Department of Geological Engineering

The Department of Geological Engineering was founded in 1978, formerly known as the Department of Hydrogeology and Engineering Geology of Xi'an University of Geosciences. Professor Liu Guochang, an internationally well-known engineering geologist, was the founder of the department. Today it has 49 teaching staffs, including one academician of Chinese Academy of Sciences, one distinguished professor of Yangtze River Scholars, 12 professors and 16 associate professors, 47 lecturers with doctor degree, 11 doctoral supervisors and 41 master tutors. The Department of Geological Engineering has a first-level discipline for doctoral program in "Geological Resources and Geological Engineering", 4 second-level disciplines for doctoral and master programs in "Geological Engineering", "Geotechnical Engineering", "Geological Disaster Science and Engineering", and "Disaster Prevention and Mitigation and Protection Engineering". It also has a post-doctoral research station "Geological Resources and Geological Engineering" . As a key discipline in China, Geological Engineering in the department provides two undergraduate majors (Geological Engineering & Excellent Engineer of Geological Engineering) and three academic orientations (Engineering Geology, Geotechnical Engineering & Excellent Engineer). Among them, the major of geological engineering is granted as a national characteristic major, a national first-level specialty construction point, and a major among "comprehensive reform pilot program" of colleges and universities in Shaanxi Province. It has successfully passed the education professional accreditation in 2016 and 2019. The experimental platforms supported by the discipline include "Key Laboratory of Western Mineral Resources & Geological Engineering for the Ministry of Education", "Open Research Laboratory of Geotechnical Engineering for the Ministry of Natural Resources", "Field Scientific Observation and Research Base of Loess Plateau Area’s Water Cycle & Geological Environment for the Ministry of Education", "Field Scientific Observation and Research Base of Ground Fissure & Ground Subsidence in Xi'an for the Ministry of Land and Resources ".Meanwhile, the department has undertaken one National Key Basic Research Program, known as the 973 Plan, and a series of NSFC projects (National Natural Science Foundation of China) as well, which includes one major project, three key projects, two international cooperation projects, one outstanding youth fund project, and more than 40 general and youth fund projects; it also assisted more than 100 other scientific research and production projects, with altogether an average fund exceeding 20 million yuan per year. What’s more, the department has been awarded the second prize of National Natural Science Award, the second prize of National Science and Technology Progress, the second prize of National Teaching Achievement, and more than 20 first & second prizes for ministerial/ provincial technological achievements. About 1100 scientific papers and 20 professional books have been published at home and abroad. Over a long time, the Department of Geological Engineering adheres to the principle of combining production, learning and research together. Consequently, it has gained outstanding strength in the following aspects: engineering geology of regional stability and crustal stability; ground fissure induced subsidence and its reduction technology; engineering geology and geological disaster prevention in loess area and landslide disaster formation mechanism with its risk control in complex mountainous areas of Northwest China. So far, Department of Geological Engineering has an alumnus of more than 4000 doctors, masters and bachelors, working in related professional fields across the nation.