The philosophy and physics curriculums at Shanxi University and the chemical engineering and technology curriculum at Taiyuan University of Technology, both based in North China's Shanxi province, were recently included on the national list of double first-class disciplines issued by the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Finance and the National Development and Reform Commission.

The term double first-class refers to first-class universities and disciplines that are world-class. The initiative to recognize them is a national strategy which is seen as enhancing the comprehensive strength and international competitiveness of China's higher education.

The philosophy discipline at Shanxi University has a long and rich historical and academic background. Since the 1980s, the discipline's development has been at the forefront of Shanxi province and even the whole country.

The development of the physics curriculum at Shanxi University adheres to the frontiers of world physics research and meets major national and local needs.

To that end, the university has built a national key laboratory and formed a research and teaching team of some 30 academicians and outstanding young scholars. It has developed new technologies such as high-quality laser light sources and quantum light sources, laser display and sensing, with related tech achievements widely applied to various fields. 

Taiyuan University of Technology's chemical engineering and technology discipline was established in 1954. The course features the development of green, clean and efficient coal and its commercial utilization.

Currently, the university has several related scientific research innovation platforms at the national and provincial levels.