School of Life Sciences at Nanchang University, which derived from the Department of Biology of the National Chung Cheng University founded in 1940, is one of the earliest biology departments established in China. Currently, the School consists of several teaching and research units, including the Department of Biological Sciences, Department of Biotechnology, Department of Ecology, Department of Aquatic Sciences, Human Aging Research Institute, Institute of Life Sciences, Institute of Bioengineering, Institute of Applied Biology, National Demonstration Center for Experimental Biology Education, Biological Specimen Museum, Xiansu Biological Garden, and five provincial key laboratories (Laboratory of Genetic Engineering and Molecular Biology,  Laboratory of Plant Resources, Laboratory of Neurobiology, Laboratory of Aquatic Animal Resources and Utilization, and Laboratory of Human Aging). With all these resources, the school offers exceptional opportunities for students to learn and engage in practice. It also serves as an important base for life science research and a center for cultivating talents in the field of biology within the central region of China.

The school boasts a strong faculty team, with a total of 118 staff members, including 35 professors and 33 associate professors. Among them, there is one winner of the National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars, two chief scientists and key project leaders of the Ministry of Science and Technology’s 973 Project, one recipient of the New Century Outstanding Talent Support Program of the Ministry of Education, one selected participant of the National Major Talent Program for Young Talents, and four members (including one deputy director) of National Advisory Committee on Teaching under the Ministry of Education. It also has 5 provincial famous teachers as well as 12 discipline leaders in universities in Jiangxi Province (awarded Provincial Distinguished Youth, Provincial Thousand Talents Program, and Jinggang Scholars).

The school offers four undergraduate programs: Biological Science, Biotechnology, Ecology and Aquaculture, among which Biological Science and Biotechnology have been approved as national first-class undergraduate disciplines, while Ecology and Aquaculture have been approved as provincial first-class undergraduate ones. Besides, Biological Science is a national-level featured program, and Aquaculture is one of the first batch of the Outstanding Agricultural and Forestry Talents Cultivation Program of the Ministry of Education. All four majors ranked first in the second round of provincial comprehensive evaluations of programs, and three of them were selected as provincial-level undergraduate star-rated disciplines (Biological Science and Biotechnology are five-star, and Aquaculture is four-star). There are doctoral programs and postdoctoral mobile research stations in the first-level discipline of Biology, as well as master’s programs in Biology, Ecology (first-level disciplines), and Aquaculture (second-level discipline). According to the subject rankings of Essential Science Indicators (ESI), Biology and Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and Genetics of Nanchang University are in the top 1% globally. At present, the school enrolls 844 undergraduate students, 353 postgraduate students and 98 doctoral students.

The school places a strong emphasis on undergraduate talent cultivation, focusing on the development of basic knowledge and practical skills. It strives to improve educational and teaching standards through high-level scientific research and discipline construction. Furthermore, it implements a tutorial system for undergraduates to guide them in participating in scientific research training and receiving innovation and entrepreneurship education.

In the past five years, the school has undertaken three national key research and development programs, one of the 2030 Major Research Programs launched by the Ministry of Science and Technology, one project supported by the Science Fund for Excellent Young Scholars of the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC), two key programs of NSFC, two cultivation projects supported by the Major Research Plan of the NSFC, and more than 200 other national and local research projects. The School has won three first prizes and nine second prizes in provincial Natural Science and Technological Progress Awards, one second prize in the National Teaching Achievement Awards, one special prize, three first prizes, and three second prizes in provincial-level teaching achievement awards. There is a national model teaching team for ideological and political courses, three provincial-level (high-level undergraduate) teaching teams, and one provincial-level master teacher studio. The School has undertaken one national teaching reform project, 32 provincial-level teaching reform projects, and has been approved to offer three national first-class courses, one national ideological and political course, and 20 provincial-level quality courses. The students of the school have won two gold medals and two silver medals in the China International College Students’ “Internet+” Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition, one special prize and 12 first prizes in the National Undergraduate Life Sciences Contest, and over 100 awards in other competitions at or above the provincial and ministerial levels.

Facing new opportunities for development, the School of Life Sciences at Nanchang University will aim to cultivate interdisciplinary innovative talents in biology with profound humanistic background, extensive basic knowledge, solid professional skills, strong innovation and entrepreneurship awareness, and broad international perspectives. By emancipating the mind, building consensus, and deepening reforms, the school will strive to construct a high-level research-oriented school with distinctive characteristics.

(Data by April 2023)

Contact person: Ms. Yang

Tel: 0086+791-83969325

Email: wyyang@ncu.edu.cn