National Southwestern Associated University
A native of Pingshan County, Hebei Province, Chiao was the first one in his family to receive a formal education. He began his studies in the Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, hoping to promote science in China. In July 1941, he completed his bachelor's degree at the National Southwestern Associated University (NSAU), which consisted of Tsinghua, Nankai, and Beijing universities, and relocated to Kunming during the Sino-Japanese War (1937–1945).