An Introduction to Nanjing Forestry University

Nanjing Forestry University (NFU), located in the east of Nanjing, at the foot of Purple Mountain and east of Xuanwu Lake, is a comprehensive university administered directly by Jiangsu  Provincial Department of Education. Its origin can be traced back to 1902, when it was founded as Sanjiang Normal College. Then, it evolved as: Forest Departments of Jinling University(founded in 1888) and Central University (in 1902). During the nationwide restructuring of institutions of higher learning in 1952, the university was called Nanjing Forestry College combined with different forest departments from Wuhan University, Nanchang University and Hubei Agricultural College. NFU was also named Nanjing Technological College of Forest Products in 1972. Again in 1983 NFU resumed its name as Nanjing Technological College of Forest Products. 1985 witnessed the Founding of Nanjing Forestry University.

At present, NFU has 60 Departments in 21 Colleges of Forest Resources and Environment, Wood Science and Technology，Chemical Engineering, Electronic and Mechanical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Economics and Management, Humanities and Social Sciences, Information Science and Technology, Landscape Architecture, Science, Foreign Languages, Art Design, Furniture and Industrial Design, Light Industry Science and Engineering, Automobile and Transportation Engineering, Graduate School, Applied Technology, Continuing Education, International Education,  one Physical Education Department and Nanfang College.

NFU has been authorized to confer master and doctoral degrees in addition to conferring bachelor degrees. NFU offers 53 undergraduate programs; 54 master degree programs, 30 doctorate programs. The discipline of Forestry, as a first-class discipline which can confer the doctoral degree, is also authorized to confer a master degree professional in Agricultural Extension. The discipline of Forestry Engineering, as a first-class discipline which can confer the doctoral degree, is also authorized to confer a master degree in engineering. NFU currently possesses 4 Current Centers for Postdoctoral Researchers with 3 first-class disciplines. There are 6 national key disciplines of Ecology, Forest Genetics and Tree Breeding, Wood Science and Technology, Chemical Processing Engineering of Forest Products, Forest Protection and Forest Engineering together with another 10Ministerial and provincial key disciplines.

The total number of students is approximately 26,000, among whom are 2800 master, doctoral and foreign students. In nearly 50 years, NFU has fostered 80,000 graduates and postgraduates as well as foreign students, most of whom have now become the backbones of the forestry Development of China.

NFU is authorized to examine quality and approve professorships. Now NFU has approximately 1100 teaching and administrative staff including 2 members of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, other 6 members of the Chinese Academy of Engineering invited as university’s concurrent professors, 158 professors and 347 associate professors, 128 supervisors for doctoral students. NFU has the total area of 378 square meters, the total teaching and research equipment of the university reaches to the value of 250 million yuan. The university library has a collection of 1,570,000 volumes and 67,000 periodicals in both Chinese and foreign languages. And the campus broadband network has already covered all the corner of the university.

NFU pays a particular attention to scientific research programs and has attained great achievements. There are 24 R&D research centers, national key open labs, engineering centers, institutes, and divisions approved by the State Forestry Administration and the provincial government, and there are also 36 university-based research institutions and centers. Since 1978, NFU has carried out more than 500 various kinds of scientific research projects each year including “973”, “863” and “948” research programs together with other research projects at the state, ministerial and provincial levels. More than 280 research projects have obtained fruitful results and various prizes have been obtained from the state, the ministerial and the provincial government, among which 4 got the first prize and 36 obtained the second and third prizes of State Science and Technology Advancement; 1 had the first prize, 2 had the second prize together with 1 for the third and 1 for the forth prize of State Invention; 1 got the second prize of State Natural Sciences; and 235obtained prizes at the ministerial and provincial levels. NFU issues academic publications such as: Journal of Nanjing Forestry University (one edition for natural sciences and the other for humanities and social sciences), China Forestry Science and Technology, Interior Design + Construction and Forestry Energy Conservation.

NFU takes an active role in developing academic exchange and has established intercollegiate ties for academic exchange and cooperation with 50 universities and research institutions from 20 countries and areas worldwide. The more and more foreign students are coming to our university to study as language learners, undergraduate, master students and doctoral students. Right now, some special international cooperation programs have been launched such as “2+2” program with University of Alberta; the University of British Columbia, Canada; “3+1” program with Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts, Singapore, and especially Virtual Forestry University of International Network which started on Nov. 2005, this program is jointly launched by University of Toronto, University of British Columbia and Nanjing Forestry University.

Today, depending on rich regional economic advantages and excellent human and natural resources, NFU is further deepening its own educational reform and quickening its development while exploring the effective ways to provide the services for economic construction and social development, endeavoring to build itself into an outstanding university both at home and abroad integrating science, engineering, agriculture, liberal arts, management, economics, philosophy and law, with a special emphasis on ecological environment construction and management, development and utilization of biological resources.