As Chinese President Xi Jinping visits New Delhi for the 18th BRICS Summit, here’s a look at his academic journey, from studying basic organic synthesis at Tsinghua University to earning a Doctor of Law degree.

Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in New Delhi on September 12, 2026, to attend the 18th BRICS Summit at the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. It is his first visit to India in seven years. Xi also met Modi on the sidelines of the summit to discuss India-China ties.

Xi Jinping studied at Tsinghua University, one of China’s leading universities. His higher education journey began after his years as an “educated youth” in Liangjiahe village in Shaanxi.

From 1975 to 1979, Xi studied basic organic synthesis at the Department of Chemical Engineering at Tsinghua University. This is the most precise description of his undergraduate academic background.

Before returning to university, Xi spent several years in Liangjiahe village in Shaanxi. From 1969 to 1975, he lived and worked there as an “educated youth” and later became the village Party branch secretary.

Years later, Xi returned to Tsinghua University for postgraduate studies. Between 1998 and 2002, he undertook an in-service graduate programme in Marxist theory and ideological and political education at the university’s School of Humanities and Social Sciences.

Xi was awarded a Doctor of Law degree after completing the in-service postgraduate programme at Tsinghua University. His official biography records the programme as running from 1998 to 2002.

Xi’s academic background includes studies in basic organic synthesis and law. After completing his undergraduate studies at Tsinghua in 1979, he began his professional career as a secretary in the General Office of China’s Central Military Commission before rising through the Communist Party’s political ranks.