Northwest A&F University is a key national comprehensive university directly under the administration of the Ministry of Education. It was established on September 11, 1999 by merging seven teaching and scientific research institutions in Yangling, Shaanxi Province, namely Northwest Agricultural University, Northwest Forestry College, Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Northwest Institute of Water Resources Science, Shaanxi Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shaanxi Provincial Academy of Forestry, and Northwest Institute of Botany. The university is jointly constructed and administrated by both Ministry of Education and Shaanxi province, with major issues managed by the Ministry of Education and routine business by the Shaanxi Provincial government. In June, 2004, the university was among the second group universities in “Project 985”, a national project aiming at developing Chinese universities into world-class institutes of higher learning. The history of the university dates back to the National Northwest Junior College of Agriculture and Forestry, which was founded in 1934 by Mr. Yu Youren, a senior official of the Kuomingtang.

Northwest Agricultural University originated from the National Northwest Junior College of Agriculture and Forestry, which was founded in 1934. In 1938, the Junior College merged with the Agricultural College of the National Northwest Associated University and the Animal Husbandry Department of the Agricultural College of Henan University, to form the National Agricultural College. The college was renamed as Northwest Agricultural University after the founding of the People’s Republic of China in 1949. With the approval of the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Fishery, the university was renamed as Northwest Agricultural University in 1985. It merged with other research and education institutions to form Northwest A&F University in September, 1999.

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