Taiyuan Normal University
Taiyuan Normal University (TNU) is a full-time higher normal university which mainly engages in undergraduate normal education and also has non-normal and postgraduate education. Approved by the Chinese Ministry of Education in March 1999, it was merged by Teachers College of Shanxi University, Taiyuan Teachers College and Shanxi Institute of Education.
The university has 4 campuses and covers 1884 mu (1.26 million square meters). The new campus covers 1569 mu (1.05 million square meters), including 550,000 square meters of all kinds of buildings. At present, TNU has over 24000 full-time undergraduates and approximately 1000 postgraduates from 28 provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions nationwide. Over the past 20 years since its establishment, TNU has been forging ahead. The quality of education and the level of education have been improved year by year, showing a prosperous development momentum.
Steady improvement of teaching quality. TNU has 20 colleges and departments, 49 undergraduate majors covering 9 subjects of Economics, Law, Education, Humanities, History, Science, Engineering, Management and Arts. TNU has 2 national-level specialties, 8 provincial-level specialties, 2 national-level characteristic specialties, 7 provincial-level dominant and characteristic specialties, 16 provincial-level excellent courses and 7 provincial-level experimental teaching demonstration centers, 2 provincial-level virtual simulation experiment teaching projects. In recent five years, TNU has been granted with 1 national-level excellent course, 16 provincial-level excellent courses, 16 provincial-level Teaching Achievement Awards, 47 provincial-level Teaching Reform and Innovation Projects, 42 national-level Innovation and Entrepreneurship Training Program for College Students, 90 provincial-level Innovation and Entrepreneurship Training Program for College Students. TNU has become the place of “Smart Teaching Pilot Project”, “National Promotion Base of Chinese Language”, Pilot Unit of Construction of Teachers’ Team Boosted by Artificial Intelligence of Ministry of Education, and has been selected into “Sports Aesthetic Education Infiltration Plan” of the Ministry of Education.
Fruitful achievement of practice teaching. Students majoring in normal education won grand prize for many times by participating in “Huawen Cup” National Teaching Skills Competition for Normal Universities; Xingzhi Dancing Troupe participated in the performance organized by China Federation of Literary and Art Circle in the Great Hall of the People; Xingzhi Chorus has performed many times in collaboration with famous domestic and foreign artists and art groups; More than 200 students from Dancing Department performed in “The Great Journey” in Beijing, a large situation epic show marking the founding of the Communist Party of China, which was broadcast by China Media Group on July 1st, 2021. A lot of students have obtained achievements and won gold and silver medals in national-level contests.
Obvious advancement of discipline and research level. TNU has 1 provincial-level dominant and characteristic discipline of “1331 Project” key discipline construction plan, 1 provincial-level innovative discipline cluster construction of service industry of “1331 Project” key discipline quality and efficiency improvement plan; 8 provincial key construction disciplines, 2 provincial key supported disciplines, 1 ideological and political work collaborative education center (cultivation project) of Shanxi institutions of higher education, 2 provincial collaborative innovation centers, 2 provincial research center of engineering (technology), 2 provincial key innovation team of “1331 Project”, 1 provincial research center of engineering (technology) of “1331 Project”, 1 provincial innovation research institute of Engineering (technology) of “1331 Project”, 2 provincial-level key research bases for humanities and social science and 1 key laboratory of Shanxi institutions of higher education, 5 provincial new research and development institutions, 1 educational administration and law enforcement research base of Shanxi Province. In recent five years, TNU has 49 scientific research projects supported by National Natural Science Foundation and National Social Science Fund, 5 projects by National Endowment for the Arts, 12 projects by Ministry of Education and other ministries and commissions, 857 ministerial and provincial-level projects. TNU has won 1 1st Prize of Flying Apsaras Award (by theory); 3 1st-prize awards, 12 2nd-prize awards and 22 3rd-prize awards for Outstanding Achievements of Shanxi Provincial Social Science Research; 1 1st-prize of Shanxi Provincial Science and Technology Progress Award and 1 2nd-prize Shanxi Provincial Natural Science Award. TNU sponsors and supervises several academic journals such as Journal of Taiyuan Normal University (Social Science Edition and Natural Science Edition) and Teaching and Administration (Chinese Core Journal and Double Effect Journal of China Periodical Phalanx)
Steady development of postgraduate education. The Master’s Degree Programs of the first-level discipline and Professional Master’s Degree Programs have increased from 6 to 15, of which, Master of Education covers 75% discipline of basic education. Postgraduate education is carried out in 19 of the 20 faculties of TNU with more than 1000 enrolled students. TNU houses 2 Shanxi provincial postgraduates education innovation centers, and 2 Shanxi provincial postgraduates joint cultivation base. During the past five years, TNU has applied and approved more than 70 different kinds of postgraduate education and innovation projects, and has obtained more than 150 national and provincial competition awards.
Significant enhancement of faculty strength. TNU has 1193 full-time teachers, including 107 professors, 339 associate professors, 377 teachers holding PhD Degrees and 396 Master’s supervisors. Among all the teachers, there is 1 teacher honored with the National Science Fund for Distinguished Young, 1 science and technology innovation leading talent under the national “Ten Thousand Talent Plan”, 1 top youth talent under the national “Ten Thousand Talent Program”, 2 experts receiving special allowance from State Council, 1 entitled Distinguished professor of “Sanjin Scholar”, 1 senior expert contacted by Provincial Commission of CPC, 18 members under “131 Leading Talent Project” (Young and Middle Age Top Innovative Talent), 6 members under “333 Talent Project” (provincial-level academic leaders of Shanxi), 5 outstanding young academic leaders in provincial colleges and universities, 4 members of provincial publicity and culture system Four-batch Talent Project, 9 provincial-level distinguished teachers and 26 Sanjin talents.
Major breakthrough of foreign cooperation and exchanges. TNU has established friendly cooperation relationship with over 32 universities in 15 countries. TNU invites more than 100 domestic and international well-known experts and scholars to give lectures and selects over 80 excellent teachers to study or carry out academic communications in domestic and international renowned universities or research institutions.
Guided by its principle “Moral Education First, Competence Oriented, Individualized Teaching and Comprehensive Development” and motto “ Cultivating Morality and Prompting Learning”, the Affiliated Middle School of TNU has been continuously deepening curriculum reform, steadily promoting discipline construction, implementing quality education and has come out among the best in both secondary school entrance examination and college entrance examination in Taiyuan.
The university’s Xingzhi culture has distinctive characteristics and was awarded the title of "National Excellent Tao Xingzhi Research School" by National Tao Xingzhi Research Association; Party building, ideological and political education, and spiritual civilization construction have achieved remarkable results and the Xingzhi Culture Cultivation Program was selected into the list of excellent ideological and political work projects by the Ministry of Education. TNU obtained the title of “ Civilized Unit Model of Shanxi Higher Learning Institutions” for two consecutive times and was approved the first batch of “Three Comprehensive Education” comprehensive reform pilot university in Shanxi Province, which creates a good education atmosphere. Alumnus Xu Junze was honored the “National Model of Teaching and Educating”.
Born at the turn of the century, TNU, like a ship setting sail, is striding in waves and keeping going on. TNU passed the undergraduate teaching evaluation in 2008, was qualified for master program project construction in 2009, started the construction of its new campus in 2010, passed acceptance of master degree granting in 2013 and moved to the new campus in the same year, started to enroll full-time postgraduates in 2014, passed the review and evaluation of undergraduate teaching work by Ministry of Education in 2018, was listed as Doctorate project unit by Academic Degrees Committee of Shanxi Provincial People’s Government and Shanxi Provincial Education Department in 2019, thus stands in the new historical starting point.
The 3rd Party Congress of TNU has scientifically planned and formulated “ Five General Plans” in a scientific way, and has resolved to achieve “Five Breakthroughs” and to concentrate its efforts on “Six Key Tasks”, and to improve the university’s core competitiveness comprehensively. Looking forward, TNU will continuously implement the basic task of “Morality Strengthening and Talent Cultivation”, focus on normal education, solidly advance connotation construction and strive to build a high-level normal university.
(updated in October, 2021)