The College of Life Sciences, founded in 1956, is one of the earliest departments of Chongqing Normal University. It is authorized to confer master’s degree in two general disciplines (i.e. Biology and Ecology), and in biology and agriculture education (in orientations of agriculture and planting, resource utilization and plant protection, animal husbandry, and food processing and safety). Biology is a “first-class” discipline established by Chongqing, while ecology is a key discipline established in the 12th Five-year Plan and the 13th Five-year Plan of Chongqing. The college offers 6 full-time academic master programs (namely, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Ecology, Botany, Zoology, Microbiology and Hydrobiology), and a full-time special master program in education (biology and agriculture promotion). In addition, it also offers 3 full-time undergraduate programs – Bioscience (a “first-class” and featured specialty of municipal level), Biotechnology (a featured specialty of municipal level) and Food Quality and Safety (a pilot specialty included in the “Outstanding Agricultural and Forestry Talents” Cultivation Program of the Ministry of Education). Up to now, the college has cultivated nearly 8,000 masters, full-time undergraduates and junior school students.
Through efforts made by generations of faculty members and students in more than half a century, the college has come to a well-conditioned and fully flourishing state. It has 12 teaching & research platforms (including National Primary and Secondary college Students Education Studies Base, Engineering Research Center for Bioactive Substance and Biotechnology under the Ministry of Education, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Animal Biology, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Plants' Environmental Adaptation, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Insect Vectors, Engineering and Technical Research Center for Featured Crop Resources in Chongqing, Bioactive Substance Engineering Research Center of Higher Education Institutions in Chongqing, Key Animal Biology Laboratory of Higher Education Institutions in Chongqing, Chongqing Life Science Experiment Teaching Demonstration Center, Chongqing Academicians Workstation, Chongqing Postdoctoral Research Station, and Chongqing Qicai Biology Mass Innovation Space), 1 university-enterprise collaborative innovation center of food quality and safety fast testing technology, 3 municipal innovation teams (in zoological science, molecular biology regarding plants' environmental adaptation, and featured plant resources & bioactive substance research and development) and 1 teaching team in zoological science. Moreover, it has been approved to provide specially-appointed "Liangjiang Scholar" professorship. It is a standing executive member of the Entomological Society of China and home to the Entomological Society of Chongqing.
Currently, the college has 75 faculty members and 89.33% are graduates from other universities. Among the faculty members, there are 25 professors, 30 associate professors, 54 members holding doctor’s degree and 17 members holding master’s degree. The college has 1 member included in “the New Century Hundred-Thousand-Ten Thousand Talents Program”, 1 included in the “Liangjiang Scholar Program”, 4 included in the “Bayu Scholar Program”, 5 honored as banner-holders of academic researches and technology in Chongqing, 4 receiving special allowances from the State Council, 1 included in the “Hundred Talents Program” of Chongqing, 1 famous teacher of municipal level, 3 candidates for banner-holders of academic researches and technology in Chongqing, 1 outstanding technical professional, 1 candidate proposed to be included in the first outstanding talents support program of Chongqing, and 2 candidates proposed to be included in the first young backbone college teachers sponsoring program of Chongqing. In addition, it also has 6 doctoral supervisors, 39 master supervisors and 29 teachers external teachers (including 29 external part-time master supervisors), as well as specially appointed visiting professors, including academicians Xiang Zhonghuai, Qi Zhengwu and Lin Haoran. Through next to one decade’s construction, the college has built a strong teaching and research team, which is reasonably structured in professional titles, ages and educational backgrounds, has a great potential for development, and provides sound academic conditions for improvement of teaching and scientific research of the college.
Development Goal: Ranking among the top colleges in western China,being significantly influential in the country, and reaching or maintaining internationally advanced level in some aspects.
College Type: Equal importance is attached to academic teaching and scientific research
Schooling Level: Coordinated development of undergraduate and graduate education
Discipline Features: Zoology and Molecular Biology are taken as the core, with coordinated development of other disciplines
Service Coverage:The college is based in Chongqing, intending to serve the western region and exert radiant influence across the whole country
College Motto: Exploring the Secrets of Life and Advancing Human Development
Today the college of Life Sciences is advancing with its growing diversity, comprehensiveness and academic level to form a brand-new outlook. It will shoulder its new historical responsibilities to further develop science and technology, train more high calibertalents with innovative spirit,and make new and greater contributions to the exploration of life secrets and the advancement of human development.
