Established in 1929, Chongqing University has evolved from its nascent aspiration to become a "well-equipped and influential university" to its current stature as a multidisciplinary powerhouse. The University now has a comprehensive array of academic disciplines, ranging from liberal arts and sciences to engineering, business, law, and medical sciences.
Throughout its history, Chongqing University has achieved several pivotal milestones. It transitioned into a multidisciplinary institution with an engineering core in 1952, earned the prestigious status of a national key university in 1960, and was selected for pivotal development under China's "Project 211" in 1998. The strategic amalgamation with Chongqing Jianzhu University and Chongqing Architecture Junior College in 2000 further broadened its academic horizons. The institution's prestige was further elevated with its inclusion in the "Project 985" in 2001 and its recognition as a "Class-A University" within the National World-First-Rate University Construction Program in 2017. In 2022, it was distinguished as a “World Class University," heralding a new epoch in its ambition to be a globally renowned institution with distinctive Chinese characteristics.
Education and Degree Programmes
Chongqing University's academic enterprise encompasses 11 categories and is organised into 7 faculties, 35 schools, and 7 affiliated hospitals. The university employs a staff of over 5,300 and educates a diverse student population exceeding 50,000, including more than 24,000 postgraduates and 26,000 undergraduates. The campuses span over 5,300 mu (approximately 883 acres) and include Campus A, Campus B, Campus C, Huxi Campus, and Liangjiang Campus.
With 61 majors and 68 courses recognised as top-tier in China, the university has been endowed with autonomy to confer degrees. It offers 38 doctoral programmes, 8 doctoral professional degree programmes, 51 Master’s degree programmes, and 25 professional degree programmes, enrolling over 1,150 doctoral students annually.
Chongqing University has been acknowledged for its commitment to deepen innovation and entrepreneurship education reform, serve as a model base for national mass entrepreneurship and innovation, and host the 8th China International Internet+ College Student Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition.
Disciplinary Construction
The university places a strategic emphasis on enhancing its disciplines and cultivating a premier academic ecosystem. It has established a public service platform for top-tier disciplines and is implementing key construction programmes in 6 categories, including advanced manufacturing, smart energy, and new urbanisation. Additionally, the university is advancing medicine and accelerating the development of fundamental disciplines through targeted action plans. It has earned recognition for its "world-class" disciplines and its engineering has entered the top 0.01% in the ESI (May, 2024 Essential Science Indicator), with materials science and chemistry in the top 0.1%; 16 disciplines in the top 1%; and 9 featured in the Top 50 by Academic Ranking of World Universities.
Faculty and Staff
In building its talent team, Chongqing University has instituted a "3+7" personnel and talent system, creating an environment conductive to attracting and retaining top-tier talents. The university has over 3,200 full-time teachers, including more than 300 national-level talents, 9 academicians, over 1,900 doctoral supervisors, and 2,200 full and associate professors.
Scientific Research
The university’s scientific research endeavours are fortified by the "1+5" new research innovation system, which has catalyzed an upsurge in high-quality achievements. Since the "13th 5-Year Plan" period, 38 new national and ministerial-level scientific research platforms have been established, 3,260 national-level scientific projects have been approved (including 65 major projects with a lead grant of over ? 10 million each), 112 first prizes of national and ministerial-level science and technology awards have been won, and there have been historic breakthroughs in the National Science and the Nation’s Technology Progress Award, major projects of the National Natural Science Foundation, and publications in the journals Nature and Science. The total research funding has repeatedly reached new heights (?3.29 billion in 2023). Chongqing University has been integrated with the Western China(Chongqing) Science City, established interdisciplinary research platforms, and witnessed significant growth in research funding and output.
In humanities and social sciences, the university has achieved notable achievements, securing the prestigious Lu Xun Literature Prize and establishing high-level think tanks to inform policy-making. It has also nurtured and sponsored academic journals, with 9 journals selected into authoritative core databases.
Global Engagement
International cooperation is a pivotal aspect of Chongqing University’s mission, with active engagement in the Belt and Road Initiative and cooperative relationship with over 300 institutions in 40 countries and regions. The university has nearly 20 international research platforms and has founded Confucius Institutes abroad to promote Chinese culture.
Social Service
Public service stands as a foundational element of Chongqing University's mandate. The lunar micro-ecosystem, which we took the lead in developing, has grown the first green leaf on the moon, completing the first-ever biological growth and cultivation experiment on the lunar surface by humans. The university has been fully integrated into the innovative development of the regional economy and society. In collaboration with the Chongqing Municipal Government, initiatives have been launched to establish the Chongqing Laboratory and to co-found the Joint Graduate School for the Ecological Environment of the Yangtze River. Ongoing collaborative efforts with over thirty districts and counties within Chongqing are aimed at co-constructing an innovation ecosystem encircling Chongqing University. This includes the establishment of an International Joint Research Institute, the Bishan Advanced Technology Research Institute, a test and verification platform for microwave vertical energy transfer via balloon platforms, and the Chongqing Research Institute for New Energy Storage Materials and Equipment. Furthermore, the university has spearheaded the formation of the "Chengdu-Chongqing Economic Circle University Alliance," which is dedicated to forging a collaborative entity for scientific and educational innovation between the Chengdu and Chongqing regions. This alliance is intended to enhance academic and research synergies, thereby contributing to the regional advancement in science and education. With initiatives such as the university board of directors and the Chongqing University Science Park, the university also contributes rural revitalisation and provides high-quality medical services through its affiliated hospitals.
As it looks to the future, Chongqing University remains steadfast in its commitment to the principles of socialism with Chinese characteristics, implementation of innovative development strategies, and contributions to the nation's modernisation and the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.
