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, 8,462 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 1,919 staff members, including 1,171 full - time teachers, 309 with full - time senior professional titles, and 492 with associate senior professional titles. Among them is one member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, one member of the German Academy of Sciences, 21 senior national talents, 81 young national talents, and 17 recipients of the State Council's Special Allowance. There are also two national - level teaching masters and 4 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, 8 Jiangsu Province Double - Innovation Teams, 9 Jiangsu Provincial Department of Education Science and Technology Innovation Teams, and 7 Blue Project Scientific Innovation Teams, and 5 outstanding teachers team.

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 prioritizes both fundamental research and new drug development, adhering to a dual-pronged approach that ensures both areas are equally robust. In 2024, it secured RMB 703 million in research funding. It hosts the National Key Laboratory of Multi-Target Natural Medicines and operates 47 provincial-level or higher platforms covering all stages of preclinical drug innovation, including national and provincial key laboratories, technology platforms, and engineering centers. This comprehensive network spans chemical drugs, traditional Chinese medicine, and biopharmaceuticals, providing end-to-end services for diverse drug development. In recent years, the university has secured four National Science and Technology Progress Awards (Second Class), one National Technology Invention Award (Second Class), and two National Innovation Pioneer Awards. It has published over 450 high-impact research papers in top-tier journals as the first or corresponding author institution, and leads all Chinese universities in securing National Major Science and Technology Special Projects for “Major New Drug Innovation.” The university has been approved to lead 17 National Key R&D Program projects, including four with total funding exceeding 20 million yuan. ‍It has secured 1,561 National Natural Science Foundation projects with direct funding reaching 769.8 million yuan, including 72 major, key, and outstanding talent projects. Nanjing Tianyinshan Hospital, Nanjing Pukou Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Nanjing Jiangning Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai Gaobo Cancer Hospital, Beijing Gaobo Hospital, and Anqing Municipal Hospital have been formally designated as affiliated hospitals of the university. Close collaboration with Nanjing First Hospital and Nanjing Gulou Hospital has enabled deep integration of medicine and healthcare, breaking down barriers between early-stage drug development and clinical research. Jiangsu Hengrui Medicine Co., Ltd. and Nanjing Shenghe Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. have successively established operations at the base, achieving “zero-distance” integration through “enterprises entering universities” and “services entering enterprises.” A series of university-local innovation platforms, including the China Pharmaceutical University Hangzhou Innovative Drug Research Institute, the Chongqing China Pharmaceutical University Innovation Research Institute, the China Pharmaceutical University Original Drug Research Institute, the Wuxi Innovative Drug and Life Health Research Center, and the China Pharmaceutical University Translational Medicine Research Institute, are playing an active role. In July 2024, the university hosted the “China Biomedical Industry-Education Integration Consortium Founding Conference,” inviting over 400 leading entities from government, industry, academia, and research sectors to jointly explore development strategies. This initiative actively pioneers new pathways for innovative drug development in China, continuously enhancing drug discovery capabilities and comprehensive service levels across the entire pharmaceutical R&D value chain.

As one of the inaugural participating institutions in the regional center initiative, the university is actively involved in establishing the National University Biomedical Technology Transfer and Transformation Center (Jiangsu Nanjing). It has initiated a strategic partnership with Nanjing Jiangbei New Area to jointly build the China Pharmaceutical University Jiangbei Innovation Center. By pooling strengths in disciplines and talent resources, the center deepens university-local collaboration and joint research efforts to create a hub for original drug R&D and a base for innovative product transfer and transformation, further advancing the integration of science, education, and industry.‍‍

In recent years, the university has proactively aligned with national strategic needs, establishing 135 technology transfer service platforms. It has built an integrated system for transforming research outcomes, featuring synergistic collaboration among the Technology Transfer Center, Intellectual Property Operations Center, Proof-of-Concept Center, and regional research institutes. The university has provided over 7,000 key drug development services to more than 2,300 enterprises and institutions, with total project value exceeding 5.7 billion yuan. It has secured 2 National New Drug Certificates and 21 New Drug Clinical Trial Approvals; obtained 2,128 authorized invention patents, with 253 patents successfully commercialized, generating a total value of 2.651 billion yuan. Among these, 13 patent commercializations exceeded 100 million yuan per contract, and 42 surpassed 10 million yuan per contract. The university has received honors including the China Industry-University-Research Cooperation Promotion Award and the China Technology Market “Golden Bridge Award.” It has developed over 1,000 new drugs and generic drugs, including guanfu-ma-su hydrochloride, apretinib, edaravone, ginkgolide injection, irinotecan, vinorelbine, and indapamide. The transformation of these achievements has generated direct economic benefits exceeding 400 billion yuan, making the university a key engine driving the development of China's pharmaceutical industry.

The university proactively serves national poverty alleviation and rural revitalization strategies. In 2012, eight ministries including the State Council Leading Group Office of Poverty Alleviation and Development, the Organization Department of the CPC Central Committee, and the Ministry of Education jointly designated the university as the designated poverty alleviation partner for Zhenping County, Ankang City, Shaanxi Province. Leveraging Zhenping County's resource endowments, the university has fully utilized its disciplinary strengths, talent pool, and technological advantages to implement tailored strategies. Through coordinated planning and major project implementation, it has advanced the “integration of primary, secondary, and tertiary industries” strategy, driving the development of Zhenping's full traditional Chinese medicine industry chain. This has established the sector as the county's leading industry for consolidating poverty alleviation achievements and advancing rural revitalization. From 2016 to 2024, the university was selected nine consecutive times as a model project for targeted assistance among universities directly under the Ministry of Education. Since the implementation of the central government units' targeted assistance effectiveness assessment in 2017, it has consistently received a “Good” rating in the classification evaluation for six consecutive years. In 2023, it was selected as one of the Fourth Global Best Practices in Poverty Reduction. In 2025, it received the Special Award for Outstanding Achievements in Targeted Assistance among universities directly under the Ministry of Education.

The university was among the first institutions designated by the Ministry of Education to receive international students, visiting scholars, and senior researchers in the field of pharmacy. In recent years, responding to the substantial increase in international student enrollment and the steady improvement in student quality, the university has established a fully English-taught integrated undergraduate-master's-doctoral program. It has launched a “dual-degree undergraduate program” with the University of Michigan and the University of Edinburgh; implemented “joint undergraduate-master's programs” with Temple University, Pacific University, and the National University of Singapore; The collaborative programs in Pharmacy with the University of Strathclyde and in Clinical Pharmacy with the University of Manchester have yielded outstanding results. Over 40% of graduates pursue further studies at top-tier universities ranked among the world's top 100, with some admitted to prestigious institutions like Harvard University and the University of Oxford. The School has educated over a thousand doctoral, master's, undergraduate, and visiting students from nearly 70 countries and regions worldwide.

The university has signed academic exchange agreements with 86 overseas institutions and research organizations. Nearly ten programs have received funding from the China Scholarship Council's “International Collaborative Training Program for Innovative Talents,” and the university has been designated an “Innovative Practice Base for Cultivating High-Level Internationalized Talents” by the Ministry of Education. Since 2021, it has been approved to establish the “International Collaborative Joint Laboratory for Target Discovery and New Drug Creation,” a project jointly initiated by the Ministry of Education and Jiangsu Province. The Pharmacy and Biopharmaceutical programs have been designated as Jiangsu Provincial “Brand Programs for Cultivating International Talent in Higher Education.” In 2024, the university secured approval to establish one Jiangsu Provincial Foreign Expert Laboratory.

The university has collaborated with Nobel laureates Professor Louis J. Ignarro (Physiology or Medicine) and Professor Michael Levitt (Chemistry) to establish research stations. In 2015, the university spearheaded the establishment of the Sino-American Alliance of Pharmaceutical Schools and, upon invitation from renowned international institutions, joined various cooperative alliances to continuously build a global partnership network. In 2016, entrusted by the International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP) and the Chinese Pharmaceutical Association, the university hosted the “Global Pharmaceutical Education Conference,” showcasing China's pharmaceutical education development experience to over 500 delegates from 47 countries and regions worldwide. In 2018, the university hosted the inaugural International Forum on Pharmacy School Development, bringing together over 40 deans from the world's top pharmacy schools for high-level discussions. Participants collaboratively explored pathways for pharmacy education advancement and deeply examined opportunities and challenges facing the future of pharmacy. Since 2021, the university has successively joined more than ten international alliances, including the Suzhou-Hong Kong-Macao University Cooperation Alliance, the China-Central and Eastern European Countries University Consortium, the Jiangsu-Canada University Cooperation Alliance, and the Jiangsu-Korea University Alliance. Building on this foundation, in 2023, the university hosted the Second International Forum on Pharmacy School Development. It spearheaded the establishment of the Global Alliance for Pharmacy Development, comprising 36 universities from 14 countries, serving as its inaugural chair institution. The alliance released the Nanjing Consensus on Global Pharmacy Education Development, broadly uniting developmental forces and seeking new opportunities for mutually beneficial cooperation. In 2024, the university successfully convened the Second Belt and Road International Forum on Pharmaceutical Industry-Academia-Research-Application Cooperation and established the Belt and Road Pharmaceutical Cooperation Alliance. With 62 member institutions from 32 countries, the alliance continues to advance strategic cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative and propel the international development of the pharmaceutical industry.

The university remains committed to its fundamental mission of fostering virtue through education. It fully implements initiatives including the Ideological and Political Education Project for Unifying Hearts and Forging Souls, the Student Affairs Quality Enhancement Project, the Mental Health Enlightenment and Nurturing Project, and the Comprehensive Development Safety Protection Project. These efforts strengthen ideological guidance and daily management services for students, supporting their growth and development.

Aligned with the needs of the pharmaceutical industry chain, the university offers comprehensive, multi-tiered training programs to cultivate high-caliber pharmaceutical professionals. Graduates are highly sought after by employers for their solid foundational knowledge, strong practical skills, and strong sense of social responsibility. The university maintains an exceptionally high graduate employment rate, consistently ranking among the top institutions in the Double First-Class initiative and among universities directly under the Ministry of Education. The university demonstrates significant advantages in key employment quality indicators, including undergraduate overseas study rates, employment at high-quality institutions, job-major alignment, and graduate satisfaction. Employment quality continues to improve, with the university's career and entrepreneurship initiatives receiving multiple provincial honors and featured coverage by central and provincial media outlets.

Over eight decades, the university has educated more than 100,000 graduates, including numerous academic pillars, industry leaders, and political elites who have made significant contributions to China's health and healthcare sector. The university has produced 10 academicians and a cohort of renowned experts in pharmaceutical sciences. Notable figures include: Peng Sixun, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, one of the founders of China's chemical pharmaceutical and medicinal chemistry disciplines, and a renowned medicinal chemist; Xu Guojun, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, founder of microscopic identification of Chinese herbal medicines, and a renowned pharmacognosist; Yuan Chengye, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, a renowned organic chemist who made significant contributions to China's “Two Bombs, One Satellite” program; Shen Jiaxiang, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, pioneer in developing modern production technologies for China's pharmaceutical industry, and renowned medicinal chemist; Zhou Jun, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, renowned botanist and phytochemist; Hu Zhibi, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, pioneer in traditional Chinese medicine biotechnology, and renowned expert in traditional Chinese medicine bioengineering; Wang Guangji, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and renowned pharmacokineticist; Lai Maode, Academician of the German Academy of Sciences and distinguished pathologist; Xie Jingxi, renowned medicinal chemist who successfully developed three significant innovative drugs; Xie Zongwan, distinguished pharmacognosist and herbal medicine expert; Liao Qingjiang, one of the pioneers in China's steroid drug R&D field and a renowned pharmacologist; Liu Guojie, China's first licensed pharmacist in history and a renowned pharmaceutics expert; An Dengkui, a leading advocate for China's analytical chemistry discipline and a renowned analytical chemist; Zhang Chengui, Chief Technical Expert and Lifetime Senior Advisor of Tianjin Zhongxin Pharmaceutical Group Co., Ltd., and developer of the “Quick-acting Heart Rescue Pills.”

The new era brings new opportunities, and new opportunities call for new actions. In 2019, the university convened its 10th Party Congress, further establishing the grand goal of building a “world-class research university with distinctive pharmaceutical characteristics.” It proposed a three-step strategic vision: Step One (by 2026, the university's 90th anniversary): Lay the foundation for building a world-class research university with distinctive pharmaceutical characteristics; Step Two (from 2026 to 2036, the university's centennial): Enter the ranks of world-class research universities with distinctive pharmaceutical strengths; Step Three (from 2036 to the mid-21st century, the centenary of the People's Republic of China): Achieve the status of a world-class research university with distinctive pharmaceutical strengths.

Currently, the university has embarked on a new journey of high-quality development, confidently setting out on a fresh path of striving for excellence. All members of the China Pharmaceutical University community are advancing with determination and a pragmatic, focused work ethic toward the goal of building a world-class research university with distinctive strengths in pharmacy, tirelessly striving to compose a new chapter in national health.