Northwestern Normal University  is a comprehensive university in Lanzhou, Gansu Province of the People's Republic of China. The university is authorized by the State Council of the Central Government of the People's Republic of China to grant associate degrees, bachelor's degrees, master's degrees, and doctoral degrees in more than 80 subject areas. 

The University has conducted international exchange and cooperation extensively, established cooperative relationships with more than 120 universities, set up research institutes and international organizations in more than 40 countries and China Taiwan province as well as Hong Kong Administrative Region, held more than 50 large-scale international academic conferences and educated more than 1,100 overseas students. Up to now, NWNU has established 2 Confucius Institutes with the University of Khartoum of Sudan and the Free International University of Moldova. 

WNU also boasts a strong scientific research capability. In recent years, the SCIE-included research papers relevant to the basic theory of natural sciences continuously ranked within the top 10 among the national normal universities. The social sciences of the University boast several distinctive and superior disciplines such as Western History and Geography, Ethnic Education, Curriculum and Teaching Theories, Ancient Books Systematization and Dunhuang Studies. The University has also won 440 awards at the provincial level, ministerial level and above: 1 national award of "the Five one Program", 2 national third-prize awards and 73 provincial awards for scientific and technological progress,6 awards conferred by the Ministry of Education for advanced achievements in humanities and social sciences research, 5 national awards for excellence in educational science research ( among which 3 are second-prize awards and 1 lifetime achievement award), 329 provincial awards for advanced achievements in social sciences research and 28 provincial Awards of Dunhuang Literature and Art, just to name a few. 

At present, under the urgent demand of the economic and social development of Gansu Province and the western area as a whole, NWNU is working hard to establish itself as a first-class university targeting at training first-class teachers in western areas, and as a high-level university across China with distinctive academic features and cutting-edge disciplines.