Introduction to the School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanchang University

The School of Chemistry and Chemical EngineeringNanchang University originated from the Department of Chemistry of Jiangxi University in 1958. It is one of the earliest science and engineering schools of the university.

At present, the school consists of five sub-school teaching units (Department of Chemistry, Department of Applied Chemistry, Department of Chemical Engineering, Basic Chemistry Experiment Center, and Comprehensive Experiment Center); six key laboratories of Jiangxi Province (Jiangxi Provincial Key Laboratory of New Energy Chemistry, Jiangxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Environment and Energy Catalysis, Jiangxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Homology of Medicine and Food for High-Value Utilization of Plant Resources, Jiangxi Provincial Laboratory of Polymer Energy Materials Engineering, Jiangxi Provincial Rare Earth Precursors Engineering Research Center, and Jiangxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Molecular Ferroelectrochemistry); and five university-level independent research organizations (Ordered Matter Science Research Center, Institute of Polymers and Energy Chemistry, Institute of Rare Earths, Institute of Applied Chemistry, and Research Center for Rare Earth & Micro-Nano Functional Materials).

The school currently has four provincial first-class undergraduate programs: Chemistry, Applied Chemistry, Chemical Engineering & Technology, and Pharmaceutical Engineering. The latter three have been selected into the national first-class undergraduate construction programs; and the first one has been listed in the first batch of five-star programs of Jiangxi Province. The school has two doctoral degree programs of first-class disciplines and two postdoctoral research stations in Chemistry and Chemical Engineering & Technology; two professional master degree programs of Material & Chemical Engineering and Biology & Medicine.

The school is a member unit of Chinese Chemical Society and the chairman unit of Jiangxi Provincial Chemical Society and Chemical Engineering. The chemistry discipline is among the first batch of leading disciplines of Jiangxi University Discipline Alliance. Chemical Engineering & Technology is a high-level key discipline in Jiangxi and has been selected into the Jiangxi High-Level University Construction Plan.

The school has 131 full-time teachers, including 66 professors and 45 associate professors. 86% of them have doctoral degree. Currently, two teachers have won National Science Foundation for Distinguished Young Scholars; two are members of National Science Foundation for Excellent Young Scholars; two National Hundred, Thousand and Ten Thousand Talents; five National Great Talent Youth Project of the Education Ministry; one National High-level Talent Supporting Plan; two National High-level Youth Talent Supporting Plan; one National Young and Middle-age Technological Innovation Leading Talents; three Baogang Excellent Teachers; three Young Elite Scientists Sponsorship Program by China Association for Science and Technology; and three New Century Outstanding Talent Support Project of Education Ministry. Two teachers enjoy State Council Special Allowance. One teacher is selected as a member of Advisory Committee for Undergraduate Education of Education Ministry. In recent years, nearly 80 teachers have won titles or awards such as Academic Leaders of Major Subjects in Jiangxi Province, May 4th Youth Medal of Jiangxi Province, Jinggang Scholars and Double Thousand Talents.

The school has obtained abundant scientific research achievements. As to the number of NSFC projects and high-level scientific papers, the school has always been among the best in the ranking of Nanchang University. Over past 5 years, the school has taken more than 100 projects from NSFC including one major project (the first one in Jiangxi Province), three key projects, and three cultivation projects for major research programs, and two National Key Research and Development Project of China. 800 papers have been published in prestigious journals, such as Science, PNAS, JACS, Angew, and AM, by faculty members as the first corresponding author. Several research achievements are rated as “Top Ten Scientific and Technological Progress in Chinese Universities”. Moreover, the school has won 25 provincial and ministerial level awards and prizes. The data released by the United States Essential Science Indicators Database (ESI) indicates that the ESI ranking of the chemistry discipline of Nanchang University has been increased from top 5.2‰ in 2017 to 1.71‰ in 2023, ranking 305th among the top 500 disciplines in the world. Its 2023 Global Chemistry Subject Natural Index ranks 95th (50th in China).

The school has achieved remarkable results in talent cultivation. Adhering to the direction of moral education and the concept of “first-level position, international view, great teachers, and social contribution”, the school strives to build itself into a teaching and scientific research training base with first-class basic education and teaching standards, first-class research and innovation. Our goal is to cultivate high-quality innovative talents who have both ability and political integrity. For undergraduate education, the school has a group of teachers with abundant experience and excellent teaching ability.

Over past several years, the school has won more than 10 national and provincial Excellent Course Awards, one first prize and two second prize of Provincial Teaching Achievement Award, more than 30 provincial education reform projects, one excellent prize of National Multimedia Course Competition and one Provincial Gold Teacher. Since 2014, the school has won first prizes in undergraduate teaching status assessment and comprehensive evaluation of undergraduate programs of Nanchang University consecutively. The school has cultivated a large group of outstanding alumni. For example, Professor Qiu Dingfan and Xie Mingyong were elected as the academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering; Professor Zeng Anping, academician of the Germany Academy of Engineering; Professor Hu Yunxing, member the Canadian Academy of Engineering. Four alumni won National Prize for Natural Sciences. Five won National Prize for Science and Technology Progress. Nine won National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars. Two were appointed as distinguished professors of National Key Talents Program of the Ministry of Education; and one was selected as young scholar of National Key Talents Program of the Ministry of Education. The school has cultivated more than 10,000 professionals in chemistry and chemical engineering.

The school is a Party Building Benchmark Unit of Nanchang University. In February 2022, it was selected as the third batch of National Benchmark Party Building Institutions. One national model branch for party building work and one Branch Secretary's Office of the Ministry of Education are under construction. There is a “1+8+N” class tutor party building education base.

The school has 1818 students, including 767 graduate students and 1048 undergraduate students. The school strongly promotes party building work, such as the “1+8+N” class supervisor system, the new model of "Life of Mobile Party Organizations Led by Great Teachers" and the "Party Building + Smart Chemistry" undergraduate scientific research training plan. In the past three years, the initial employment rate of graduates has remained at about 90%, and the admission rate for postgraduate entrance examinations has remained at about 40%. Students have won more than 100 national and provincial prizes.

In terms of serving social development, the school actively promotes school-enterprise cooperation, cooperates with well-known companies in education, and works with corporate R&D teams to develop key technologies and products. More than 20 research results have been commercialized by 10 groups, which has pushed forward the development of related industry, and brought very good society and economic benefit.

The school has launched many scholarship (grants) projects such as Tengding Scholarship, Shengyi Scholarship, Sanxin Scholarship, Guangyuan Chemical Scholarship, and Chemical Alumni Scholarship. The total fund is nearly 1 million yuan. Benefiting all departments, majors, and students at all levels in the school, the School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering has become one of the schools with the most alumni-funded scholarships.

The school actively promotes international education, and has held three times Summer School, for which many famous scholars from different countries were invited to give lessons. The school collaborates with National University of Singapore and other international universities to educate students, and invites domestic and abroad scholars to give lectures at Zhihui Chemistry Forum with an aim to cultivate high-quality talents with international perspectives.

At present, Nanchang University has embarked on a new journey of excellence. The school of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering is also striving to build first-class disciplines and a first-class high-level institution.