Southwest Forestry University(西南林业大学)

Southwest Forestry University (SWFU) is an undergraduate forestry institution distinguished by forestry-related disciplines such as forestry, forestry engineering, landscape architecture, and agricultural and forestry economic management. The university has established a comprehensive talent cultivation system spanning undergraduate, master's, and doctoral education, as well as postdoctoral research, forming a multidisciplinary and coordinated academic layout. SWFU has successively been awarded numerous honorary titles, including National Advanced Collective in Afforestation, National Model Unit in Afforestation, National Demonstration Unit for Ethnic Unity and Progress, National May Fourth Red Flag Youth League Committee, Top Ten Universities for National College Students' Summer Practice, "National Public Institution Water Efficiency Leader," Yunnan Provincial Safe Campus, Provincial Green and Beautiful Campus, and Provincial Demonstration School for Forging a Strong Sense of Community for the Chinese Nation.

History

The university's origins trace back to the Department of Forestry at Yunnan University in 1938. It was officially established as the Kunming College of Agriculture and Forestry in 1958. In 1973, it merged with the Beijing Forestry College—which had relocated to Kunming—to form the Yunnan Forestry College. After the Beijing Forestry College moved back to Beijing in 1978, the school was renamed Yunnan Forestry College and placed under the direct management of the former Ministry of Forestry. It was renamed Southwest Forestry College in 1983. In 2000, it transitioned from an institution directly under the former State Forestry and Grassland Administration to one jointly constructed by the central and local governments, primarily managed by the province. In 2010, it was officially renamed Southwest Forestry University.

Teaching Institutions

Actively adapting to the needs of economic and social development, the university continually adjusts and optimizes its academic structure. It currently comprises 18 teaching institutions:

• College of Forestry (Asia-Pacific College of Forestry)

• College of Materials and Chemical Engineering

• College of Landscape Architecture and Horticulture

• College of Economics and Management

• College of Soil and Water Conservation

• College of Ecology and Environment (College of Wetlands)

• College of Biological and Food Engineering

• College of Big Data and Intelligent Engineering

• College of Machinery and Transportation

• College of Civil Engineering

• School of Marxism

• College of Art and Design (Art Museum)

• College of Humanities and Law

• College of Foreign Languages (International College)

• College of Science

• College of Physical Education

• Graduate School

• College of Continuing Education (Vocational and Technical College, Agricultural and Forestry Cadre College)

Faculty and Students

At a Glance:

• Total Students (Undergraduate, Master's, Doctoral, and International): Nearly 30,000

• Faculty and Staff: 1,738

• National, Provincial, and Ministerial-Level Talents: 340 person-times

• Yunnan Province "Xingdian Talent Support Plan": 229 individuals

The university currently hosts 340 person-times of talents at or above the national, provincial, and ministerial levels. Among its prestigious faculty are:

• 5 person-times of national-level talents

• 2 National Outstanding Teachers

• 1 National Young and Middle-aged Expert with Outstanding Contributions

• 4 experts enjoying special government allowances from the State Council

• 2 members of the Chinese Academy of Sciences' Hundred Talents Program

• 2 excellent talents from the former Ministry of Education's New Century Program

• 2 National Forestry and Grassland Teaching Masters

• 3 Leading Talents in Forestry and Grassland Scientific and Technological Innovation

At the provincial level, the university features 5 Outstanding Professional and Technical Talents with Outstanding Contributions to Yunnan Province, 13 experts enjoying special allowances from the Yunnan Provincial Government, and 34 Young and Middle-aged Academic and Technical Leaders of Yunnan Province, among others.

Talent Cultivation

Undergraduate Education: The university places high importance on teaching, currently offering 78 registered undergraduate programs (including 1 Sino-foreign cooperative program) and 10 second bachelor's degree programs. Highlights include:

• 3 National Category-I Distinctive Programs

• 4 National Outstanding Agricultural and Forestry Talent Cultivation Plan Programs

• 3 National Outstanding Engineer Cultivation Plan Programs

• 8 National First-Class Program Construction Sites and 24 Provincial Sites

Awards and Platforms: SWFU has received 1 second prize of the National Teaching Achievement Award, alongside 10 first prizes and 23 second prizes at the provincial level. The "Basic Experimental Teaching Center for Forestry Majors" is recognized as a national experimental teaching demonstration center. The university also boasts 9 National First-Class Undergraduate Courses and 1 National University Huang Danian-style Teacher Team.

Graduate Education and Disciplines: As one of the first institutions approved by the State Council to grant master's degrees, SWFU also holds doctoral degree-granting authority. It operates 3 postdoctoral research stations (Forestry, Forestry Engineering, Agricultural and Forestry Economic Management). It offers 4 first-level discipline doctoral programs and 1 professional doctoral program. Notably, SWFU ranks in the top 1% of the ESI global rankings for Plant and Animal Science, Environment and Ecology, Agricultural Sciences, Chemistry, and Engineering.

Scientific Research

Research Platforms: The university has been approved to establish several key platforms, including the National and Local Joint Engineering Research Center for High-efficiency Utilization Technology of Forestry Biomass Resources, the International Joint Research Center for Biomass Materials, the "111 Project" Base for Wood Science and Technology, and 1 Ministry of Education Key Laboratory. It manages a total of 69 provincial/ministerial and 30 departmental-level research platforms.

Research Achievements and Strengths: SWFU has won numerous accolades, including 2 second prizes of the National Science and Technology Progress Award and 1 National Innovation Excellence Award. Leveraging its regional, industry, and disciplinary advantages, the university holds leading positions domestically in areas such as biodiversity and nature reserve management, forest cultivation and protection, bamboo and rattan research, wood science and technology, and plateau wetlands. It has also made outstanding achievements in the study of ants, birds, and fish.

Cooperation and Exchange

SWFU continually strengthens its international outreach, having signed cooperation agreements with 78 universities and research institutions across 26 countries and regions. Key international initiatives include:

• Co-chairing the Steering Committee for the Asia-Pacific Forestry Education Coordination Mechanism.

• Establishing the "Taihe College of Forestry" (a non-independent legal entity Sino-foreign cooperative institution) with Kasetsart University in Thailand.

• Co-building 1 Confucius Institute and 1 Confucius Classroom in Mali, Africa.

• Partnering with the University of British Columbia (Canada) to establish the Asia-Pacific College of Forestry.

• Hosting international students from over 20 countries across five continents, covering all degree levels.

• Collaborating with APFNet to establish the Kunming Center, which hosts annual international forestry training for 21 economies across South Asia, Southeast Asia, and the South Pacific.

Campus Facilities

• Campus Area: Over 2,500 mu (approx. 411 acres), with core campus areas covering over 2,088 mu.

• Library Resources: A collection of over 2.14 million physical books (with earlier archives highlighting 1.79 million), 1.43 million electronic books, and 40 databases.

• Equipment: 181 large-scale instruments and equipment sets valued at 92.05 million RMB.

• Museums: The herbarium houses over 500,000 specimens and serves as a national and provincial science popularization education base. The Wood and Bamboo Museum spans 3,633 square meters, ranking at the forefront among national universities in terms of exhibition area and the volume of wood specimens.

Vision

Guided by the political construction of the Party and the fundamental task of fostering virtue through education, SWFU adheres to the motto "Cultivating Trees and People, Pursuing Truth and Perfection." The university is steadfast in its path of high-quality, distinctive, and connotative development, fully advancing its "Double First-Class" construction. By pooling its strengths, benchmarking against top-tier institutions, seizing opportunities, and pursuing excellence, SWFU aims to build a high-level university with distinct characteristics and international renown. It strives to make new and greater contributions to the comprehensive construction of a modern socialist country, the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, and the high-quality, leapfrog development of Yunnan Province.

(Data updated to the end of March 2026)