XJTU's School of Materials Science and Engineering is established in 1994.

Clarivate has released the latest data from the Essential Science Indicators (ESI). For the first time, Xi'an Jiaotong University's (XJTU) materials science discipline has entered the global top 0.01 percent.

Following engineering, this is the university's second discipline to enter the global top 0.01 percent. The milestone marks a major leap, with its research quality and academic influence now reaching the global top tier.

Currently, XJTU's materials science discipline focuses on material deformation, phase transformation, strengthening and toughening, customized preparation of materials under extreme conditions, information functional materials, energy conversion and storage materials, and biomedical materials. It has built a full-chain research system spanning basic theory, new-material preparation, functional regulation, and engineering applications.

Over the past decade, while strengthening traditional metallic structural materials, the discipline has expanded into cutting-edge interdisciplinary fields such as new energy, electrocatalysis, flexible electronics, and carbon-neutral catalysis.

Covering advanced basic materials, critical strategic materials, and cutting-edge new materials, the discipline has published over 30 papers in Nature and Science. Various schools across the university have formed an interdisciplinary materials ecosystem featuring precise alignment and complementary strengths.

Its two signature research directions — first, metallic structural materials and advanced manufacturing; and second, information functional materials and energy conversion/storage materials — help achieve independent and controllable core systems and critical devices, serve the construction of the national independent innovation system for new materials, and support the development of platforms for digital R&D, production application, and resource sharing.

Looking ahead, XJTU will advance high-performance metallic structural materials and green, low-carbon manufacturing technologies to support the upgrading, efficiency enhancement, and green transformation of traditional industries.

Focusing on the independent security of major equipment and information communications, it will develop aerospace materials for extreme service conditions, special marine engineering materials, and materials for integrated circuits and 6G communications, supporting the upgrading of advanced manufacturing and independent control in key fields.

Moreover, it aims to seize the high ground in disruptive technologies by developing quantum functional and quantum device materials, embodied AI materials, key materials for high-end medical devices, and bioelectronic materials for brain-computer interfaces, driving breakthroughs in quantum technology and life and health.