Jiangxi Agricultural University, a distinctive high-level university, is jointly established by Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, National Forestry and Grassland Administration and People’s Government of Jiangxi Province, with the advantage of agriculture, featuring biotechnology and coordinated multidisciplinary development. It’s one of the first universities with right to grant bachelor’s and master’s degrees in China. It’s also the first university to offer graduate education in Jiangxi, and has the right to award doctor’s degree. The university is located in the Nanchang Economic & Technological Development Zone, covering a total area of 16,000mu.
The university can be dated back to the Jiangxi Industrial School founded in 1905, with the undergraduate education starting from the establishment of the National Zhongzheng University in 1940. The university was renamed as Nanchang University in 1949. Jiangxi Agricultural College was built in 1952. Headquarters of Jiangxi Communist Labor University was founded in 1958, and it was renamed as Jiangxi Communist Labor University in 1968. Jiangxi Agricultural College was merged with Jiangxi Communist Labor University in 1969. The university was renamed Jiangxi Agricultural University in November 1980.
The university currently has 17 schools, with more than 23,000 full-time students. Its disciplines cover 9 major categories including agronomy, science, engineering, economics, management, liberal arts, law,education and so on. There are 6 first-level disciplines for doctorate program, 20 first-level disciplines for master’s degree program, 9 disciplines for professional master’s degree, and 59 undergraduate programs. The university has 1 key discipline supported by the National Forestry and Grassland Administration,4 first-class disciplines in Jiangxi Province, 11 first-class majors in Jiangxi Province, 11 majors are listed as national-level first-class undergraduate major construction sites, 4 majors are listed as national-level first-class characteristic majors construction sites and 9 majors are listed provincial-level characteristic majors. It also has 4 national-level experimental teaching demonstration centers, national-level practical teaching bases, and 4 post-doctoral research stations.
The university currently has 1,853 teaching and administrative staff, more than 80% of whom have doctoral and master's degrees, and including 80 national-level talents represented by one academician of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 228 provincial and ministerial-level talents represented by distinguished professors of Jing Gang Scholars, and 7 national-level excellent teachers represented by outstanding teachers of National Millions Talent Program. There are 18 teacher teams that have been awarded the titles of National Innovation Team, National Excellent Teaching Team, Provincial Innovation Team, and Provincial Excellent Teaching Team.
The university has founded the first independently-established state key laboratory of pig genetic improvement and production technology in Jiangxi Province. Now there are 31 provincial and ministerial-level scientific and technological innovation platforms, including the National Engineering Laboratory, the National and Local Joint Engineering Laboratory, the Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education, the Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, and the Key Laboratory of the State Forestry and Grassland Administration (Engineering Technology Center), provincial key laboratories (engineering technology research centers), a reserve for major scientific and technological innovation platforms in Jiangxi Province, provincial engineering laboratories (research centers), and key innovation centers for the integration of production and education. It also has 9 high-level scientific research platforms such as national collaborative innovation centers, provincial collaborative innovation centers, and provincial think tanks.
The University adheres to the mutual development of teaching and research, and has achieved outstanding results in talent training, scientific research, social services, cultural heritage and innovation, and international exchanges and cooperation. Since the establishment of the university, it has produced over 350,000 talents in various fields, including outstanding representatives of 7 academicians, 17 provincial and ministerial leaders, more than 30 party secretaries and presidents in universities, more than 100 experts who have made outstanding contributions to the country, and some of them gained the honorary titles of National Model Worker and National Model Teacher. Many graduates have become the backbone of agricultural production, operation, management and technology promotion. The university has established strategic cooperation and sci-tech cooperation relations with more than 80% of counties in Jiangxi, and has promoted a large number of excellent varieties and modern agricultural technologies with independent intellectual property rights. Since 2016, it has won 62 scientific research awards at different levels and types, and was the first to undertake a major project funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China in Jiangxi Province. 2 disciplines of the university entered the top 1% of ESI in the world.
The university is one of the first universities in Jiangxi to open to foreign countries, qualifying for employing overseas teachers and being licensed to admit international students. It has accepted international students to study agricultural technology and Chinese since the 1980s. Currently, the University is admitting international students at various levels, including short-term language learners, undergraduates, postgraduate students and doctoral students, and is qualified to enroll international students who are awarded CSC scholarships. In addition, some foreign teachers won the Chinese Government Friendship Award during their teaching in the university, which is the highest award for foreign experts who have made contributions to China. The University actively participates in international exchanges and cooperation, and has established cooperative relations with universities and research institutions in the US, the UK, Japan, Australia, Russia, Canada and so on.
