The College of Biology and Environment consists of the Department of Biological Sciences, the Department of Environmental Sciences, the Department of Food Science and an Experimental Center as well as its administrative departments. It offers eight undergraduate majors: Biotechnology, Biological Engineering, Biopharmaceutics, Environmental Science, Environmental Engineering, Food Science and Engineering, Food Quality and Safety, and Food Nutrition and Health. Biotechnology is a National Specialty Major, a National First-class Undergraduate Major, an Advantageous Major in the 12th Five-Year Plan of Zhejiang Province, a Specialty Major in the 13th Five-Year Plan of Zhejiang Province, and a Pilot Major for the National Entrepreneurship Education Experimental Area. Biological Engineering is a National First-class Undergraduate Major, and Food Quality and Safety is a Provincial First-class Undergraduate Major. The majors of Environmental Science and Environmental Engineering have established a “2+2” dual-degree cooperation program with the State University of New York at Plattsburgh in the United States. The College has a master’s program in Biological and Medical Engineering, offering research directions in Biotechnology and Germplasm Engineering, Food Nutrition and Processing Engineering, Bioproducts and Pharmaceutical Engineering, and Biological Resources and Environmental Engineering.
The College currently has 117 full-time faculty members, including 35 full professors, 39 associate professors, 66 PhDs, and 52 master supervisors. Among the faculty, there are 2 recipients of the State Council’s special government allowances, 1 recipient of the National Science Fund for Excellent Young Scholars, 1 National Outstanding Educator, 1 National March 8th Red Flag Bearer, 1 individual recognized as one of the National Phenomenons in the Field of Biomedicine, and 1 Outstanding National Sci-Tech Commissioner. In addition, there is 1 authorized scientist of the Ministry of Agriculture, 3 experts serving on the national and provincial Higher Education Teaching Guidance Committees, 2 Experts with Outstanding Contributions to Zhejiang Province, and 1 Meritorious Teacher of Zhejiang Province. 1 faculty member of the College has been selected for the “Ten-Thousand-Talent Program” of Zhejiang Province, and 10 has been selected as potential candidates of the “Zhejiang 151 Talent Project”. On the college faculty are 6 Young Academic Leaders in Zhejiang Province’s Universities, 1 of the Top 10 Outstanding Female Inventors of Zhejiang Province, and 6 Outstanding Sci-Tech Commissioners of Zhejiang Province. Furthermore, the College has 1 Outstanding Talent of Ningbo City, 3 Experts with Outstanding Contributions to Ningbo City, 16 Leading and Outstanding Talents of Ningbo City, 5 “Outstanding University Teachers of Ningbo City”, and 1 “Yongjiang Scholar” professor. Additionally, a group of renowned doctoral supervisors, industry experts, and professionals from various enterprises have been hired as members of the guidance committees and adjunct professors. The College boasts 1 national-level teaching team, 5 provincial and municipal-level science and technology innovation teams, and 9 municipal-level teams of sci-tech commissioners.
The College possesses various laboratories and research platforms covering a total area of approximately 16,000 square meters, with equipment assets valued at nearly 150 million yuan. Among its facilities are the National Demonstration Center for Experimental Education of Biotechnology, Laboratory for Biological Engineering (one of the Zhejiang provincial top key disciplines), Zhejiang Provincial Experimental Teaching Demonstration Center for Biological and Environmental Sciences, Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory for the Efficient Utilization of Aquatic Germplasm Resources, Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory for Aquatic Product Processing Technology, Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Post-harvest Preservation and Processing of Fruits and Vegetables, as well as the Ningbo Municipal Key Laboratory for Food Processing Technology and the Ningbo Municipal Key Laboratory for Microbiology and Environmental Engineering. Furthermore, the College has several specialized laboratories supported by the Zhejiang Provincial Department of Finance, covering disciplines related to biology, environment, and food. The College has established National Sci-Tech Commissioner Entrepreneurship Training Base, the State Oceanic Administration (SOA) Collaborative Innovation Public Service Platform for the Exploration and Utilization of Marine Biological Germplasm Resources, and the Zhejiang Collaborative Innovation Platform and the Analysis & Testing Center for Efficient and Healthy Aquaculture.
The College engages in over 200 ongoing research projects annually, with an average annual research funding of more than 23 million yuan. Faculty members contribute significantly to research, publishing over 100 research papers per year. In the past five years, the College has published two papers in Science and more than 500 papers have been published in other first-tier core journals or indexed in SCI and EI databases. Additionally, they have obtained over 70 authorized patents and received more than 20 awards for scientific and technological achievements at the national, provincial, ministerial, and municipal levels.
The College places a strong emphasis on cultivating students’ professional practical skills and fostering their innovation and entrepreneurial abilities. In the past three years, the undergraduate students of this college have participated in nearly 40 projects under the National Undergraduate Innovation and Entrepreneurship Training Program. They have published over 300 academic papers in core journals and applied for nearly 100 patents. Their achievements also include winning one second prize in the National College Student Challenge Cup, and one special prize and one second prize in the Zhejiang Provincial College Student Challenge Cup. Additionally, they have received nearly 50 national awards in Category A competitions for college students, along with more than 70 provincial-level awards.
In recent years, the first-time employment rate for undergraduate students has consistently been above 96%. More than 50% of graduates have chosen to work in Ningbo, and over 60% of students have found employment in fields related to their majors. Some students have successfully entered the civil service, while others pursue postgraduate studies at renowned institutions such as Tsinghua University, Zhejiang University, Jilin University, Xiamen University, Wuhan University, Central China Normal University, and various research institutes under the Chinese Academy of Sciences and ministries, as well as some international universities.
The College actively expands domestic and international exchanges, establishing collaborative relationships with renowned institutions such as Zhejiang University, Nanjing Agricultural University, Shanghai Ocean University, Yangzhou University, Duke University in the United States, SUNY Plattsburgh, Pennsylvania State University, Rutgers University, the Hamburg University of Applied Sciences of Design and Communication in Germany, University of Nottingham in the UK, University of Dundee in the UK, University of Hertfordshire in the UK, University of Alberta in Canada, and the Norwegian University of Life Sciences. These collaborations involve joint research projects, academic exchanges, and student training programs.