College of Innovation and Experiment (CIE) of Northwest A& F University was established in July, 2008. It is one of the important bases of NWAFU for fostering top-notch talents, and a new-type college committed to the prominence-oriented cultivation of undergraduate students. It is now in full operation accommodating 709 students. The college motto is “ Sincerity, Simplicity, Bravery, Perseverance, and Prominence in Knowledge and Action”.

Taking moral education as its basic task, CIE concentrates on laying solid foundation for the development of elite students via the cultivation mode of integrating discipline-dominant general education with individualized professional education. Supported by the university’s preponderant disciplines and practical platform for education and research, CIE centers on the quality of talent cultivation, focuses on educational and teaching reform, and aims to develop well-rounded talents with solid foundation, international perspective, as well as strong capacity for practice and scientific research innovation. As a pioneer in the teaching reform of Northwest A&F University, the college's exploration and practice in the cultivation of top-notch innovative talents has been widely recognized and praised by fellow universities at home and abroad.

The current enrollment categories mainly covers one “Top-Notch” discipline and four “Elite” disciplines --- Biological Sciences (Base Class of Life Science and Technology), Environment Sciences and Engineering (Elite Class), Hydraulic Engineering (Elite Class), Mechanical Engineering (Elite Class), and Business Administration (Elite Class). To provide the broad development space for the elite students’ growth of personality and improvement of capacity, the college gathers high-level teachers university-wide, and implements diversified and personalized training strategy --- “2+X” training model, personalized course selection, undergraduate tutors system, thorough scientific research training, small-class teaching, internationalized teaching and college system management.

“2+X” Training Scheme.
During the first two academic years, our students will receive general education according to the discipline classification. From the third year, they will learn the subject’s core modules and develop professional competences under the guidance of their supervisors.

Bachelor-Master Cultivation Mode
The Bachelor-Master cultivation program is offered for the Base Class and the Elite Class students, adopting the selection-oriented assessment system in the ways of major-based sorting, academic-performance-based selection and qualification-oriented selection.

Major-Based sorting is carried out in the first and the second academic years for each year grade students. According to the major categories under their admitted disciplines, the students choose undergraduate majors which then to be finalized with reference to the number of vacancy available, students’ personal intention, and their comprehensive academic performance results.

Academic-Performance-Based selection is respectively carried on at the end of both the first and the second academic year, consisting of two kinds of evaluation of the students --- the comprehensive quality and academic study. Students who meet the requirements of the assessment will continue to study in the base class or the elite class, while those who fail will transfer to the reception colleges.

Qualification-Oriented selection is carried out at the end of the third academic year. The classification o is based on the student’s comprehensive assessment results. Students with higher scores will be accepted for Bachelor-Master cultivation program and offered scholarship for Outstanding Talents in Agriculture and Forestry, enjoying the priority of graduate study from the forth undergraduate academic year.

Achievements in Top-notch Talents Cultivation Model Exploration

The cumulative pass rate of CET-4 of Year 2018 graduates is 97.1%, and 75.6% for CET-6.
The cumulative pass rate of CET-4 of Year 2019 graduates is 95.8%, and 70.5% for CET-6.
The cumulative pass rate of CET-4 of Year 2020 graduates is 98%, and 66% for CET-6.

Among the 43 outstanding provincial doctoral these of NWAFU from 2018 to 2020, 11 are composed by CIEers (Bachelor-Master-Doctor Students), accounting for 25.6% of the total.
Among the 49 NWAFU outstanding doctoral dissertations from 2017 to 2019, 15 are composed by CIEers (Bachelor-Master-Doctor Students), accounting for 30.6% of the total.
6 of CIE Bachelor-Master-Doctor students have been employed by our university as full-time teachers, and 4 of them have won the title of associate professor or associate researcher.

Zhang Kai, a Year 2008 CIE student, was admitted by the NWAFU College of Plant Protection for doctoral study after graduating from CIE as an undergraduate student. During this period, he went to Cornell University for Chinese-government-sponsored co-training program and obtained his doctorate in agronomy in June 2016 at NWAFU. In the same year, he was engaged by the Ministry of Agriculture of China for science and technology management.

Gao Yuanpeng, a Year 2009 CIE student, was admitted by College of Veterinary Medicine for doctoral study in September of 2013 after graduating from CIE as an undergraduate student. He obtained his doctorate in agronomy in June 2017. He was awarded the Boehringer Ingelheim Scholarship of College of Veterinary Medicine, First Prize of Academic Forum for Doctoral Students of College of Veterinary Medicine in 2017, and winner of Excellent Doctoral Thesis of Year 2017 Student, and started his teaching at NWAFU in the same year.  

Zhu Wenxin, a Year 2010 CIE student, studied for a doctorate in the College of Food Science and Engineering of NWAFU. He has won the First Prize of Innovation Achievement for Graduates of Shaanxi Province for three consecutive years, and published more than 10 SCI papers on the design of efficient electrocatalysts and the construction of electrolysis systems. He is the winner of  Excellent Achievement Exhibition Award of the 16th International Conference on Electroanalytical Chemistry in 2017. He then joined College of Food Science and Engineering as a teacher in 2020 and won the title Associate Professor.

Since the establishment, CIE has won 9 prizes of all different levels in teaching achievements, including 1 national prize, 5 provincial prizes and 3 university prizes. There have been 46 teaching reform and research programs and 4 Party construction projects successfully fulfilled by CIE.