Introduction to Hohhot Minzu College
History
Hohhot Minzu College is situated in Hohhot, the capital city of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region (IMAR). It stands as a key university directly under the administration of the IMAR, established through a collaboration between the regional government and the National Ethnic Affairs Commission of the People’s Republic of China (PRC). The college traces its origins back to 1953, with the invaluable support of Comrade Ulanhu. Originally, it emerged from the amalgamation of the Mongolian Specialized School of Inner Mongolia and the Inner Mongolia Ethnic Normal School. In 2000, these entities were merged to form the Inner Mongolia Ethnic Higher Vocational College, which later evolved into an undergraduate college in 2009, renamed as Hohhot Minzu College. Subsequently, in 2013, it acquired the authority to confer bachelor's degrees, followed by the successful passing of the undergraduate teaching qualification assessment by the Ministry of Education of the PRC in 2016. Notably, in 2020, it was designated for inclusion in the initiative to establish new institutions authorized to grant master's degrees within the autonomous region. Fast forward to 2023, it underwent a transition to an application-oriented transformation university during the 14th Five-Year Plan period in the IMAR, also being selected as a pilot university for controlling the total number of personnel in the region.
Being the earliest ethnic institution established in Inner Mongolia, Hohhot Minzu College has steadfastly upheld its founding mission of "Cultivating talents for the Party and the State." The college places a strong emphasis on fostering a strong sense of community for the Chinese nation as the cornerstone of talent development, ensuring that education remains dedicated to nurturing virtue. Central to its development is the promotion of ethnic unity and progress through education. Over the course of 70 years, the college has produced over 40,000 graduates who have gone on to establish successful careers in Inner Mongolia and have emerged as exemplary individuals in border regions of China. They have seamlessly integrated into their communities, making substantial contributions to the economic and social development of the region, while also advancing ethnic unity, progress, prosperity, and stability in China's border regions. The college has been honored with the prestigious titles of National-level and Autonomous Region-level Ethnic Unity and Progress Advanced Collective on 10 occasions.
Presently, the campus spans an area of 265,981 square meters and houses a collection of 1.0746 million paper books and 1.2027 million electronic books. The total value of fixed assets amounts to 661 million yuan, with 237 million yuan invested in teaching and scientific research equipment.
Talent Cultivation
Hohhot Minzu College is home to 17 departments, featuring two key disciplines recognized by the National Ethnic Affairs Commission in Education and Mathematics. Additionally, two key construction disciplines accredited by the National Ethnic Affairs Commission include History of Chinese Minorities and Chinese Ethnic Language and Literature (Translation). Currently, the college offers 42 undergraduate programs and 6 specialized programs across various disciplines, including education, science, engineering, law, literature, art, economics, and management. Noteworthy are the 2 nationally recognized first-class undergraduate major construction sites in Mathematics and Applied Mathematics, and Preschool Education. Moreover, the college boasts 9 autonomous region-level first-class undergraduate construction sites, covering areas such as Elementary Education, Ideological and Political Education, Computer Science and Technology, Data Science and Big Data Technology, Water Quality Science and Technology, Journalism, and Translations. With 14 first-class courses, 7 excellent courses, and 10 MOOCs, the college is committed to providing quality education. It is also equipped with 2 experimental teaching demonstration centers, 93 laboratories, 157 off-campus training bases, 73 off-campus internship bases, 1 labor education base, and 7 school-enterprise cooperation bases. Recognized as an "Advanced Collective for Teaching Quality and Reform Engineering Construction in the Autonomous Region," the college has made significant strides in its educational offerings.
Enrolling students nationwide, the college currently boasts a total of 9,915 full-time students, including 9,191 undergraduates and 724 junior college students. Among the undergraduates, 43.56% are pursuing normal education. Notable alumni include Long Mei, one of the "Heroic Sisters of the Grassland"; Narantuya, a deputy of the thirteenth National People's Congress and dedicated grassroots teacher; and Altan-uul, the composer of the renowned piece "Beautiful Grassland, My Home." Over the past five years, the college has collaborated with Inner Mongolia Normal University and other esteemed institutions to nurture more than 130 postgraduate students, garnering valuable experience in postgraduate education.
Faculty
With a total of 690 staff members, the college boasts a highly qualified faculty, with 25.15% holding a Ph.D. degree and 85.30% possessing a master's degree or higher among full-time teachers. Additionally, 40.04% of full-time teachers have attained the title of associate professor or above. The college has received numerous prestigious honors, including the National Huang Danian-style Teaching Team, three Grassland Elite Innovation Talent Teams, eight elite-teaching teams at the autonomous region level, and one innovation cultivation team at the autonomous region level. Notable accolades include one chair professor of the “Chang Jiang Scholar Award Program” by the Ministry of Education of the PRC, two experts entitled to the special government allowance of the State Council of the PRC, one doctoral supervisor, 45 master supervisors, five outstanding contribution experts at the autonomous region level, and more. Moreover, the college has esteemed members serving on national committees and expert teams, further enhancing its academic prowess. In the past five years, teachers have received 36 provincial and ministerial awards, demonstrating their dedication to excellence in education and research.
Scientific Research
The college hosts a “Trusted Big Data and Artificial Intelligence” Academician Expert Workstation, along with seven National Department Research Platforms. These platforms include various key research bases and centers accredited by national and regional authorities, focusing on areas such as ethnic education, language research, and humanities and social sciences. Over the past five years, the college has undertaken 581 newly approved research projects, with a research fund totaling 150 million yuan. These efforts have resulted in numerous publications, patents, and awards, consolidating the college's position as a leader in academic research.
Social Services
The college has closely aligned itself with the five major tasks outlined for Inner Mongolia by President Xi Jinping. It has continuously optimized the structure of disciplines and majors, promoting the implementation of these tasks in areas such as environmental protection, rural revitalization, and digital ecology. Efforts have been dedicated to ecological and environmental conservation, including soil environment monitoring in Boshodai Sum in Xilin Gol League and Xine-us Village in Huade County, Ulanqab City. Over 300 mu (20 hectares) of sand willows have been planted to enhance the local ecological environment.
The college has strengthened cooperation between industry, university, and research sectors by collaborating with institutions such as China Agricultural University, Inner Mongolia Academy of Agricultural Sciences, and agricultural enterprises. This collaboration has led to significant achievements in the development of wild vegetables in sandy areas and the utilization of agricultural and livestock waste resources. A rural revitalization service team has been established to provide rational plant cultivation schemes, soil environmental improvement and recovery strategies, and implement innovative garbage disposal methods in model villages in Hure Banner, Tongliao City.
In partnership with Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd., the college has established the only "Huawei Cloud Academy Kunpeng Center" in the autonomous region. This center provides talent support with independent and controllable technology applications for the sustainable development of the electronic information industry and the digital economy in the region.
Furthermore, the college actively promotes the high-quality promotion and popularization of standard spoken and written Chinese in the People’s Republic of China. It has organized three groups of teachers and students to provide educational support to schools in Xing'an League, earning an "excellent" rating in the evaluation of standard spoken and written Chinese in the autonomous region.
Over the past five years, the college has initiated 55 non-governmental research projects (sponsored research projects) with a total funding amount of 34.421 million yuan. It has successfully completed various commissioned projects from the National Ethnic Affairs Commission and major scientific and technological projects within the autonomous region. The consulting reports generated have been adopted by the National Ethnic Affairs Commission, the Party Committee and Government of the autonomous region, as well as grassroots governments. Moreover, the college has conducted research and contributed to the formulation of national standards, such as the "Traditional Mongolian Language Ordering for Information Processing."
Campus Culture
The college upholds the principles of Integrity, Intellectualism, Dedication, and Inheritability, as embodied in its school motto. It has implemented an innovative approach to ideological and political work, promoting unity and progress through the "three connections, five participations, and ten integrations" framework, as well as the "23456" national unity and progress innovation project. The goal is to ensure that every teacher and student becomes a catalyst for forging a strong sense of community for the Chinese nation.
Over the past three years, the college has been recognized and awarded at the national, autonomous region, Hohhot city, and Xincheng district levels for its efforts in promoting ethnic unity. Patriotic education is given priority, with a strong emphasis on the core values of socialism. Various themed activities are organized to cultivate a distinctive and lively campus culture. The college takes pride in its exemplary projects such as campus football and the campus Naadam Fair, which showcase the vibrant campus culture of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. The men's football team has achieved remarkable success, winning the regional championship seven times and consistently ranking third in the campus group of the National Youth Campus Football League for two terms.
Moreover, the campus Ulan Muqir performances have had a profound impact at the grassroots level, effectively conveying the message of the Party. The college has received prestigious titles including “Excellent Unit for College Students Volunteer Summer Social Practice,” “Advanced Unit for Autonomous Region Conscription Work,” “Advanced Unit for Autonomous Region Student Financial Assistance Work,” “First Batch of Safe Campus in the Autonomous Region,” and “Advanced Collective for School Safety Management in the Entire Region.” Its Communist Youth League Committee has also been awarded the esteemed “National May Fourth Red Flag Committee,” while the Huang Danian-style Teacher Team Party Branch has been recognized as the “National Worker Vanguard.”
Cooperation and Exchange
The college actively supports the Belt and Road initiative and has forged fruitful collaborations with universities in countries along the Belt and Road, including Mongolia, Belarus, and the Philippines. To deepen collaboration, the school has established two regional research centers: the “Research Center for Mongolia” under the Ministry of Education and the “Han-Translation Studies Center” along the Belt and Road under the State Ethnic Affairs Commission. In efforts to promote cultural exchanges, the school organizes academic conferences on topics such as “Folk Culture and Cultural Exchange with Countries along the Belt and Road.” Additionally, the school has formed partnerships with Minzu University of China and Northeast Normal University, while also engaging in cooperative education and exchanges with Nanjing Tech University and relevant universities in the region.
To nurture applied talent, the college emphasizes the integration of industry, education, and research. In collaboration with seven reputable domestic enterprises, it has established cutting-edge undergraduate majors, including big data, cloud computing, intelligent science, and the digital economy. Furthermore, the college actively expands its educational resources and fosters comprehensive cooperation through strategic partnership agreements with local governments such as the Xincheng District of Hohhot, Sonid Left Banner, Urad Rear Banner, and New Barag Right Banner.
Currently, the entire faculty, students, and staff of the school are deeply engaged in studying and implementing the spirit of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China and the ideology of socialism with Chinese characteristics for a new era. They also prioritize the important thoughts of President Xi Jinping regarding strengthening and improving ethnic work, education, and culture. The goal is to foster a strong sense of community among the Chinese nation. The college is committed to building a distinctive regional high-level applied ethnic institution and promoting high-quality development in all aspects. It aims to provide crucial talents and intellectual support for the successful completion of the "two major tasks" in the autonomous region and contribute to the advancement of education towards becoming a leading country.
