BSc Bio Sciences awarded international accreditation

The undergraduate degree programme in biological sciences at Xian Jiaotong-Liverpool University has been awarded international accreditation by the Royal Society of Biology in a ceremony that took place at the Houses of Parliament in the UK.

XJTLU is the second university in the world to receive international accreditation from the RSB for an undergraduate degree programme.

The accreditation recognises excellence in teaching, curriculum provision, and technical skills development, as well the capacity of a programme to enhance graduate employability skills.

Speaking at the award ceremony, Professor Dame Jean Thomas, president of the Royal Society of Biology, said: “Accreditation recognises institutions that offer an outstanding bioscience education and equip their graduates with the skills needed to thrive in a global market.

"Championing high standards in education is critical to providing a foundation for a collaborative international biosciences community, and we are proud that the RSB can play a part in recognising and supporting this,” she said.

The ceremony was attended by Professor David O’Connor, head of the Department of Biological Sciences at XJTLU, and Chun-Yen Lu, a graduate of the programme who is currently studying for a PhD degree at the University of Cambridge.

Professor O’Connor (pictured above) commented: “Biological Sciences at XJTLU is still less than a decade old, so we’re surprised and delighted in equal measure.”

“The accreditation reflects an enormous amount of dedicated hard work by some very talented people in our Department, and I hope they are proud of what they have achieved in such a short time,” he added.

Chun-Yen Lu (pictured above) said: “It was so nice to be able to receive this award on behalf of students who are taking, or who have taken, this programme at XJTLU. I remember my time there with great fondness and I’m grateful for the excellent grounding in biological sciences that it gave me”.

The award was made after a comprehensive review of all aspects of the BSc Biological Sciences, including its curriculum, faculty qualifications, lab and library facilities, as well as its methods of assessment, and administrative and quality assurance processes.