As the birthplace of modern higher education in China, Tianjin University (formerly known as Peiyang University) has been driven by its mission to “advance education to strengthen the nation” since 1985. The School of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology has emerged as a key player in bridging China’s pharmaceutical education with global innovation, driven by the “Healthy China” strategy and medical science advancements. Under the leadership of Academician Liyuan Chai, President of Tianjin University, the School has made significant strides in interdisciplinary research, international collaboration, and talent development.
I. Unwavering Original Aspiration: 25 Years of Internationalization
(I) Born in Response to the Times, Shouldering the Mission of the Era
Tianjin University was established to address China’s pharmaceutical industry’s lack of innovation and core technologies. The school aimed to cultivate internationalised pharmaceutical talents and drive innovation. Led by Professor Kang Zhao as the first dean, the school established an educational orientation rooted in China.
In 2013, Professor Jay Siegel was appointed as the second dean— a milestone marking the entry of internationalized education into a more substantive phase. In 2014, the School was selected into the “Program for International Demonstration Colleges and Universities” under a joint initiative by the State Administration of Foreign Experts Affairs and the Ministry of Education.
In 2024, Professor Xiuyun Liu outlined a new blueprint for new drug research and development and talent training, integrating “medicine + pharmacy + public health emergency + life sciences”.
(II) Building Interdisciplinary Integration
Tianjin University has built a strong disciplinary system, offering a first-level doctoral program in pharmaceutical science, interdisciplinary programs like Health Service and Pharmaceutical Administration, and Biomedical Engineering. This integration supports addressing complex medial challanges. The School’s disciplinary strength has steadily improved with Pharmacology & Toxicology entering ESI Top 1% in 2018, pharmacy major ranking 8th in China in Shanghai Ranking’s Academic Ranking 2024, and Pharmacy and Pharmacology entering QS World University Rankings 201-250 bracket in 2025.
II. Cultivating Outstanding Pharmaceutical Talents
(I) Pioneering Full English-Language Training to Build an Internationalized Teaching System
Tianjin University pioneered a full English-language “undergraduate-master-doctoral” talent training system for pharmacy in China, enhancing students’ international communication and academic competitiveness. The school offers more than 60 full English-language courses, integrating international standards with Chinese characteristics.
To date, the School has 3 National First-Class Undergraduate Courses, 3 National Bilingual Teaching Demonstration Courses, and 3 National Excellent Courses for Professional Degree Postgraduates in Pharmacy. The school has attracted students from 18 countries worldwide, with a total of 100 international students trained.
(II) Gathering Global Talents to Build a Diversified Faculty
Tianjin University has attracted top international talents, including Nobel laureate Professor James Fraser Stoddart, to build a diversified faculty. The school’s 45 teachers include professors and associate professors from 18 countries, fostering a global academic atmosphere.
The faculty’s international expertise enhances research, teaching, and collaboration, driving pharmaceutical innovation.
(III) Strengthening Practical Innovation
The School emphasizes practical innovation, integrating theory with practice, and focusing on innovation and application. The school has established three high-level platforms — the Instrumental Analysis Center, the Cell and Tissue Pharmacology Center, and the Tianjin Municipal Demonstration Center for Experimental Teaching. These platforms provide students with more than 4,000 square meters of practical space and nearly 100 million yuan worth of scientific research equipment.
The school collaborates with leading pharmaceutical companies like Novo Nordisk and Hengrui Medicine, and also top research institutes to provide students with industry experience and exposure to cutting-edge trends.
III. Innovation as the Core: Engaging the Frontiers to Build a Highland for Scientific Research Innovation
(I) Focusing on Major Needs to Build Distinctive Research Directions
The School has formed an integrated scientific research chain of “basic research + application development + achievement transformation”. Since its founding, the School has consistently regarded scientific research innovation as a central mission, and the internationalized education model has provided a broad platform and resources for scientific research. The School hosts seven provincial and ministerial-level scientific research platforms, including the Neurocritical Care Medicine Innovation Center of the Ministry of Education and the Tianjin Key Laboratory for Modern Drug Delivery & High-Efficiency.
Its research focus areas include AI-aided drug discovery, drug-device combination, and natural products research.
(II) Adhering to Open Cooperation to Improve Scientific Research Innovation Efficiency
The School has consistently adhered to the combination of “going global” and “bringing in,” establishing in-depth cooperative relationships with leading universities, scientific research institutions, and enterprises around the world, hosting events like the “Symposium on Molecular Science and the Future of Human Technology” in February 2017, gathering five Nobel laureates and internationally renowned scientists.
The research achievements include over 600 papers published in top international journals such as Science, Nature Reviews Drug Discovery, and British Medical Journal, and winning 14 national-level scientific and technological awards, including the Second-Class National Science and Technology Progress Award, the First-Class Ministry of Education Natural Science Award, and the New Era New Youth Pioneer Award.
(III) Serving Health Strategies to Boost the Development of the Pharmaceutical Industry
The School is driving pharmaceutical innovation, focusing on major diseases like malignant tumors, neurodegenerative diseases, and infectious diseases. The school collaborates internationally, introducing advanced technologies and concepts to China’s pharmaceutical industry worldwide.
The School actively participates in the development of Tianjin’s biomedical industry cluster. As the chairman of the Tianjin Biomedical Discipline Innovation Consortium, it integrates industry-academia-research resources, promotes the local transformation of innovative achievements, and supports Tianjin’s development as a nationally important biomedical industry base.
IV. Openness as the Wing: Internationalized Education Connecting the Future of Chinese and Foreign Pharmacy
(I) Building an International Special Zone to Innovate Educational Institutions and Mechanisms
The Tianjin University is driving internationalised education, focusing on faculty recruitment, talent training, and scientific research management. The school has implemented a full English-language teaching + international tutor system, attracting global talents and promoting international cooperation. Its key initiatives include internationalized faculty recruitment, talent training, and scientific research management.
Expanding Global Cooperation in Pharmaceutical Education
Tianjin University expands its global cooperation network, partnering with renowned universities and scientific research institutions in the United States, Germany, the United Kingdom, France, and Switzerland. The school offers student exchanges, joint training, scientific research cooperation, and academic exchanges, providing students with an international learning experience. It invites scholars to provide lectures, broadening students’ perspectives.
Through these collaborations, the school promotes mutual understanding, cultural exchange, and shared development, introducing China’s pharmaceutical achievements and traditional medical wisdom globally.
Disseminating Chinese Medical Wisdom Globally
The School of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology disseminates Chinese medical wisdom worldwide, integrating traditional Chinese medicine into its curriculum and research. It researches the modernization and internationalization, publishing findings in international journals. The school collaborates with overseas institutions, welcome internaional students, and Chinese experience in global medical governance, contributing to human health security.
Against the backdrop of frequent global public health crises, the School works with the international community to explore effective paths for medical and pharmaceutical technological innovation and public health security, making positive contributions to building a community with a shared future for human health.
Shaping the Future of Pharmaceutical Education
Tianjin University is facing new opportunities and challenges on its 25th anniversary. The school will focus on deepening education reform, improving English-language talent training, and enhancing students’ innovation and global capabilities.
The school will increase scientific research investment in cutting-edge fields like AI-aided drug discovery and traditional Chinese medicine modernization. It will expand global cooperation with top universities and institutions.
The school invites universities and institutions worldwide to partner in talent development, research, and more. Working closely with partners across the global pharmaceutical community, the School is committed to shaping the future of pharmaceutical education and research and to contributing collectively to the advancement of human health.
