College of Environmental Science and Engineering dates back to Ministry of Chemical Engineering Industrial Water Treatment Center in the 1970s. Based on Environmental Engineering Research Institute that was founded in 1996, the college successively established undergraduate majors of “Environmental Engineering” and “Environmental Science” in 2000 and 2001. In June 2007, the college integrated traditional resources of dominant disciplines in Nanjing Tech University and organized the College of Environmental Science and Engineering. In 2013, Nanjing Tech University adjusted colleges and departments, and the status quo of the college took shape accordingly.

College of Environmental Science and Engineering owns 4 undergraduate majors (i.e. Environmental Engineering, Environmental Science, Water Quality Science and Technology and Resources and Environment Science), 1 First-Level Discipline with the Qualification for Granting Master Degree (i.e. Environmental Science and Engineering), 1 Discipline with the Qualification for Granting Professional Master Degree (i.e. Resources and Environment), and 3 Disciplines with the Qualification for Granting Doctoral Degree (i.e. Chemical Engineering, Safety Engineering and Biological Engineering), with complete talent training system from undergraduate to doctor. In 2021, the disciplines of Environmental Science and Ecology ranked 1% in ESI (Essential Science Indicators) Rankings in the world, and Environmental Science and Engineering (First-Level Discipline) became Jiangsu Province’s “The 14th Five-Year Plan” Key Discipline. Environmental Engineering is listed in Jiangsu Province First-Class Constructed Majors, Characteristic Majors in Jiangsu Province, and “The 12th Five-Year Plan” Constructed Key & Core Majors and Unified Recruitment Unit for Upgrading from Junior College to University Program. The college recruits around 300 undergraduate / graduate students every year.

Presently, the college has more than 50 teaching and research staff, with reasonable faculty structure, excellent teaching theoretical level and rich practical experience on engineering. All of them hold doctoral degree or senior title. Specifically, there are 1 academician of The Canadian Academy of Engineering (Flexible Talent Introduction), 2 listed in the National High-Level Talent Program, 2 listed in the National Key R & D Program Chief Scientists, 2 winners of the National Award for Young Outstanding Engineers, 1 listed in Jiangsu Province Foundation for Young Outhandling Scholars, 1 listed in Jiangsu Province “Six Peak Talent” Program (Class A) and 2 in “Young and Middle-Aged Academic Leading Talents” of “333 High-Level Talents Training Project” in Jiangsu Province.

Now the college covers an area of around 6,000 square meters, with a total value of instruments and equipment exceeding 30 million yuan. It owns various innovative R & D platforms and university-level scientific research institutes, including the National Petroleum and Chemical Industry Coal Cleaning & Transformation Water Conservation and Emission Reduction Engineering Laboratory, National Petroleum and Chemical Industry Gas Purification Membrane and Equipment Engineering Laboratory, Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Industrial Water Conservation and Emission Reduction, Jiangsu Province Chemical Pollution Control and Accident Emergency Engineering Technology Research Center, Jiangsu Province Environmental Protection Industry VOCs Pollution Control Engineering Center, Nanjing Municipal Chemical Pesticides Heavy Organic Pollution Soil Remediation Engineering Technology Research Center, Nanjing New Chemical Environmental Protection Materials Research Institute and Nanjing Tech University Environmental Engineering Research Institute. Additionally, the college is a Member Unit of the Third Solid Waste and Air Treatment Equipment & Technology Committee of Machinery Industry Environmental Protection Machinery Standardization Technical Committee and Ministry of Ecology and Environment Chemical Industries Park Environmental Pollution Control Training Base.

In line with the characteristic and advantage of the major “Chemical Engineering and Environmental Protection”, the college closely centers on national strategic needs, the adjustment of industrial structure in Jiangsu Province and the cultivation of environmental protection strategic industries. It launches a series of innovative research and engineering development and makes a batch of original technological achievements in the academic fields of Complex Industrial Waste Water Treatment, Industrial Flue Gas Purification Technology, Contaminated Site Remediation, Industrial Solid Waste Treatment and Recycling Technology, Environmental Functional Materials and Sudden Chemical Pollution Accidents Prevention and Emergency Technology. Therefore, it forges distinct disciplinary characteristic and significant technological advantage, exerts extensive influence in the society and ranks first-class in China. In recent years, the college has undertaken nearly 100 research projects, including National Key R & D Program, National Major Scientific and Technological Project, and National Natural Science Foundation as well as various research projects entrusted by provinces, ministries and enterprises, with received scientific research fund exceeding 50 million yuan. Besides, it has won many awards like The First Prize of Jiangsu Province Scientific and Technological Progress Award, The First Prize of China Petroleum and Chemical Industry Federation Technological Invention Award, The First Prize of China Association of Inventions Creative Founder Award, The Second Prize of Ministry of Education Science Research Outstanding Achievement Award in Higher Institution, Ministry of Ecology and Environment Environmental Protection Science and Technology Award, The Second Prize of China Petroleum and Chemical Industry Federation, and The Second Prize of China Association of Circular Economy Scientific and Technological Progress Award. It has published more than 500 academic papers at top international journals in the field of environment, like Environmental Science & Technology and Water Research, and applied for, released and authorized more than 300 national patents for invention.

The college adheres to the student-centered teaching goal and attaches equal attention to theoretical and practical teaching. It adopts an “Industrial Platform + Professional Direction” Curriculum System, strengthens engineering practical and innovative competence, and improves students’ capacity for solving complex environmental problems. Taking advantage of various provincial & ministerial R & D platforms and collaborative innovation bases in and out of Nanjing Tech University, c. 60% students in the college participate in University Students Innovation Projects every year, under the earnest guidance of instructors in the bases. Students have won The Special Prize of the National “Challenge Cup” Competition for two successive years, as well as several provincial & ministerial awards like “Internet +”, “Energy Conservation and Emission Reduction” and “Jiangsu Province Water-Themed Creativity Competition”. Simultaneously, the college continuously improves the teaching management model, promotes teaching technology & level in an orderly way, strengthens the fundamental task of “education fostering virtues”, strictly follows the demands for talents in society, and adjusts the teaching work for different majors. Teachers in the college have successively compiled and published 6 professional textbooks and participated in more than 10 teaching reform projects above the university level. Several teachers serve as Member of Environment Major Undergraduate Professional Education Steering Committee of the Ministry of Education, and win Jiangsu Province Excellent Undergraduate Thesis Instructors, “Top 10 Teachers with Lofty Code of Morality in NTU” and “Advanced Individuals in Teaching and Educating Students”

In recent years, the college has improved the quality of student training stably. Each year, students win around 1,300 honors in various fields like scholarships, Excellent Party Branches and League Member Evaluation, scientific and innovative level, and practical & voluntary services. In the college, more than 30% of students are recommended or admitted as postgraduates. Some students pursue postgraduate studies at first-class universities in China and the world, like Tsinghua University, Nanjing University, Zhejiang University, Tianjin University, Xiamen University, Tongji University, Columbia University, University of Pennsylvania, University of Cambridge and National University of Singapore. In extracurricular activities, students make remarkable achievements. Totally, 1 student wins the title of National Excellent Communist Youth League Member, 2 CPC Branches win “Jiangsu Province Best CPC Member Activity Day Excellent Award” for two consecutive years, “He Xiao Qing · Knowledge and Action School” wins The Second Prize of Jiangsu Province Youth Volunteer Service Project Competition Water Conservation and Water Conservancy Publicity and Education, and Student Environmental Protection Volunteer Service Team wins honorary titles of Jiangsu Province Youth Volunteer Service Action Organizing Award and “Mother River Award” Green Team. In the past years, the employment rate of graduates in the college has reached more than 98%. Most students work at governmental management departments or large enterprises and institutions like department of ecological and environmental management, environmental monitoring center, environmental science research institute, water group and environmental protection company.

The college attaches importance to international cooperation and exchanges. It carries out “2 + 2” Cooperative Education in Environmental Engineering with Mongolian University of Science and Technology, which sets up an example for international students in NTU to obtain degrees. Meanwhile, the college strengthens the introduction of talents from prestigious foreign universities. It successively initiates visiting or exchanging programs for young teachers at first-class universities in the United Kingdom and the United States. Accordingly, 36% of professional teachers in the college possess overseas study or research experience. The college encourages teachers to partake in international high-level academic conferences. It actively hosts The First IWA Water in Industry Conference to advance academic exchanges with experts of International Water Association, outstanding young scholars and other well-known scholars in China and the world. It establishes Jiangsu Provincial Department of Science and Technology “Studios for Experts from Jiangsu Province and the World”. Implementing the Flexible Talent Introduction Policy, the college invites professor Tony Bi, academician of The Canadian Academy of Engineering, and professor Geissen from Germany, as guesting professors to promote the development of the college.

In the future, the college will thoroughly implement Xi Jinping’s Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics, uphold the fundamental task of “education fostering virtues”, strengthen the construction of first-class disciplines, and build into a college with characteristic development with advanced teaching level and first-class disciplines, by consolidating academic foundation and conducting collaborative innovation.