On March 15, 2024, according to the latest discipline statistics published by ESI (Essential Science Indicators), the most prestigious database for global science and technology evaluation, CQU's engineering program entered the top 1‱ globally. It marks that its engineering discipline has joined the ranks of the world's best, and CQU has broken new ground in promoting the building of a world-class university with Chinese characteristics and dominant academic disciplines.
(A total of 2,447 institutions had secured their engineering programs among the top 1% in ESI ranking. CQU (23rd) boasts one discipline ranking in the top 1‱.)
CQU's engineering program is the first discipline in Chongqing to enter the world's top level, and the only discipline in Southwest China that is currently in the top 1‱ in ESI ranking globally.
The engineering program at CQU consists of 22 first-level disciplines offered in 16 schools or colleges, including mechanics, electrical engineering, civil engineering, energy dynamics, automation, resources & safety, optoelectronics, environment, computer science, and communications. In particular, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering and civil engineering became a part of China's "double first-class" initiative for discipline development, and nine engineering disciplines, including civil engineering, mining engineering, mechanical engineering, instrumental science, metallurgical engineering, transportation engineering, chemical engineering, energy science & engineering, and control science and engineering, entered into the top 50 of the Shanghai Ranking's Global Ranking of Academic Subjects. These reflect the overall rapid advancement of CQU's engineering program into world-class status.
Currently, CQU's engineering program ranks among the top 1‱ in the ESI ranking globally, while 3 disciplines (engineering science, materials science and chemistry) rank among the top 1‰, and 15 disciplines among the top 1%.
(List of disciplines offered by CQU in the top 1% ESI ranking globally)
It is well reported that ESI (Essential Science Indicators) is one of the major indicator-based tools commonly used in the world to evaluate the international academic level and influence of colleges and universities, academic institutions, countries and regions. Based on academic paper productivity, it measures the level of national and regional scientific research, the academic reputation of institutions, the academic influence of scientists, and the academic level of journals in a comprehensive manner through five indicators, including the number of papers published, the frequency of citations to papers, the average frequency of citations per paper, highly cited papers, and trending papers. All stats are updated every two months. Generally speaking, disciplines that enter the top 1% of the ESI global rankings are considered to be excellent, the top 1‰ are considered to be outstanding, and the top 1‱ are considered to be leading.
In recent years, CQU has been actively responding to the contemporary challenge of "What can colleges and universities do to make China a powerhouse in education," consistently focusing on the target of building a world-class university with Chinese characteristics, and treating the academic discipline development as the foundation for CQU's development. With a mindset to develop high-quality, inclusive and distinctive disciplines, CQU values the laws of discipline development, and intensifies the inclusive development of disciplines, so as to create first-class disciplines. Meanwhile, CQU is also focusing its endeavors on capitalizing on the engineering program as a distinctive presence. This will enable CQU to make new achievements in the development of high-quality disciplines.
Investing in building a first-class discipline ecosystem. Guided by the overall philosophy of "Strengthening engineering program, solidifying science program, revitalizing liberal arts program, prospering social science program, expanding medical science program, improving information science program, and promoting interdisciplinary program," CQU has continued its efforts to optimize the overall discipline structure of "3+9+N," and to accelerate the formation of a discipline system that features distinctive strengths, a reasonable structure, mutual support, and synergistic development. A new pattern of discipline development for a high-level research-oriented comprehensive university has been formed, which covers the fields of energy, manufacturing, architecture, humanities, information and health, etc., and is more adaptive to the characteristics of the times, the orientation of the university and the needs of economic and social development.
Continuously optimizing the allocation of discipline resources. By giving full play to the role of CQU's leadership group for resource allocation, CQU has continued to improve the "basic+competitive" disciplinary resource allocation model, enhance the efficiency of resource allocation, and strengthen the stock at a high level while enlarging the increment at a high quality. These initiatives have contributed to the extraordinary and leapfrog development of the disciplines. Moreover, CQU's efforts in this regard also include accelerated refinement and modernization of traditional advantageous engineering disciplines, as well as high-standard implementation of key academic construction projects, such as the R&D and test platform for high-end equipment in extreme environments, the multi-functional test system for wind tunnels in the atmospheric boundary layer, and the research platform for the packaging, integration, and application of power electronic devices. In result, the three "double first-class" initiative-supported disciplines of mechanical engineering, electrical engineering and civil engineering have advanced to the forefront of the world's first-class disciplines, leading to a significant improvement in the overall level of CQU's disciplines.
Vigorously promoting interdisciplinary integration. With a mindset to precisely meet the needs of major national strategies, CQU has intensified the integration of science and education, industry and education, accelerated the deployment and building of emerging and interdisciplinary disciplines, consolidated the formation of "AI+" disciplinary clusters such as intelligent manufacturing, intelligent energy, intelligent construction, etc. These have pushed forward the integrated development of traditional disciplines and AI disciplines. In order to raise the prospectivity and coupling in talent cultivation, CQU has designed emerging interdisciplinary majors such as new energy and energy storage science and engineering, intelligent unmanned systems science and technology, digital design and art communication, and biomedicine and health engineering, and supported the development and growth of important domains and strategic emerging industries. By capitalizing on the innovation strengths of CQU as a comprehensive university with affiliated hospitals, CQU is also dedicated to promoting the integration of disciplines between medicine and engineering, medicine and science, and medicine and liberal arts, accelerating the development of new medical disciplines, and developing "large disciplines" and "large majors." These will do good to the "country's national interests" and "people's livelihood."
(Inauguration of CQU's National Innovation Platform for Industry-Education Integration of Energy Storage Technology)
Continuously strengthening the support of disciplinary platforms. We adopt a "lab-oriented policy" to promote the physical operation of state-level platforms, including five national key laboratories. In particular, we have accelerated the construction of the CQU Science Center, Super Transient Experimental Facility, Ministry of Education's Integrated Research Platform, and Space Solar Power Station, kicked off the construction of the Jialingjiang Laboratory, Mingyuehu Laboratory, and the Institute of Advanced Technology and Interdisciplinary Studies, and vigorously supported the construction of the CQU Mathematics Center and the Southwest Center for Theoretical Physics. These have enabled the successive deployment of major national strategic tasks and the clustering of high-end innovation platforms. We have implemented plans to set up cutting-edge interdisciplinary platforms for fluid and biomathematics, quantum materials and devices, cross-scale porous materials, advanced electric energy chemistry, bio-construction technology and "AI+," while making great efforts to cultivate new growth areas for disciplines. Furthermore, we have vigorously pushed forward the expansion and quality improvement of the Analysis and Testing Center and the Electron Microscope Center, accelerated the construction of high-end public experimental platforms for quantum matter, future chips and intelligent supercomputing, and continued to enhance the comprehensive service capacity of disciplinary public platforms.
(Rendering of the "Super Transient Experimental Facility")
Accelerating the formation of a first-class academic talent pool. With a mindset to further implement the core strategy of "Strengthening the university through talents," and structure a talent attraction and cultivation-oriented post system featuring dual pillars of "Hongshen Scholars" and "Regular Faculty," CQU has deepened the reform of talent evaluation, innovated the institutional mechanism of talent development, and established the special talent zone. Additionally, CQU has implemented pilot programs for the evaluation of talents working in special fields such as basic disciplines, national defense research and translation of scientific and technological achievements, and created a green channel for the evaluation of key talents. All these together help continuously stimulate the vitality of innovation and creativity of all kinds of talents. Since the beginning of the second round of "double first-class" initiative, CQU has added a record-breaking total of 143 national talents of various types, including academicians of the Chinese Academy of Engineering. These higher-caliber talents support the high-quality development of academic disciplines.
(Professor Liu Hanlong was elected to the Chinese Academy of Engineering in 2023)
Guided by Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, CQU will raise its awareness of being a "national team," take on the mission of being a "national team", and play the role of a "national team." Going forward, CQU will keep abreast of the times in accelerating the progress of building a world-class university with Chinese characteristics and competitive disciplines, make every effort to break a new ground in the building of the "Centennial CQU with a New Leaf," and make a new and greater contribution to the advancement of the building of a strong country and the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation through the new achievements in education, science and technology, and talent development.
