Shanxi Agricultural University’s Institute of Soil and Water Conservation Science was founded in March 1955 and has a history of more than 60 years. Before March of 2020, it was a department under the Department of Water Resources of Shanxi Province and named Lishan County Soil and Water Conservation Test Station, Shanxi Lishan Comprehensive Soil and Water Conservation Test Station, Shanxi Soil and Water Conservation Experimental Research Center Station, Shanxi Institute of Soil and Water Conservation Science respectively in 1955, 1956, 1959 and 1963. The institute office was in Wangjiagou Village, Chengbei street office, Lishi District, Luliang City, until moved to Haojiagou street, Yingze District, Taiyuan in October 2007. It was incorporated into Shanxi Agricultural University in March 2020, and renamed to be Shanxi Agicultural University’s Institute of Soil and Water Conservation Science.

The main function of the institute includes carrying out scientific research on water and soil conservation in Shanxi province, promoting the application and extension of water and soil conservation technology, and providing social services related to water and soil conservation. Currently, the institute is legally represented by Li Youhua (presided over by the deputy director) and is lead by Li Youhua, Li Jinfeng and Zhang Yong. The institute includes a total of 6 management departments and 7 research centers. Some of these departments include the party and government office, a personnel department, a financial assets department, a scientific research office, a logistics and security department, a water and soil conservation test station, a soil erosion research center, and an ecological technology research center.

The institute has a total of 75 employees, including 1 doctoral graduate, 22 master graduates and 31 undergraduate graduates. There are also 11 senior engineers, 18 associate senior engineers, and 26 engineers. In total, the employees are involved across more than 10 majors. Some of these majors include agriculture, forestry and water conservancy.

The institute has undertaken and completed more than 140 scientific research projects, such as the “Seventh Five Year Plan”, “Eighth Five Year Plan” and “Ninth Five Year Plan” which are national agricultural science and technology research projects. One research project, “China Canada cooperative research projects”, has won 48 national, provincial and ministerial science and technology awards. These include first and second place prizes from the National Science and Technology Progress prize, one major science and technology promotion award, and ten provincial and ministerial scientific and technological progress awards. The institute has also published more than 600 academic papers in academic journals at home and abroad, including more than 130 prize-winning papers.

The institute has made great contributions to the promotion and development of soil and water conservation, both in Shanxi province and for the whole country. In 2002, Shanxi Soil and Water Conservation Ecological Environment Technology Development Laboratory was established and supported through the Provincial Department of Science and Technology of Shanxi Province. In 2013, the Institute of Soil and Water Conservation Science and Loess Plateau Research Institute of Shanxi University jointly established the Graduate Innovation Practice Base for Small Watershed Regulation and Ecological Restoration. In 2019, the Research Fellow Workstation for Warping Dam Research of Shanxi Institute’s Soil and Water Conservation Science was established. More recently in 2021, a field test base for Shanxi Silting Dam Research Fellow Workstation was established at Fengjiagou, Xiangning County.