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I. On July 13 and 30, 1941, Political Bureau of the Central Committee of Communist Party of China met twice, and decided to incorporate the Zedong Youth Cadre School (established in May 1940), China Girl University (established in July 1939), and Northern Shaanxi Public College (established in October 1937), and named the new university  Yan’an University, with Wu Yuzhang as president and Zhao Yimin as vice president. So the history of Yan’an University can be traced back to October 1937 when the Northern Shaanxi Public School was established. The university had College of Social Sciences, College of Law, College of Education, Department of Russian, Department of English, Department of Physical Education, and Division of Secondary School. The student population was of 800. The university was located at Wang’s Plain in the suburb of Yan’an City.
II. On March 16, 1943, Northwest Bureau of the Central Committee of CPC decided that Yan’an University, Lu Xun College of Arts (established in April 1938), the Academy of Natural Sciences (established in October 1939), College of Ethnic Minorities (established in September 1941), and the Cadre School of New Literature (established in May 1941) be incorporated. The new university was located in the campus of the Lu Xun College of Arts, the Bridge Ditch in the suburb of Yan’an City, still named Yan’an University. The president was still Wu Yuzhang.
The new Yan’an University had Lu Xun College of Arts, College of Natural Sciences, College of Social Sciences, College of Ethnic Minorities, the Cadre Seminar of New Characters, and Division of Secondary School. The Lu Xun College of Arts had Departments of Drama, Music, Fine Arts, and Literature. The College of Natural Sciences had Departments of Chemical Engineering, Mechanics, and Agriculture.
III. On April 7, 1944, Northwest Bureau of the Central Committee of CPC decided Yan’an University and the College of Public Administration (established in July 1940) be incorporated, with Zhou Yang as president. The new university was located in the campus of the College of Public Administration, outside of the south gate of Yan’an City.
The new university had College of Public Administration, Lu Xun College of Arts, College of Natural Sciences, Department of Medicine, and short-term training seminars. The  College of Public Administration had Department of Public Administration, Department of Finance, Department of Education, and Department of Law. The Lu Xun College of Arts had Department of Literature, Department of Drama and Music, and Department of Fine Arts. The College of Natural Sciences had Department of Agriculture, Department of Mechanic Engineering, and Department of Chemical Engineering. The population of faculty and students was of 2124, of which 1302 were students.
IV. In 1946 to 1947, Yan’an University had eight classes in education, law, agriculture, arts, accounting, public administration, journalism, and foreign languages, as well as the Division of High School.
V. In 1947, due to the war, Yan’an University began intense and arduous wartime military marching life. The university withdrew from Yan’an on March 14, and crossed the Yellow River in the east and arrived in the Wu’s Gulf in Shanxi Province. On August 22,1947. On August 25, classes were resumed in the Wu’s Gulf. In April 1948, the Northwest Field Army recovered Yan’an, and the university returned to Yan’an in July that year, and relocated at the foot of the Refrigerant Mountain of Yan’an City.
VI. In 1948，the Northwest Bureau of the Central Committee of CPC and government of the Bordering District decided to expand and strengthen Yan’an University, and normalize the schooling. On October 21, President Li Furen announced the university would establish a university division, branch schools, and research offices. The university temporarily established four departments, i.e., Departments of Law, Economic Construction, Arts, and Education.
VII. On May 23, 1949, Northwest Bureau of the Central Committee of CPC instructed that Yan’an University, Northwest People’s Arts School, and the Northwest Finance and Economic School be incorporated into a Northwest People’s Revolutionary University. Ma Mingfang was president, and Li Furen was vice president. Different parts of Yan’an University were moved to Xi’an one by one.
VIII. In July 1958, the Government of Shaanxi Province decided to reestablish Yan’an University. The university was formally open in September, and had only three  departments, i.e., Departments of Chinese, Mathematics, and Physics-Chemistry，with three two-year special programs of Chinese, math, and physics and chemistry.
XI. In fall 1959, upon approval of the provincial bureau of higher education, additionally established a department of medicine, with a five-year bachelor program. In 1960, the Department of Physics-Chemistry was separated into a department of physics and a department of chemistry. By then, Yan’an University had five departments, i.e., Departments of Chinese, Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry and Medicine.
X. In July 1964, Shaanxi Province decided to change the executive system of Yan’an University from being in the charge of Yan’an Special Commissioners Office to being in the charge of Shaanxi Province, and the Party organizational relation was still in the jurisdiction of the commissioner’s office.
XI. In 1966 when the Cultural Revolution began, the university’s teaching and working order was seriously damaged.
XII. On September 1971, the provincial revolutionary committee approved that Yan’an University and the Beijing Agricultural University be incorporated, giving priority to agriculture and concurrently having normal and medical studies. After incorporation, the university was still named Yan’an University. On March 6, 1972, the two universities were separated according to the instructions of Premier Zhou Enlai and Vice Premier Li Xiannian, and faculty and students of the original Beijing Agricultural University returned to Beijing.
XIII. In 1977, the university additionally established the program of political education. After 1984, the university additionally established six programs, i.e., programs of English education, secretarial science, economic administration, analytical chemistry, biological education, and history education one after another. In August 1985, the Department of Medicine was expanded into an independent Yan’an College of Medicine. In September 1988, the university had nine departments, i.e., Departments of Chinese, Political Education, Foreign Languages, Administration, History, Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, and Biology, with 11 programs.
XIV. In May 1988, Yan’an University additionally established the program of administrative application. In September that year, established the program of history education. In 1989, the university established the program of industrial analysis. In 1992, the university established the program of chemical technology. In 1993, upon the approval of the provincial government, Yan’an University established the programs of electronic technology, computer and computer application, and commercial and trade economics, recruited two junior college classes of public administration and public relation. At the same time, the junior programs of biology and history education were promoted to bachelor programs.
XV. In 1992, upon the approval of the provincial government, the university established the Research Institute of Northern Shaanxi Historical Culture, Research Institute of Northern Shaanxi Economic and Technological Development, and the Research Institute of Yan’an Studies.
XVI. In June 1991, Yan’an University, the No. 2 Artillery Engineering College of PLA, and Xi’an Army College formally established joint constructive relation of supporting the army and supporting the people.
XVII. In 1992, Yan’an University recruited foreign students for the first time.
XVIII. On September 13, 1993, the master program of chemical engineering with in-service students jointly run by Yan’an University and Northwest University jointly formally opened.
XIX. In July 1998, Upon the approval of the State Council, Yan’an University was accredited to confer master degrees. The first master programs are of CPC history and basic mathematics.
XX. In 1998, upon the approval of the Ministry of Education, Yan’an University, Yan’an College of Medicine, and Yan’an City People’s Hospital were incorporated into a new Yan’an University. After incorporation, the Yan’an College of Medicine became College of Medicine, Yan’an University, and the Yan’an City People’s Hospital became Affiliated Hospital of Yan’an University. Shen Peichang was Party Secretary and President. The university had College of Medicine, College of Industrial Engineering, and College of Continuing Education, and Departments of Chinese, Political Education, History, Administration, Mathematics, Chemistry, Physics, Biology, Foreign Languages, Physical Education, Arts, and Clinical Medicine, with 24 programs. The student population was of 4661. Yan’an University became a key university of Shaanxi Province.
XXI. On June 9, 2005, Government of Shaanxi Province and the Ministry of Education began to jointly construct Yan’an University. Yan’an University became a comprehensive university with 16 colleges, and two independent departments, with 40 bachelor programs, nine junior college programs, and 13 master programs.
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