China Pharmaceutical University, located in the ancient capital of Nanjing, was founded in 1936 as China's first state-established institution of higher learning dedicated to pharmacy. Directly administered by the Ministry of Education, the university is a key institution under the national “211 Project” and “985 Engineering Advantage Discipline Innovation Platform.” In 2017, it was designated as a “Double First-Class” university. As a multidisciplinary research-oriented institution with distinctive strengths in pharmacy, its pharmaceutical discipline cluster—led by pharmacy and traditional Chinese medicine—consistently maintains a leading position domestically. It is widely recognized as the “Cradle of China's Biomedical Talent.” Since 2000, the university has achieved full coverage of National Teaching Achievement Awards for both undergraduate and graduate education, winning the top prize—the National Teaching Achievement Award (awarded every four years)—four times, China's highest government honor in education. Its graduate employment rate consistently ranks among the highest among universities directly under the Ministry of Education and institutions in Jiangsu Province.

The university currently operates two campuses—Xuanwumen and Jiangning—covering over 2100 acres. with a total of 20,756 full-time students, including 11,363 undergraduates, 8,931 postgraduates, and 462 international students. The faculty comprises 2,083 staff members, including 1,312 full-time teachers. The university has gathered numerous renowned experts in the medical and pharmaceutical fields, producing 10 academicians and a large number of distinguished experts and scholars in pharmacy. Current faculty include one member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, one member of the German Academy of Sciences, 3 Huang Danian-style Teacher Teams recognized nationally, 31 recipients of national high-level talent honors, and 109 recipients of national high-level youth talent honors.

The university adheres to the “whole-health” philosophy, focusing on the entire life cycle and the full continuum of health, to build a disciplinary system characterized by the organic integration of “Pharmacy + X” and fully empowered by artificial intelligence. The university currently comprises 17 schools and departments, offering 30 undergraduate programs (categories), 4 first-level doctoral degree programs (Pharmacy, Traditional Chinese Medicine, Biology, and Biomedical Engineering), 2 professional doctoral degree programs (Biology and Medicine, and Pharmacy), 8 first-level master’s degree programs, 6 professional master’s degree programs, and 2 postdoctoral research stations (Pharmacy and Traditional Chinese Medicine). The discipline of Traditional Chinese Medicine has been selected for the national “Double First-Class” initiative. In the fourth round of the national discipline assessment, the Pharmacy discipline was rated A+. In the fifth round of the discipline assessment and the national professional degree evaluation, the flagship disciplines of Pharmacy and Traditional Chinese Medicine continued to maintain their leading positions, achieving outstanding results in both. In May 2026, 11 disciplinary fields—including Pharmacology and Toxicology, Chemistry, Clinical Medicine, Biology and Biochemistry, Materials Science, Agricultural Sciences, Neuroscience and Behavior, Molecular Biology and Genetics, Environmental/Ecology, Immunology, and Plant and Animal Sciences entered the top 1% globally in the ESI rankings. Among these, Pharmacology and Toxicology ranked in the top 0.01% globally, placing 14th worldwide (0.984 per 10,000). In the 2025–2026 U.S. News World University Rankings, the Pharmacology and Toxicology discipline was ranked 6th globally. In the 2025 Shanghai Ranking’s Global Top Disciplines Ranking, the university’s Pharmacy discipline ranked 7th globally. In the Center for World University Rankings (CWUR) subject rankings, the university’s Medicinal Chemistry discipline ranked 3rd globally. In the 2025 Shanghai Ranking’s Best Disciplines in China, the university had five disciplines listed, with Pharmacy ranking first in China, earning the title of “Champion Discipline.”

The university actively supports major national strategies and continuously enhances its capacity for independent innovation in new drug R&D. It has established the National Key Laboratory of “Multi-Target Natural Medicines,” as well as provincial and ministerial-level key laboratories, engineering technology centers, and innovation platforms. These facilities provide comprehensive coverage across the three major fields of chemical drugs, traditional Chinese medicine, and biopharmaceuticals, offering all-around support for the development of various new drugs. The university has signed academic exchange agreements with 86 overseas universities and research institutions. In recent years, the university has received four Second Prizes of the National Science and Technology Progress Award, one Second Prize of the National Technology Invention Award, and two National Innovation and Excellence Awards. It consistently ranks first among Chinese universities in the number of projects approved under the national “Major New Drug Innovation” major science and technology special project.

The university will always adhere to Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era as its guiding principle and thoroughly implement the spirit of the National Education Conference; it will uphold the principles of fostering virtue through education, mastering professional skills to serve the public, and pursuing excellence, while courageously shouldering the mission of building a strong educational nation; it will remain committed to advancing pharmaceutical science for the people, upholding integrity while innovating, and striving with vigor to serve the Healthy China strategy, and will unite in striving to accelerate the establishment of a world-class university with distinctive strengths in pharmacy.