With over 6 decades’ history, it is a multi-disciplinary college with distinctive features covering economics, management, law study, literature, engineering and art.

[citation needed] The college history began in the year 1946 with the establishment of the School of Administrative Cadres at Shanxi–Chahar–Hebei Border Area and later became China Institute of Labour Movement offering continuing education to trade unions and the society.

After years of explorations and hard work, the college had developed into a nationally influential institute for higher adult education.

[citation needed] Till May 2003, under the influence of China's newly established socialist market economy mechanism, the college was renamed as China Institute of Industrial Relations and upgraded into a regular undergraduate college to meet the new requirements of the developing domestic labor movement for high-level professionals.

Within a long period of time, It has gradually put in place a unique research structure in trade union and labour sciences.