School of Water Resources and Hydro-electric Engineering

The School of Water Resources and Hydro-electric Engineering of XUT is an important base in China for education, teaching, and scientific research in hydraulic and hydropower engineering, with a history dating back to 1937. Currently, the school has enrolled over 3,100 students, including more than 1,600 master’s and doctoral candidates.

The school has 181 faculties, including 49 professors (16 of whom are second-level professors), 1 academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, and 2 valid candidates for Chinese Academy of Engineering. It has attracted 17 national-level talents, including National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars recipients and Changjiang Scholars, as well as more than 20 experts who enjoy special allowances from the State Council. Its teaching team in hydraulic and hydropower engineering has been selected as a national model teacher team in the spirit of Huang Danian.

As the first batch of institutions in China authorized to confer the doctoral degree program, the school currently has two first-level doctoral disciplines—Hydraulic Engineering (a National Key First-Level Discipline and a Shaanxi “Double First-Class” discipline) and Agricultural Engineering, two professional doctoral program authorization points in Civil and Hydraulic Engineering and Energy and Power, and two post-doctoral research stations in Hydraulic Engineering and Agricultural Engineering.

The school offers five majors for bachelor’s degree, including hydraulic and hydropower engineering, of which four have been selected as national first‑class demonstration point for bachelor’s degree and two are national level specialty programs. It hosts 19 national- and provincial-level teaching and research platforms, including the National Key Laboratory for Arid‑Region Water Engineering and Ecological Environment. Over the past five years, the school has undertaken more than 2,000 research projects, including 2 National Key R&D Programs and 8 research projects, as well as 143 projects funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC), secured RMB 750 million in research funding; won 2 Second Prizes for the National Scientific and Technological Progress Award and more than 50 provincial- or ministerial-level awards. The school has pioneered research in the field of hydrology for arid and semi-arid regions, led the development of asphalt anti-seepage dam-building technology for hydraulic engineering, and developed a series of turbines with internationally leading overall performance, making it a pioneer and leader in ecological water conservancy for arid regions worldwide.

It has established partnerships with more than 30 internationally renowned universities in the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, and other countries, has also initiated organizations such as the International Alliance for Ecological Water Conservancy and New Energy and the “Belt and Road” International Water Alliance, and has co-established joint laboratories with universities in several Central Asian countries.

Upholding its motto of the “Virtue as Water, Diligence in Study and Practice,” the school has trained more than 30,000 graduates, many of whom have devoted themselves to western China and made outstanding contributions to national strategies and high-quality regional development.

1. Water Cycle and Water Resources Regulation in Arid Regions

2. Ecological Protection and Restoration in Arid Regions

3. Water Engineering Construction and Safe Operation & Maintenance

4. Clean Energy Equipment and Materials for Hydropower

1. Proposed China’s geospatial concept of the “Three Lines for Water Resources in Northwest China,” innovated the theoretical framework of eco-economics in arid regions, and developed water resource allocation schemes for high-quality development in arid regions.

2. Established the theory of watershed sediment engineering control, innovated technologies for regulating water and sediment in watersheds, developed an integrated water-energy-food-ecology model, and opened up new pathways for ecological protection and productive development in arid regions.

3. Created the theory of ecological irrigation construction in arid regions and a technology system for water saving, salt control, and efficiency improvement, leading high-quality agricultural development in the northwest arid regions.

4. Pioneered the theory of optimized design for asphalt concrete anti-seepage structures, developed six generations of integrated equipment for asphalt concrete testing, construction, and inspection, and advanced hydraulic asphalt anti-seepage technology from domestic leadership to international leadership.

5. Innovated theories and technologies for hydraulic equipment design and developed a series of turbines with internationally leading overall performance, providing stable green energy support for the socioeconomic development of arid regions.