designated by the Ministry of Education and other two Outstanding Research Innovative Groups designated by Shanxi Province. In addition, the university sponsors a base for National Foundational Scientific Research and Teaching-oriented Talents Cultivation approved by the Ministry, a national education base of Cultural Qualities of College Students, a national educational base for Chinese Language Teaching and a national base for Teacher Training.
