Guizhou University (GZU) was founded in 1902 as Guizhou Institute of Higher Learning and has undergone several name changes over the years, including Provincial Guizhou University, National Guizhou College of Agriculture and Engineering, and National Guizhou University. The University officially adopted the name “Guizhou University” in October 1950, which was formally inscribed by Chairman Mao Zedong in 1951. In August 1997, GZU merged with Guizhou Agricultural College and other institutions. Then, in August 2004, it merged with Guizhou University of Technology. With a history of more than 120 years, Guizhou University has progressively achieved national designations: “Project 211” status, recognition as a “Double First-Class” university, and support as a key institution jointly built by the Ministry of Education (MOE) and the Guizhou Provincial Government. In January 2021, the Guizhou Provincial Government Work Report explicitly proposed to “strengthen Guizhou University” for the first time. In November of the same year, the Guizhou Provincial Department of Education and 11 other departments jointly issued the “Implementation Plan for Strengthening Guizhou University.” The plan aims to transform Guizhou University into a nationally and internationally renowned comprehensive university that embodies Chinese characteristics, adheres to world-class standards, and addresses the needs of Guizhou. In 2023, the CPC Guizhou Provincial Committee and the Provincial Government stressed the need to “focus efforts on strengthening Guizhou University” to advance high-level development in higher education across Guizhou. GZU is dedicated to fostering moral education and has received several accolades, including being recognized as a “Model University” among the first batch of universities for nationwide CPC development in higher education institutions, awarded the “National Civilized Campus” in the first nationwide competition, and designated as a “Trial University” for implementing reforms on “Three Comprehensive Educational Approaches” (whole-person education, whole-process education, and all-round education) under the MOE.  

Guizhou University covers an area of 309.72 hectares (approximately 4645.83 mu) and includes 65.69 hectares of farmland for teaching and experiments. Is library boasts a collection of over 4.07 million paper documents, including more than 3.04 million electronic copies. It offers a comprehensive range of programs spanning 13 broad fields: literature, history, philosophy, science, engineering, agriculture, medicine, economics, management, law, pedagogy, arts, and interdisciplinary studies. GZU has 40 colleges and serves 34,944 full-time undergraduate students and over 18,000 graduate students. It has a faculty of over 4,200 members, with over 2,800 full-time teachers, 62.65% of whom hold doctoral degrees.

Guizhou University is dedicated to achieving the status of a world-class university. Presently, it boasts 1 world-class construction discipline under the “Double First-Class” initiative, 1 national-level key discipline, 2 discipline clusters tailored to local distinctive industries via provincial-ministerial collaborations, 11 national world-class construction disciplines, and 10 regional world-class construction disciplines. According to the latest ESI data, the University has 10 disciplines among the global top 1%. Moreover, there are 84 first-class majors under the “Double Ten Thousand Plan,” of which 52 are at the national level. GZU offers 22 first-level discipline doctoral programs, 4 professional doctoral degree program, 50 first-level master’s degree programs, and 28 professional master's degree programs.

GZU boasts 7 top-tier professionals including academicians of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, 49 recipients of the National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars, and 35 scholars selected for the National Hundred, Thousand and Ten Thousand Talent Project. In addition, 23 faculty members serve on the National Advisory Committee on Higher Education under the MOE, 1 as a convener for the State Council's Discipline Appraisal Group, and 3 on the Science and Technology Commission (STC) under the MOE, The University is also a key provider of expertise to the region, with 25 key liaison experts and 89 liaison experts designated by the CPC Guizhou Provincial Committee. The faculty’s research impact is highlighted by 1 member being named a global Highly Cited Researcher for 6 consecutive years and 3 being selected as Elsevier China Highly Cited Scholars.

GZU has established 1 State Key Laboratory, 1 national-level “Belt and Road” Joint Laboratory, and 1 Ministerial-Provincial State Key Laboratory, along with 34 ministerial-level, 87 provincial-level research platforms, and 10 postdoctoral research mobile stations. The University has been credited for its teaching capability at the national level, with 3 faculty teams honored with the title of “National Huang Danian-Style Teaching Team”, 1 National Model Teacher, 1 National Advanced Educational Unit, 1 National Outstanding Teacher, 39 national-level teaching platforms, 2 national-level teaching teams, 2 Master Teachers and 2 teaching teams for MOE Demonstrative Ideological and Political Courses, as well as 1 National Master Teacher Studio for Ideological and Political Education in Higher Education. Provincial recognitions include 11 outstanding teaching teams, 77 “Golden Teaching Masters,” 14 Teaching Teams and 14 Teaching Masters for Demonstrative Ideological and Political Courses, and 2 Provincial Master Studios for Ideological and Political Education.

Guizhou University is adhering to “pioneering a new path, creating a new paradigm, capitalizing on new opportunities, and achieving new milestones,” supporting “advancing new industrialization, new urbanization, and agricultural modernization, and tourism industrialization,” and upholding the mission of “transforming the region into a model for an open inland economy, a demonstration of comprehensive reform in western regional development, a leader in poverty alleviation initiatives, a trailblazer in digital economic growth, and a testing ground for ecological progress.” GZU capitalizes on its strengths in distinctive disciplines and its pool of talented professionals, concentrating on the “Six Major Industrial Bases” and the “Efficient and Refined Development of Mineral Resources.” It steadfastly directs its research to address Guizhou's challenges, supporting the province's high-quality development. This commitment has yielded notable recognition. The Green Pesticide/Pest Control Innovation Team was honored as a “National Advanced Group for Poverty Alleviation. The CPC Committee of the College of Agriculture was recognized as a National Advanced Grassroots Party Organization, and the college as a National Advanced Collective in the Education System.” Multiple faculty members were also recognized as National Model Teachers and the title of “National March 8th Red-banner Pacesetters.” Moreover, GZU's poverty-alleviation and rural revitalization efforts have been cited by the Ministry of Education as exemplary models for six consecutive years.

Thanks to the counterpart support program, GZU has established partnerships with Zhejiang University, China Agricultural University, and East China Normal University. The University is committed to advancing higher education in Guizhou through active engagement and has forged collaborative relationships with nine municipal cities (prefectures) across the province. GZU has entered into agreements with over 500 enterprises, including Maotai Group, Dabeinong Group, National Astronomical Observatories, Guangxi Tianyuan Biochemistry Co. Ltd., Guizhou Phosphate Chemical Group, Guizhou Branch of China Tobacco Corporation, Guiyang Agricultural Investment Group, and Jiangsu Fengshan Group. By implementing special programs such as the Technological Support in Three Areas, Special Technician Plan, Ph.D Village Chiefs, and Professors and Doctoral Scholars Helping Enterprises,” the University effectively channels its high-level expertise to serve local industries. These coordinated initiatives in university-local and university-industry collaboration now extend to all 88 counties and 9 cities (prefectures) of Guizhou, substantially elevating the level and impact of cooperation.

 Guizhou University is committed to developing open educational resources and continuously advancing international exchange and cooperation, with both the scale and quality of its international student education steadily improving. GZU has been designated as the International Education Aid Base by the MOE, an International Science & Technology Cooperation Base under the Ministry of Science and Technology, and the institution offering the Chinese Government Scholarship and the International Chinese Language Teachers Scholarship. The University has since founded Confucius Institutes at the University of Salamanca in Spain and the University of The Gambia, as well as a Chinese Language Center at Presbyterian College in the United States. Currently, the University maintains partnerships with 205 universities or research institutions across 45 countries and regions, including Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan. It also has secured 2 national “Overseas Expertise Introduction Centers for Discipline Innovation (known as the“111 Project”) and established 1 National “Belt and Road” Joint Laboratory under the Ministry of Science and Technology of China. Notably, GZU has nearly 1,000 international students from 72 countries, enrolled in undergraduate, graduate (master's/doctoral), and non-degree Chinese language programs. Furthermore, GZU actively participates in international associations such as the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization (SEAMEO), the ASEAN University Network (AUN), and Eurasia-Pacific Uninet (EPU). Since 2008, GZU has hosted and co-organized the “China-ASEAN Education Cooperation Week” along with other related activities for 18 consecutive years. The University’s achievements in fostering global partnerships have greatly enhanced Guizhou University's international reputation and demonstrated its high level of commitment to internationalization.

 (Updated by September 2025)