Guizhou University is the only key university in Guizhou prioritized to develop itself in line with the criteria of the "211 Project" . Its predecessor, Guizhou Institute of Higher Learning, was founded in 1902. Later, it was turned into Provincial Guizhou University, National Guizhou College of Agriculture and Engineering, and National Guizhou University in the process of its development.

In November 1951, Mao Zedong, then chairman of the country, inscribed in person the Chinese name of Guizhou University. In August 1997 it was merged with Guizhou Agricultural College, Guizhou Institute of Arts, and Guizhou Agricultural Cadre-Training School. Seven years later in August 2004, it was merged again and formed the current new Guizhou University with Guizhou University of Technology. In December of the same year, the Provincial Government signed an agreement with the Ministry of Education of the People’s Rebulic of China to co-build Guizhou University. One year later, in September 2005, it was approved to be one of the key "211 Project" universities.

The university consists of 20 colleges and 3 public education departments. Presently, the total number of full-time students is 32,152, which inculdes 25,053 undergraduates, 4,360 graduates with 123 as PhD candidates, and 52 overseas students. Up to now, it has cultivated over 150,000 graduates in various fields.

The university has 24 provincial key subjects, 1 postdoctoral research station, 3 state-level postdoctoral research stations for major projects. It offers 11 PhD programs, 149 Master’s programs and 6 Master's programs for specialized subjects all are authorized to confer degrees. Guizhou University contains 112 undergraduate specialties. Among them, 38 are characteristic specialties including 5 ministry-level ones and 10 province-level model specialities. The disciplines cover 11 branches of learning: philosophy, economics, laws, education, liberal arts, history, science, engineering, agriculture, medicine and administration.

Presently, the number of full-time teachers of the University is 2,332 with 231 PhD owners and 954 Master degree owners. 298 teachers are full professors and 721 associate professors. 1 academician of Chinese Academy of Engineering, 1 concurrent academician of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 7 state-level middle-aged or young experts, 4 candidates of state-level “New Century Million-and-10-Million-Talents Project”, 1 member of discipline appraisal group of the Academic Degree Committee of the State Council, 4 new century outstanding science and technology talents, 8 members of the National Instructive Committee of Higher Education. 112 experts enjoy state council or provincial expert allowance, 6 first-batch key provincial experts, 59 province-managed experts, 46 province-level young science and technology talents, 19 famous teachers of higher education of Guizhou Province. Besides, 32 teachers haven won various honors as outstanding teachers, model teachers, advanced working personnels, and so on.

Guizhou University always places importance on developing international cooperation and exchanges. So far, the University has established cooperative and exchange relations with more than 40 academic institutions in such countries and regions as the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom., Australia, France, Japan, Korea, Singapore, the Philippines, Sweden, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, Hong Kong and Macao, etc. To maintain and develop these relations, Guizhou University receives visitors from these institutions and other areas. During the past three years, over 300 have been sent to such countries as the United States, Germany, the United Kingdom, Thiland, France, Japan, and Korea for academic exchanges. The university has hosted more than 700 guests including celebrities like John D. Negroponte, Clark T. Randt Jr, Wu Jingguo and Zeng Yinquan. More than 200 scholars have come to the university and given lectures, among whom were Joseph E. Stiglitz, Nobel Prize winner for economics and professor of University of Columbia, and Leonard F. Lindoy, Fellow of the Royal Academy of Australia and professor of Sydney University. The university has hosted over 20 international academic conventions and conferences.

The University has engaged foreign teachers and experts for teaching, lecture tours and academic exchange meetings. It has also enrolled oversea students from different countries to study Chinese and other courses in degree and non-degree academic programs. Through sending teachers and researchers overseas to study and research collaboratively with the foreign counterparts, degree study, or attending international academic workshop, Guizhou University has been better known worldwide. Therefore the progress of internationalization has been accelerated. Embracing international cooperation and friendship，Guizhou University cherishes this same ideal with its foreign counterparts, and makes great efforts for mutual development. Day by day, the university provides a more ideal and satisfactory platform for numerous students to conduct their studies, for experts and scholars to deliver their lectures, and for researchers to been engaged in their undertakings.

ABOUT GUIZHOU PROVINCE
Guizhou Province, called Qian or Gui for short, is located in the eastern part of southwest China’s Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau, with Hunan Province to its east, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region to the south, Yunnan Province to the west, and Sichuan Province and Chongqing Municipality to the north. Its central location at the southwestern China makes it a crucial hub for the region.

Guizhou is a mountainous province. It covers an area of 176,100 square kilometers. The Province is more than 1,000 meters above ea level. The average sea level is 1,100 meters, adding to its rich mountainous topography. Actually, as much as 92.5% of the Province’s total area is characterized by mountains with its world-famous Karst rock formations of special appeal.

Because of its high altitude and relatively low latitude, which means it is influenced by southeasterly monsoon, the climate in Guizhou varies greatly in different regions. Generally, however, the weather is mild and humid. Abundant moisture makes chilly temperatures and severe heat rather rare. With an average air temperature of 5.2C in January and 24.3C in July, Guizhou is an ideal summer resort.

Guizhou is one of the birthplaces of mankind. There were human beings living on the land as early as about 500,000 or 600,000 years ago and created the antediluvian civilization. In 1382 AD, Emperor Hongwu of the Ming Dynasty established a military administration in the area. This was the first provincial military administration in Guizhou. In 1413 AD, Era Yongle of the Ming Dynasty established an administration, and for the first time, Guizhou became a province of China.

Apart from the Han people, there are many other minority groups living in Guizhou. Different ethnic groups account for 36.77% of the Province’s total population of 37.5 million. Guizhou is the home to 49 minority peoples, 17 of which view the Province as their cultural home. There are 10 minority groups including Miao (Moung), Buyi(Bouyi), Dong, Tujia, Yi, Gelao, Shui, Hui and Bai, whose populations are more than 100,000. In total, Guizhou has the country’s third biggest population of minority groups.