About
Department of Chemistry
Learning and Teaching
The ambition of the Department of Chemistry is to establish itself as a leading centre for research and teaching. Currently, we offer an undergraduate degree programme in chemistry and an MRes in advanced chemical sciences.
The structure of the undergraduate degree programme is designed to accommodate the background and specific requirements of students and is compatible with the modules offered by University of Liverpool so students may spend their last two years studying at Liverpool. To consolidate the learning of theoretical chemistry, students spend a high percentage of time performing practical experimentations. Our laboratories are equipped with modern facilities, where students are exposed to the state-of-the-art equipment and instrumentations used by respectable industries and research institutes.
In their final year, students are required to undertake mini research project as an essential part of their training. These projects are carried out in real research environments and aim to tackle real research objectives. At the end of the project, students are required to submit a thesis detailing the background, experimental approach and a discussion of results. The programme, and its teaching, gives student a taste of research career and exposes them to current research topics in the department. This hands-on experience with modern technologies and first-hand experience in research activities makes our graduate students more competitive in establishing a career in both academic and industrial environments.
Royal Society of Chemistry accreditation
The department’s BSc Applied Chemistry programme has been accredited by the Royal Society of Chemistry in the United Kingdom, one of the world’s foremost professional bodies for chemical scientists.
The accreditation means that upon graduation, BSc Applied Chemistry students will have partially gained the academic requirements needed to achieve chartered status and be able to demonstrate internationally recognised standards of competency as chemists.
The Department of Chemistry at XJTLU is the first at an independent Sino-foreign university in China to achieve this accreditation for its undergraduate degree programme.
The Department of Chemistry has identified the following key research directions based on the strength of our academic team and the strategic direction of XJTLU:
- Sustainable Energy
- Functional Materials
- Medicinal and Organic Chemistry
For a brief summary of each staff’s research interest, please click here for more information.
Links to external research partner
We have established research cooperation with local Biotech companies, Suzhou University, The University of Liverpool and the Suzhou Institute of Nano-Tech and Nano-Bionics (SINANO).
We have links with the Marine and Environmental Sensing Technology Hub (MESTECH), an environmental research centre that focusses on marine environment monitoring, established in 2011 at the National Centre for Sensor Research, Dublin City University, Ireland. Professor Kim Lau was a member of its founding committee and remains an active member since joining XJTLU.
The Laboratory for Advanced Materials and Sensor Technology (LAMST) is under development to link to the China-Ireland Center for Advanced Materials and Sensor Development, which was established in 2007 with the China-Ireland Collaboration Funding awarded to Professor Kim Lau and Professor Xiaoxia Liu at North Eastern University, Shenyang. The main focus of the laboratory is on novel material research and their application in catalysis and sensing.
Industry, business and community
Our department enjoys a number of connections with industry and research institutes including:
Sengen Medical (Suzhou) Co., Ltd
An SME biopharm company situated in BioBay in Suzhou Industrial Park (SIP). We have established strong collaborations in the area of drug research and development and Sengen provides our students with internship opportunities in Suzhou.
Institute of Nano-tech and Nano-bionics (SINANO)
Our department’s close working relationship with SINANO supports research collaborations and student training. Many XJTLU students work there as intern researchers or conduct their final year projects there, co-supervised by staff from both institutions.
Thermo Fisher Scientific
We are strongly linked with Thermo Fisher, one of the world’s largest chemical manufacturers and suppliers, and are developing summer internship opportunities.
Introduction
The Department of Chemistry at Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University was established in 2011 and has a strong body of academic staff members and multiple operational research and teaching laboratories. The fast development is both exciting and challenging.
Chemistry has been called a “central science” of the 21st century because it is the foundation of all of today’s frontier research, from nano-technology to computer chips, and from green energy to molecular biology. Our department’s research emphasis focusses mainly on chemical biology and advanced functional materials.
Students in the Department of Chemistry benefit from fast-growing programmes and first-rate academic staff as well as multiple operational research and teaching laboratories.
Chemistry plays an important role in pharmacology and drug discovery, nanotechnology, advanced materials, space research and environmental protection. This is reflected in our research areas.