China Pharmaceutical University is located in Nanjing, the ancient capital of China. Founded in 1936, it is the first national pharmaceutical college in Chinese history. As a university directly under the Ministry of Education, it is a key university in the 211 Project and the 985 Project Advantage Discipline Innovation Platform. It is a multi - disciplinary, research - oriented university with a focus on pharmaceutical sciences. The university's pharmaceutical cluster of disciplines, led by pharmacology and traditional Chinese medicine, has consistently maintained a leading position in China and is known as the cradle of Chinese biomedical talent. In 2017, it became a university in the national Double First - Class construction program.

The university originated from the National Pharmaceutical College, a four - year undergraduate program. During its early years, it was forced to relocate to Hankou and then to Chongqing due to the outbreak of the Anti - Japanese War. It returned to Nanjing in 1946. In 1952, the pharmacy departments of Qilu University and Soochow University were merged into the college, which was then renamed the East China College of Pharmacy. Graduate education began in 1955. In 1956, it was renamed Nanjing College of Pharmacy. In 1986, it merged with the Nanjing College of Traditional Chinese Medicine and was renamed China Pharmaceutical University. It entered the ranks of key universities in the national 211 Project in 1996. In 2000, it was transferred from the State Food and Drug Administration to the Ministry of Education. In 2001, the Jiangsu Provincial College of Pharmacy was incorporated into the university. Over 80 years, the university has adhered to the motto of Professionalism and Dedication, focusing on pharmaceutical research for the people, glorifying the school, and serving the country with integrity and sincerity. It strives to become a globally respected pharmaceutical university.

The university has 20,029 full - time students, including 11,179 undergraduates, 8,323 graduate students, and 462 international students. It has two campuses in Xuanwumen and Jiangning, covering over 2,100 mu (about 347 acres). The total building area is 702,000 square meters, with teaching, research, and auxiliary facilities covering 335,000 square meters, administrative offices 26,000 square meters, and student dormitories 245,000 square meters. The library houses over 1.189 million books.

The university earnestly implements the spirit of the new - era national undergraduate education conference, focusing on moral education. It continuously updates educational concepts and promotes reforms in pharmaceutical talent cultivation, integrating knowledge, ability, and quality. Since 2000, it has achieved full coverage of national - level teaching achievement awards in undergraduate and graduate education, winning the first - prize of the national teaching achievement award four times.

As a leading institution in pharmaceutical education and research, the university actively fulfills its functions of research, consultation, guidance, assessment, and service. It aims to provide quality pharmaceutical education and support the construction of a healthy China and an education - strong country.

The university has 16 departments and offers 31 undergraduate programs. Its pharmacology, traditional Chinese medicine, biopharmaceuticals, pharmaceutical engineering, clinical pharmacy, drug formulation, medicinal chemistry, pharmaceutical management, Chinese herbal medicine resources, drug analysis, and biotechnology are recognized as national first - class professional construction points. Marine pharmacy, environmental science, food quality and safety, English, information management and information systems, and business administration are identified as first - class undergraduate professional construction points in Jiangsu Province. Traditional Chinese medicine and drug analysis are designated as ideological and political demonstration majors in Jiangsu Province. Pharmacy, medicinal chemistry, and traditional Chinese medicine preparation are honored as Jiangsu Province's industry - education integrated brand majors. The pharmaceutical engineering program has passed the China Engineering Education Professional Certification and is selected as a construction point for the Jiangsu Province's Excellent Engineer Education and Training Program 2.0. Pharmacy, clinical pharmacy, pharmaceutical engineering, and traditional Chinese medicine have passed the professional certification of the Ministry of Education's Education Quality Assessment Center.

The university has three national - level talent training bases, two national - level talent training model innovation experimental zones, two national - level experimental teaching demonstration centers, one national - level virtual simulation experimental teaching center, and five national - level college student internship practice education base construction projects.

In recent years, the university has obtained 20 first - class national undergraduate courses, four national - level ideological and political demonstration courses, 10 national - level quality open courses, three national - level bilingual teaching demonstration course construction projects, 90 courses recognized as high - quality courses or open online courses in Jiangsu Province, and three provincial - level ideological and political demonstration courses. It has won four national - level excellent textbook awards, compiled two national - level quality textbooks, and had 41 textbooks selected into the national - level planned textbooks for general higher education. All university - level undergraduate experimental teaching centers are recognized as provincial - level experimental teaching demonstration centers or above. The university's high - quality courses, textbooks, and teaching systems are widely emulated by other pharmaceutical colleges nationwide. It places great emphasis on cultivating students' innovation and entrepreneurship capabilities and was among the first to receive funding from the Ministry of Education's National College Students' Innovative Experiment Program. It was approved as a National College Students' Practice - oriented Innovation and Entrepreneurship Base by the Ministry of Education and a Jiangsu Province College Students' Innovation and Entrepreneurship Practice Education Center.

The university continues to deepen reforms, building cultivation models for academic and professional degree talents. It has nine graduate MOOCs on Xuetang Online since 2021 and six online courses and one textbook on the national graduate wisdom education platform. In 2022, The Creation and Practice of the Graduate Cultivation System for the Professional Degree in Pharmacy won the second prize of the national teaching achievement award in higher education (graduate education). It took the lead in establishing the professional master's and doctoral degree programs in pharmacy, conducting project - based and order - based graduate cultivation, and forming a new path of cross - disciplinary high - level talent cultivation integrating laboratories, enterprises, and clinical settings. It has built 152 domestic and overseas practice bases, creating a multi - level international practice base cluster covering the entire pharmaceutical industry chain. The university strictly ensures graduate thesis quality, implementing a pre - defense blind review system and optimizing the Graduate Degree Application Achievement Standard Recognition Regulations to eliminate the Five Only issues. In 2023, the number and recommendation rate of outstanding degree papers reached a historical high. As the Secretariat Unit of the National Graduate Education Steering Committee for Pharmacy, it guides and leads the development of graduate education in pharmacy nationwide. Entrusted by the Ministry of Education, it constructed the National Online Education Platform for Professional Degree Graduate Students in Pharmacy to openly share high - quality educational resources.

The university boasts a strong faculty with numerous renowned pharmaceutical experts. It has 1,904 staff members, including 1,142 full - time teachers, 280 with full - time senior professional titles, and 468 with associate senior professional titles. Among them is one member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, one member of the German Academy of Sciences, 19 senior national talents, 81 young national talents, and 14 recipients of the State Council's Special Allowance. There are also two national - level teaching masters and outstanding teachers, and a large number of national and provincial - level talent project awardees. The university hosts two National Natural Science Fund Innovative Research Groups, two Ministry of Education Innovation Teams, seven Jiangsu Province Double - Innovation Teams, nine Jiangsu Provincial Department of Education Science and Technology Innovation Teams, and seven Blue Project Scientific Innovation Teams.

The university has four first - level doctoral degree authorization points (pharmacy, traditional Chinese medicine, biology, and biomedical engineering), two doctoral professional degree authorization points (biology and medicine, pharmacy), eight first - level master's degree authorization points (pharmacy, traditional Chinese medicine, biology, chemistry, biomedical engineering, basic medicine, public administration, and public health and preventive medicine), and six master's professional degree authorization points (pharmacy, traditional Chinese medicine, biology and medicine, applied statistics, public administration, and food and nutrition). It also has two post - doctoral stations in pharmacy and traditional Chinese medicine. The first - level discipline of pharmacy is a national key discipline. The discipline of traditional Chinese medicine is selected for the national Double First - Class construction program. Pharmacy and biology are selected for the fourth phase of the Jiangsu Higher Education Advantage Discipline Construction Project. Basic medicine, biomedical engineering, and environmental science and engineering are selected as key disciplines in Jiangsu Province's 14th Five - Year Plan. Chinese herbal medicine chemistry, Chinese herbal medicine analysis, and Chinese herbal medicine life disciplines are included in the National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine's High - Level TCM Key Discipline Construction Project.

The university aims to build a modern pharmaceutical discipline system 2.0 characterized by Pharmacy + X, New Pharmacy, and Big Pharmacy, integrating medical, agricultural, and veterinary pharmaceutical development. In the fourth national discipline assessment, the university's pharmacy discipline was rated A+. In the fifth assessment and the national professional degree level assessment, the leading disciplines of pharmacy and traditional Chinese medicine maintained a domestic advantage, achieving excellent results. As of January 2025, 11 disciplines, including pharmacology and toxicology, chemistry, and clinical medicine, entered the top 1% globally in ESI rankings, with pharmacology and toxicology ranking in the top 0.1‰ globally (13th globally, 0.0955‰, 1st among Asian universities). In the 2024 - 2025 US News World University Rankings, the university's pharmacology and toxicology discipline ranked 4th globally. In the Center for World University Rankings (CWUR) discipline rankings, the university's medicinal chemistry discipline ranked 3rd globally. In the 2024 ShanghaiRanking's Best Chinese Universities Ranking, the university's pharmacy discipline ranked 1st domestically, earning the title of Champion Discipline. In May 2023, the university hosted the first National Symposium on High - Quality Development of Pharmaceutical Disciplines and the 2023 Annual Meeting of the Eighth Pharmaceutical Discipline Evaluation Group of the State Council's Academic Degrees Committee, establishing the National Pharmaceutical Discipline Development Community and forming the National Pharmaceutical Discipline Development Consensus to promote the nation's pharmaceutical industry.

The university emphasizes both basic research and new drug development. In 2023, it scientific funding reached 643 million yuan. It is home to the National Key Laboratory of Multi - Target Natural Drugs and has 38 national and provincial - level key laboratories, technology platforms, and engineering research centers related to pre - clinical innovative drug development. These platforms cover chemical, traditional Chinese, and biological pharmaceutical research, providing comprehensive services for new drug development.

In recent years, the university has won four second prizes for national technological progress, one second prize for national technological invention, and two national innovation awards. It has published over 450 high - level research papers in top journals and leads nationally in the number of projects approved for the National Major Special Project for the Creation of New Drugs. It has secured 15 National Key Research and Development Program projects, including four with funding over 200 million yuan, and 1,058 National Natural Science Fund projects with direct funding of 577 million yuan, including 43 major, key, and distinguished talent projects. The Nanjing Tianyinshan Hospital, Nanjing Pukou Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, and Nanjing Jiangning Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine are officially affiliated with the university. Close cooperation with Nanjing's First and Drum Tower Hospitals has achieved deep integration of medicine and pharmacy, breaking down barriers between early - stage drug development and clinical research. Companies like Jiangsu Hengrui Medicine Co., Ltd., and Nanjing Saint - And Pharmaceuticals Co., Ltd., have moved into the university campus, enabling seamless conversion of research results. New innovation platforms, such as the Hangzhou Institute for Innovative Drug Research and the Chongqing Innovation Research Institute, are actively contributing to the university's development.

The university actively responds to national strategic needs, establishing 135 technology transfer service platforms and a collaborative system for technology transfer, intellectual property operations, and local research institutes. It has provided over 6,300 key technical services to 2,200 enterprises and institutions, with total project funding exceeding 4.9 billion yuan, including 696 contracts over one million yuan. It has obtained two new drug certificates, 23 clinical trial approvals, and 1,848 authorized invention patents, with 210 patents converted, generating 2.172 billion yuan, including 11 over 100 million yuan and 36 over ten million yuan. The university has developed over 1,000 new drugs and generics, generating over 400 billion yuan in direct economic benefits, making it a key driver of China's pharmaceutical industry.

The university supports national poverty alleviation and rural revitalization strategies, leveraging its strengths to assist agriculture, rural areas and peasants development and earning recognition as a National Science and Technology for Agriculture Advanced Unit. Since 2012, it has been designated to support Zhenping County, Shaanxi Province, focusing on local resource endowments to promote major projects and achieve integrated industrial development in traditional Chinese medicine, becoming a leading industry for rural revitalization. From 2016 to 2024, it was selected nine times for the Ministry of Education's Precision Poverty Alleviation Top Ten Typical Projects.

Designated by the Ministry of Education as a base for international students and scholars in pharmaceutical sciences, the university has established a comprehensive English - taught program for undergraduate, master's, and doctoral students. It collaborates with the University of Michigan, the University of Edinburgh, Temple University, the University of the Pacific, and the National University of Singapore on dual - degree and joint - degree programs. Joint programs with the University of Strathclyde and the University of Manchester have yielded fruitful results, with over 40% of graduates pursuing further studies at top global universities like Harvard and Oxford. The university has trained over 1,000 students and scholars from nearly 70 countries.

The university has signed academic exchange agreements with 77 overseas institutions. Nearly ten projects have received funding from the China Scholarship Council for international talent cooperation. It was approved as an Innovative Practice Base for High - Level International Talent Cultivation by the Ministry of Education. In 2021, it launched the International Joint Laboratory for Target Discovery and Drug Creation. Pharmacy and biopharmaceutical majors were selected for Jiangsu Province's International Talent Cultivation Brand Major Project. In 2024, it established a Jiangsu Provincial Foreign Expert Laboratory.

The university has collaborated with Nobel laureates Louis J. Ignarro and Michael Levitt to establish workstations. In 2015, it founded the US - China College of Pharmacy Alliance and joined international cooperation networks. In 2016, it hosted the Global Pharmaceutical Education Conference, showcasing China's pharmaceutical education achievements to representatives from 47 countries. In 2018, it organized the first International College of Pharmacy Development Forum, bringing together top deans to explore educational paths. In 2023, it hosted the second forum, founding the Global Pharmacy Development Alliance with 36 universities from 14 countries, releasing the Nanjing Consensus, and promoting international cooperation. It also held the Belt and Road International Forum for Pharmaceutical Industry, Education, and Research Cooperation, advancing the internationalization of the pharmaceutical industry.

The university focuses on moral education, implementing projects to strengthen students' ideological foundations, enhance student work quality, promote mental health, and ensure comprehensive development. It cultivates high - quality pharmaceutical talents to meet industry needs, with graduates favored for their solid foundation and strong practical skills. Employment rates remain high, with quality indicators like overseas further education, employment at top firms, and job satisfaction excelling. The university's employment and entrepreneurship work has received provincial recognition and media coverage.

Over eight decades, the university has produced over 100,000 graduates, including ten academicians and renowned experts like Ye Juquan and Peng Sixun, contributing significantly to China's health sector.

In 2019, the university's 10th Party Congress set the goal of becoming a world - class research - oriented university with pharmaceutical characteristics, proposing a three - step strategy: laying the foundation by 2026, achieving world - class status by 2036, and completing the goal by the middle of the century.

Currently, the university is advancing high - quality development, committed to building a world - class research - oriented university and contributing to global health.