The college has a long-standing history of academic excellence. The College of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture boasts a rich academic heritage. Originating from the Department of Horticulture established in 1985 at Hubei Agricultural College, it evolved into the College of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture at Yangtze University in 2003, marking over 40 years of dedicated teaching, research, and talent cultivation. Upholding the motto of "Virtue and Diligence in Learning, Exquisiteness in Art and Beauty". With discipline construction as the leading factor, talent cultivation as the core, team building as the starting point, and integration of industry and education as the approach, it has established a complete higher education talent cultivation system for undergraduates, postgraduates and doctoral students, and has achieved fruitful results in teaching, scientific research and talent cultivation. The college currently offers four undergraduate programs: Horticulture, Landscape Architecture, Landscape Gardening, and Smart Agriculture, along with one micro-program in Nature Education. It is authorized to confer both master's and doctoral degrees. The institution has an enrollment of 828 undergraduate students and 321 graduate students (master's and doctoral candidates).
The faculty team is highly competitive. The college has a scientific research and teaching team led by innovative leading talents under the National Special Support Program for High-level Talents. Currently, there are 75 faculty members, including 58 full-time teachers, 15 professors (including 2 second-level professors), 27 associate professors, and 40 teachers with doctoral degrees. There are 5 doctoral supervisors and 52 master's supervisors. There is 1 leading talent under the National Special Support Program for High-level Talents, 1 expert enjoying the special allowance from the State Council, 2 talents under the "Hubei Province's Hundred Talents Program", 1 "Chutian Famous Teacher", 6 talents under the "Chutian Scholars Program", and 2 recipients of the Outstanding Youth Fund of the Natural Science Foundation of Hubei Province.
The college has achieved remarkable results in disciplines and scientific research. Guided by the disciplines of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, the college focuses on cutting-edge global technologies, economic priorities, and national strategic needs. Research centers on ginger, ginkgo, nanmu trees, mycorrhizae, walnuts, etc. Over the past five years, faculty have led or participated in 165 research projects, including national key R&D programs, National Natural Science Foundation projects, and Hubei provincial key R&D initiatives. They have won 20 provincial, ministerial, or industry association awards, including one first prize and six second prizes. Additionally, they have published 17 monographs and textbooks, over 600 high-impact papers, developed three new plant varieties, and secured 24 national invention patents. Currently, The college hosts one postdoctoral research station, one doctoral program in "Horticultural Plant Resources and Utilization", one master’s program in "Horticulture" and two professional master’s programs in "Landscape Architecture" and "Agronomy and Seed Industry". Landscape Architecture is a key developing discipline in Hubei, while Horticulture is a supporting discipline for the "Green and Efficient Agricultural Production" characteristic and advantageous discipline group of Hubei Province during the 14th Five-Year Plan period.
The specialty construction and teaching reform have achieved fruitful results. In 2022, smart agriculture was approved as a national new agricultural specialty. Horticulture was approved by the Ministry of education in 2014 as one of the first batch of "top-notch innovative talents" training mode reform pilot projects, in 2016 as the "Jingchu excellent agricultural and forestry talents" collaborative education program project in Hubei Province, and in 2019 as the first-class undergraduate major in Hubei Province. Landscape architecture was approved by the Ministry of education in 2014 as one of the first batch of pilot projects for the reform of the training mode of "compound application-oriented agricultural and forestry talents". It was approved as a first-class undergraduate major in Hubei Province in 2019 and a national first-class undergraduate major in 2022.
Over the past five years, 9 projects have been approved, including those related to the research and reform practice of new agricultural sciences by the Ministry of Education, the industry-education cooperation and collaborative education program of the Ministry of Education, and teaching research projects in Hubei Province. Four teaching achievement awards at or above the provincial level have been won. One second prize has been obtained in the Fourth National Teaching Innovation Competition for University Teachers. Five first-class courses in Hubei Province have been approved. In 2021, the teaching team for the series of courses of the Horticulture major was honored as a "Provincial Teaching Team" in Hubei Province. In 2024, the Horticulture Teaching and Research Office was awarded as an excellent grassroots teaching organization at the provincial level among universities in Hubei Province.
The scientific and educational platforms contribute to talent cultivation. The college has scientific and technological platforms such as the Hubei Key Laboratory of Germplasm Innovation and Utilization of Spicy Horticultural Plants, the R&D Center for Rapid Propagation of Virus-free Ginger Seeds in Hubei Province, the Nanmu Germplasm Resources Base of the Agricultural Science and Technology Industrial Park of Yangtze University, the Pilot Research Base for Transformation of Scientific and Technological Achievements in Hubei Province for Ginger Varieties and Green Production, and the Jingzhou City Enterprise-University Joint Innovation Center for Spicy Crops. It has established three types of functional laboratories, including basic teaching laboratories, innovation and training laboratories for college students, and scientific research laboratories, and has been approved for three provincial-level science and technology institutes.
The scientific research and teaching experimental platforms of the college have attracted more than 50% of undergraduate students majoring in Horticulture, Smart Agriculture, and Landscape Architecture, as well as 100% of postgraduate students to participate in the scientific research projects and experimental teaching of teachers, cultivating and improving students' scientific research literacy and experimental skills. In the past five years, more than 60 national and provincial innovation and entrepreneurship training projects for college students have been approved. In 2024, won the National Gold Award in the 11th China Youth Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition and the National First Prize in the Milan Design Week - Excellent Works Exhibition of Chinese University Design Discipline Teachers and Students. The employment rate of graduates has remained stable at over 95%. Graduates have high comprehensive qualities and strong practical abilities, and have been well received by employers. The admission rate of undergraduate students for postgraduate entrance examinations has been continuously rising. More than 100 students have been admitted to "Double First-Class" universities such as Zhejiang University, Shanghai Jiaotong University, China Agricultural University, Huazhong Agricultural University, and Nanjing Agricultural University.
Branding industry university research cooperation in running schools. Leveraging its disciplinary strengths, the college has built the cultural brand *"Youth in Art and Nature", inviting industry experts and entrepreneurs to campus for collaborative education. Students participate in competitions like the "Yangtze Cup" Landscape Design Innovation Contest, flower arrangement, tea art, and hand-drawn landscape design contests, as well as exhibitions featuring chrysanthemums, succulents, plant specimens, and fragrance displays. These activities enhance professional skills and enrich campus life. The college maintains partnerships with leading institutions such as the Wuhan Botanical Garden (CAS), the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hubei Forestry Survey and Design Institute, and provincial agricultural research academies. It has also established exchange programs with Seoul National University, North Dakota State University, Duke University, and the University of Calgary, facilitating joint research, scholar exchanges, and student mobility.
With the implementation of rural revitalization and "Beautiful China" initiatives, demand for horticulture and landscape architecture professionals continues to grow. Pursuing studies in this field promises a dynamic and rewarding future!
