The construction of the Taiyuan College of Energy and Materials, operated by the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, started in Taiyuan, capital of North China's Shanxi province, in mid-August.

Early in November 2019, the University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the Taiyuan municipal government, the Institute of Coal Chemistry at CAS and North University of China signed an agreement to jointly build the new college.

When completed, it will be the premier first-class college in Shanxi. It will be a facility with international influence, featuring multi-discipline scientific research and education related to the clean, efficient transformation and utilization of coal, new functional carbon materials and metals -- based on the major strategic needs of Taiyuan.

The college construction site is located on the east side of North University of China in Taiyuan's Jiancaoping district. 

With an investment of 1.41 billion yuan ($208.29 million), the first phase of the college covers a construction are of 113,580 square meters and includes a gymnasium, expert apartments, conference halls, logistics and ancillary buildings, science research and teaching buildings, laboratories and student dormitories. 

The second phase of the college will consist of four areas, namely a teaching area, a scientific research area, an innovation service area and a support area for science and education. 

The first phase of the project is expected to take three years and be completed in 2022, while the second phase will be started in 2023 and be finished in 2025. 

The college will be committed to training scientists, engineers and entrepreneurs, meeting the urgent needs for socioeconomic development. 

Plans are for it to become a world-class, innovative talent training center with distinctive disciplines and an administration, with outstanding teaching and scientific research achievements by 2030 when it aims to have 3,000 students and 600 teachers.

Once built, the college will provide top academic and technological support for the development of higher education, the innovative construction and socioeconomic improvement of Taiyuan, as well as the rapid economic growth of Shanxi province.