Distinguished History and Scenic Campus

The School of Geosciences traces its origins to the Beijing Petroleum Industrial College, founded in 1950 as New China’s first petroleum institution. Relocated multiple times, the school operated in Daqing and Jingzhou before settling at Yangtze University’s Wuhan Campus in 2012. Nestled beside Zhiyin Lake in Caidian District, Wuhan, the campus offers a serene and picturesque environment surrounded by water on three sides, combining tranquility with convenient transportation—an ideal setting for academic pursuits.

Comprehensive Education System and Advanced Teaching Platforms

The school boasts a complete talent cultivation system spanning undergraduates, master’s students, doctoral candidates, and postdoctoral researchers. It holds a first-tier doctoral program in Geological Resources and Geological Engineering with a postdoctoral research station, along with three first-tier master’s programs in Geological Resources and Geological Engineering, Geology, and Geomatics Science and Technology. Undergraduate programs include Resource Exploration Engineering, Geology, Geographic Information Science, and Geoinformation Science and Technology. Notably:

•    Resource Exploration Engineering is recognized as a National First-Class Undergraduate Program, a National Characteristic Specialty, and an Internationally Accredited Engineering Program. It has been selected for the Ministry of Education’s Comprehensive Reform Pilot, the Excellence Initiative, and Hubei Province’s Elite Talent Program.

•    Geology is a National First-Class Undergraduate Program.

•    Geographic Information Science is a Hubei Provincial First-Class Undergraduate Program and part of Hubei’s Strategic Emerging Industry Talent Training Plan.

The school offers master’s recommendation exemptions, combined master’s-doctoral programs, and serves as a Hubei Provincial Postgraduate Innovation Base.

The school features three National and Provincial First-Class Courses (Sedimentary Petrology, Petroleum and Natural Gas Geology, General Geology), three National and Provincial Top-Quality Resource-Sharing Courses, three National and Provincial Teaching Teams, and three Hubei Provincial Outstanding Teaching Units. It operates a National Off-Campus Practice Base (Jianghan Oilfield) and the Hubei Oil Exploration and Development Experimental Teaching Demonstration Center. Additional field training bases are located in Qinhuangdao (Hebei), Songzi, Daye, and Tongshan (Hubei), alongside industry-academia collaboration bases with CNPC, Sinopec, CNOOC, and Oklahoma (USA). Faculty have authored 4 National Planning Textbooks and 6 Higher Education Planning Textbooks, earning 10 National and Provincial Teaching Achievement Awards, including 1 National Second Prize and 4 Provincial First Prizes.

Distinctive Disciplines and Cutting-Edge Research

The discipline of Geological Resources and Geological Engineering is designated as a Hubei Provincial Domestically First-Class Construction Discipline, with four provincial-level academic strengths including Mineral Exploration and Prospecting, Geology, and Cartography and Geographic Information Systems—recognized as Hubei Provincial Key Disciplines, Advantageous Disciplines, and Innovative Disciplines with Outstanding Achievements. Its research infrastructure includes:

•    Key Laboratory of Oil and Gas Resources and Exploration Technology (Ministry of Education)

•    Joint Collaborative Innovation Center for Unconventional Oil and Gas

•    CNPC Key Laboratory of Oil and Gas Reservoirs

•    Hubei Engineering Research Center for Unconventional Oil and Gas Geology and Engineering

•    Hubei Key Laboratory of Complex Shale Gas Geology and Development in Southern China

The school has developed distinctive strengths in the disciplines of Geological Resources and Geological Engineering, Geology, and Geomatics Science and Technology, establishing unique academic identities in these fields.

The school aligns with China’s strategic imperatives of “Four Services” and “Four Orientations”, proactively addressing national priorities in energy security and supporting Hubei’s economic development. Leveraging its disciplinary strengths, it sustains industry-academia-research collaborations to translate academic insights into tangible solutions. This commitment to “grounding research in the nation’s needs” has significantly contributed to safeguarding China’s energy sovereignty and advancing regional socioeconomic progress. Over the past five years, the school has secured 200+ research projects, including the National 973 Program, NSFC Grants, and National Major Science and Technology Projects, with total research funding reaching 360 million CNY (72 million CNY annually). This robust financial and project portfolio has enabled high-quality training for both undergraduates and postgraduates.

Research achievements have garnered 26 national and provincial and ministerial awards, including:

1 National Grand Prize

2 National First Prizes

2 National Second Prizes

4 Provincial and Ministerial First Prizes

Elite Faculty and Outstanding Talent Development
The school employs 157 faculty members, including 125 full-time teachers (121 PhD holders), 32 professors, 45 associate professors, 22 doctoral supervisors, and 85 master’s supervisors. Recognized scholars include:

•    2 National High-Level Talents

•    3 Yangtze University Discipline Excellence Awardees

•    1 Hubei Specially-Appointed Expert

•    10 Provincial Talent Title Recipients

•    1 National Outstanding Teacher, 1 National Model Teacher

•    3 State Council Special Allowance Experts, 5 Provincial Government Allowance Experts

•    2 Hubei Natural Science Innovation Groups, 1 Hubei Outstanding Youth Scholar, 2 Hubei Teaching Masters

Over seven decades, the school has produced 10,000+ graduates, with 95%+ initial employment rates and 40%+ undergraduates pursuing postgraduate studies. Alumni excel as academic leaders, government officials, and industry pioneers. Current enrollment totals 2,065 full-time students, including 71 doctoral and 512 master’s candidates.