Professor Zhang Jizhi was born on Nov.12, 1927 in Nantong, Jiangsu. He began his university studies in 1947 in the Philosophy Department, Peking University. In 1951 received his Master degree from Tsinghua University and began to work.

Professor Zhang is now a professor and doctoral candidates supervisor with the positions of honorary president of Northwest University and director of Chinese Thoughts and Culture Research Institute of NU. Professor Zhang is also the chairman of Yanhuang Culture Academy and chairman of Shanxi Xianyuan Huangdi Academy.

Professor Zhang has been issuing academic papers and monographs since 1950s, one of his research achievements, the textbook History of Chinese Thoughts gained him the Second Prize for The National Outstanding Teaching Achievements in 1997. Another works of him, The History of Confucian School Idealist Philiophy of the Song and Ming Dynasties won the Second Prize for Outstanding Achievements of 1999 National Social Science Projects and 1st Guomoruo Historiography Honored Award.