As a key national university under the direct administration of the Ministry of Education (MOE) and jointly affiliated to the National Forestry and Grassland Administration (NFGA), Beijing Forestry University (BFU) is consecutively listed among China’s prestigious universities. It has developed into a muti-disciplinary university based on biology and ecology, with leading positions in forestry, landscape architecture, forest engineering, agrostology and agro-forestry economics and management, together with an extensive coverage of disciplines in agriculture, science, technology, management, economics, liberal arts, law, philosophy, education, and fine arts etc. It was entitled to enjoy financial supports from the country’s educational initiatives like the Higher Education Reinvigoration Project 211 (Project 211) in 1996 and the Innovation Platform for Prioritized Academic Disciplines in 2008. In 2017, it was selected into the construction of World-class Discipline Universities and its two disciplines, forestry and landscape architecture, were on the shortlist of “Double First-class” discipline. Up to now, its 7 disciplines have entered the top 1% of ESI global ranking. Approved by the state in 1995, BFU established the first post-doctoral research station in forestry. At present, it runs 7 post-doctoral research stations in forestry, biology, agro-forestry economics and management, forestry engineering, landscape architecture, ecology, and agrostology.
The post-doctoral research station in forestry was set up in 1995. It currently includes several secondary disciplines, namely forest genetics and tree breeding, forest cultivation, forest conservation, forest management, wildlife protection and utilization, garden plants and ornamental horticulture, soil and water conservation and desertification etc. The station relied on the first-level discipline of forestry, which was originally known as the Forestry Section of the Imperial University of Peking (Jingshi Daxuetang, predecessor of Peking University) in 1902, and started to enroll graduate students in 1955. Since 1981, these backbone disciplines have successively become the pioneer in this field authorized the doctoral degrees. In 2000, it was officially approved as a first-level discipline with the right to grant doctoral degrees and was the only discipline which qualify with the same academic ability in forestry to apply for the degree. It was also rated as a key national first-level discipline in 2007 and was listed among “Double First-class” discipline in 2017. It always be the top in the National First-level Discipline Evaluations organized by MOE.
The post-doctoral research station in biology was set up in 1998. Up to now, its secondary disciplines include botany, biochemistry and molecular biology, microbiology, cell biology, computational biology, bioinformatics, genetics and zoology etc. In 2012, the first-level discipline of biology was approved as a key municipal discipline in Beijing. In 2015, it was approved as a first-level key discipline of the State Forestry Administration (SFA, nowadays NFGA).
The post-doctoral research station in agro-forestry economics and management was established in 2003. Currently, it enjoys certain secondary disciplines, namely forestry economics and management, agricultural economics and management, forestry resource economics and environmental management. In 2007, the discipline of agro-forestry economics and management was identified as a national characteristic specialty. In 2012, the first-level discipline of agro-forestry economics and management became a key municipal discipline in Beijing, ranked the eighth in MOE Discipline Evaluations and the first among all the agricultural and forestry universities. In 2015, it was rated as a first-level key discipline of SFA and a key national discipline (top seed).
The post-doctoral research station in forestry engineering was found in 2003 and includes several secondary disciplines, namely wood science and technology, forest chemical processing and engineering, forest engineering, forestry information engineering and forestry equipment engineering. The station relied on the first-level discipline of forest engineering which was one of the earliest disciplines set up in this field in China. The discipline was approved by the Academic Degrees Committee of the State Council as one of the first disciplines with the right to confer master’s degree in 1981 and doctoral degree in 1986. It became the key municipal discipline in Beijing in 2008 and the first-level key discipline of SFA in 2015. In 2007, wood science and technology, its sub-discipline, became a key national discipline. The discipline of forest engineering is also the key construction discipline of “Innovation Platform for Prioritized Academic Disciplines” , “Project 211” and “Education Revitalization Action Plan”.
The post-doctoral research station in landscape architecture was established in 2007. Its research areas are crossed, integrated and comprehensively developed. There are historical theory of landscape architecture, planning and design of landscape architecture, landscape planning and ecological restoration, landscape engineering and technology, landscape plants and its applications, landscape heritage protection and utilization, etc., which form a cluster of advantageous disciplines. The station relied on the first-level discipline of forest engineering which ranked first in the MOE National First-level Discipline Evaluations in 2012. In 2016, it obtained A+ in the MOE evaluation and continued to take the lead. Coordinating with urban-rural planning and architecture, the first-level discipline of landscape architecture, entered the ranks of World-class Discipline in 2017. In 2018, it was shortlisted for the first-class discipline jointly constructed by Beijing Municipal Government and universities affiliated with central departments.
The post-doctoral research station in landscape architecture was established in 2007. Its research areas are crossed, integrated and comprehensively developed. There are historical theory of landscape architecture, planning and design of landscape architecture, landscape planning and ecological restoration, landscape engineering and technology, landscape plants and its applications, landscape heritage protection and utilization, etc., which form a cluster of advantageous disciplines. The station relied on the first-level discipline of forest engineering which ranked first in the MOE National First-level Discipline Evaluations in 2012. In 2016, it obtained A+ in the MOE evaluation and continued to take the lead. Coordinating with urban-rural planning and architecture, the first-level discipline of landscape architecture, entered the ranks of World-class Discipline in 2017. In 2018, it was shortlisted for the first-class discipline jointly constructed by Beijing Municipal Government and universities affiliated with central departments.
The post-doctoral research station in ecology was established in 2012. It currently includes three secondary disciplines, namely forest ecology, wetland ecology and microbial ecology. The first-level discipline of ecology supporting the station originated from the the discipline of forestry which was established in 1952. It has developed into a comprehensive research system with forestry and ecology as the core, with natural conservation as its characteristics, together with the areas, such as wild animals and plants, forests, grasslands and wetlands, etc. A number of excellent achievements have been produced in theories and applications of forest ecosystem protection and restoration, wetland and water resources protection and management, water environmental pollution control, and microbial ecology. At present, this subject has become a Beijing key discipline, NFGA key discipline and also the key construction discipline of “Project 211” and “Innovation Platform for Prioritized Academic Disciplines”.
The post-doctoral research station in agrostology was found in 2014 and has two secondary disciplines, range science and turfgrass, right now.
The first-level discipline of agrostology supporting the station was formally established in 2001. It is the earliest and the only discipline of agrostology set up in forestry colleges and universities throughout the country. In 2003, it was awarded the right to confer master’s and doctoral degrees. In 2008, it was selected as a Beijing key discipline. In 2011, it was awarded the qualification for a doctoral degree in the first-discipline of agrostology. In 2019, the major of pratacultural science was listed the first batch of the construction of national first-class undergraduate discipline. Nearly 20-year development has forged it into a strong and well-reputed discipline in the field of agrostology at home and abroad with a high scientific research level and influence as well.
