Introduction to the College of Economics and Management

Nanjing Forestry University is one of the first batch of "Double First Class" universities in China. It originated from National Central University (founded in 1902) and Jinling University (founded in 1910), and was one of the three key forestry colleges under the former Ministry of Forestry. The history of the College of Economics and Management at Nanjing Forestry University can be traced back to the establishment of the Forestry Economics Teaching and Research Group in 1956, the Department of Economics and Management (department level system) in 1985, the authorization of the master's program in 1986, the establishment of the College of Economics and Management with the approval of the former Ministry of Forestry in 1987, the start of doctoral enrollment and training in 1996, and the establishment of a postdoctoral research station in 2007. The college is one of the earliest institutions in China to establish a college level system. It has a long history of development, profound cultural accumulation, a gathering of renowned scholars, and distinctive disciplinary characteristics. It is a key center for scientific research and talent cultivation in the field of agricultural and forestry economics and management, especially in the field of forestry economics and management. Since its establishment 40 years ago, the college has been based on the fundamental task of "cultivating virtue and nurturing talents", adhering to the cultivation concept of "advocating academia and cultivating students with sincerity", with the vision of "becoming a leading, domestically first-class, and internationally renowned economics and management college", and the mission of "creating new knowledge of management, cultivating outstanding talents, and integrating people and nature". It has developed into a college that integrates economics and management and has important influence both domestically and internationally.

Discipline Construction and Professional Setting

The college currently has two doctoral degree authorization points for the first level discipline of agricultural and forestry economic management and the interdisciplinary doctoral degree authorization point of carbon neutrality science and technology. Among them, the agricultural and forestry economic management discipline is a key discipline of the National Forestry and Grassland Administration, a key discipline of Jiangsu Province, and an advantageous discipline of Jiangsu Province, and has a postdoctoral mobile station. The doctoral authorization program includes four secondary doctoral programs: Forestry Economic Management, Agricultural Economic Management, Resource and Environmental Ecological Economy, and Forest and Grass Carbon Sequestration Products and Trading. We have four first level master's degree authorization points in agricultural and forestry economic management, management science and engineering, applied economics, and business administration, as well as one interdisciplinary master's degree authorization point in carbon neutrality science and technology. Among them, applied economics (forest and grass resources and carbon neutrality) is a key discipline cultivated by the National Forestry and Grassland Administration. We have four professional degree authorization fields: Master of Business Administration (MBA), Master of Accounting (MPAcc), Master of Finance (MF), and Master of Agriculture.

The discipline of the college ranks among the top in multiple domestic and international third-party evaluations, with "General Social Sciences" entering the top 1% of ESI global rankings; The discipline of Agriculture and Forestry Economics and Management was rated A - (ranked 3rd nationwide) in the 2024 Times China Discipline Rating, 8th in the Best Discipline Ranking of Soft Science China in 2025, and 7th in the Discipline Ranking of ABC China University in 2025; The discipline of Business and Economics ranks 44th in the 2026 Times World University Subject Rankings (Chinese mainland universities); The MBA program has been awarded the Best MBA Program and Featured MBA Program Award by Chinese Business Schools for six consecutive years.

The college currently offers 8 undergraduate majors, including agricultural and forestry economic management, financial engineering, international economics and trade, accounting, business management, tourism management, big data management and application, and digital economy. Among them, agricultural and forestry economic management and financial engineering are national first-class undergraduate majors, while tourism management is a first-class undergraduate major in Jiangsu Province. In addition, the agricultural and forestry economic management major is also a national characteristic major, a key major in Jiangsu Province, and a brand major in Jiangsu Province. The financial engineering major is a first-class major in Jiangsu Province and a key major in Jiangsu Province. The international economy and trade major is a key major in Jiangsu Province, and the business administration major is a characteristic major in Jiangsu Province.

The college has over 4000 doctoral, master's, undergraduate, and various foreign students, including more than 1000 doctoral and master's students. In the past five years, four doctoral dissertations have been awarded the title of Excellent Doctoral Dissertation in Jiangsu Province, and over 20 master's dissertations have been awarded the title of Excellent Master's Dissertation in Jiangsu Province and the National Professional Education Guidance Committee. More than 100 student innovation and entrepreneurship projects have won the gold medal in the National Finals of the China International College Student Innovation Competition, the silver medal in the National Challenge Cup, and other important national and provincial awards.

 Faculty and Department Composition

The college currently has more than 160 faculty members (135 full-time teachers), including 35 professors and 50 associate professors. Among the experts and scholars in the college, there are 4 experts who enjoy special allowances from the State Council, 6 second level professors, and 3 chief experts of major projects funded by the National Social Science Fund. There is currently one leading talent in philosophy and social sciences under the national "Ten Thousand Talents Plan", one national level candidate for the "Hundred, Thousand, and Ten Thousand Talents Project" in the new century, one national cultural master and "Four One Batch" talent, and one national accounting leading (academic) talent; One outstanding talent of the Ministry of Education in the new century, one teaching master of the National Forestry and Grassland Administration, one teaching master of Jiangsu Province, and three leading talents of the "333 Project" in Jiangsu Province; In addition, more than 20 provincial and ministerial level talent projects such as the academic leader of Jiangsu Province's "333 Project", "Social Science Excellent Youth", "Six Talent Peaks", and "Green and Blue Project" have been selected.

Among the experts and scholars of the college, there are 2 people holding the posts of vice president of China Forestry Economic Association, vice president of China Rural Development Association, etc., 2 people holding the posts of member of the preparation group of the No. 1 central document, counselor of Jiangsu Provincial Government, etc., consulting experts of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Resource Committee, director of the Ecological Economics Department of the International Forestry Federation (IUFRO), and the Global Forest Ecological Economic Forum (GFEEF) There are 2 co chairs and 4 other positions, including Chairman of the Forestry Policy and Regulations Professional Committee of the China Forestry Economic Society, Vice Chairman of the Forestry System Engineering Professional Committee of the China Society of Systems Engineering, and Vice Chairman of the Forest Products Trade Professional Committee of the China Forestry Economic Society. In addition, there are more than 20 positions, including Executive Director of the China Ecological Economics Society, Executive Director of the China Management Science and Engineering Society, Vice Chairman of the Jiangsu Provincial Society of Systems Engineering, and member of the Rural Revitalization Expert Advisory Committee of the Jiangsu Provincial Agricultural Office and the Provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, as well as consulting experts in the Jiangsu Rural Reform Pilot Zone.

The college has established provincial and ministerial level teaching and research platforms such as the Excellent Innovation Team of Philosophy and Social Sciences in Jiangsu Universities, the Forest Product Economic and Trade Research Center of the National Forestry and Grassland Administration, the Ecological Economy Research Center, the Key Construction Base of Philosophy and Social Sciences in Jiangsu Universities, the Economic Development Quality Research Center, and the "Green Development and Ecological Civilization Construction" Science and Technology Think Tank Base of the Jiangsu Association for Science and Technology. There are five departments, including the Department of Agriculture and Forestry Economics, the Department of Business Administration, the Department of Management Science and Engineering, the Department of Applied Economics, and the Department of Accounting. The Department of Management Science and Engineering is a "National Model Party Building Branch", while the Party branches of the Department of Agriculture and Forestry Economics and the Department of Applied Economics are "Jiangsu Province Model Party Branches".

Scientific Research and Social Services

During the 14th Five Year Plan period, the college added a total of 65 national level projects funded by the National Social Science Fund and the National Natural Science Fund, including 6 major and key projects funded by the National Social Science Fund; More than 100 provincial and ministerial level research projects have been added, including the State Council Decision Consultation Research Project, the Ministry of Education Humanities and Social Sciences Fund, the National Bureau of Statistics Major Statistics Special Project, the Jiangsu Provincial Government Decision Consultation Research Key Project, the Jiangsu Provincial Social Sciences Fund Key Project, as well as various provincial and ministerial level projects such as the Ministry of Education, the Central Agricultural Office, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, and the National Forestry and Grassland Administration.

In the past five years, the college has published articles in Economic Research, Management World, Economics (Quarterly), China Rural Economy, Accounting Research, Journal of Management Science, and World Economy Nature Geoscience、Nature Food、AJAE、JAE、FPE  More than 500 high-quality research papers and over 40 academic monographs have been published in top academic journals both domestically and internationally. The scientific research achievements have won 10 first, second, and third prizes of the Ministry of Education's Excellent Achievements Award for Higher Education Scientific Research (Humanities and Social Sciences), 6 first and second prizes of the Jiangsu Provincial Excellent Achievements Award for Philosophy and Social Sciences, as well as the Liang Xi Forestry Science and Technology Award and other scientific research achievement awards from the State Forestry Administration. The decision-making consultation report has received 5 instructions from the Central Standing Committee and more than 20 instructions from provincial and ministerial level leaders such as the Central Agricultural Office, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, the National Forestry and Grassland Administration, and Jiangsu Province.

International Exchange and External Cooperation

The college has established close academic exchanges and cooperation with renowned universities and research institutions in countries such as Canada, the United States, Finland, Sweden, and Germany. It has also established teacher exchange and student cooperation training mechanisms with internationally renowned universities such as Yale University, Duke University, University of Toronto, UBC University, University of Washington, Michigan State University, Oregon State University, University of Georgia, Mississippi State University, Louisiana State University, and University of Helsinki. The college has established the "Rural Revitalization Talent Training Special Project" funded by the China Scholarship Council (CSC). In recent years, the college's overseas enrollment rate has consistently ranked first among all colleges in the university.

The college is located in the ancient capital of Nanjing during the Six Dynasties period, facing Xuanwu Lake and backed by Purple Mountain, with a superior location and a gathering of people and culture. The college will fully leverage the characteristics of agricultural and forestry economics and management disciplines, as well as the interdisciplinary advantages of economics and management, and strive to contribute wisdom and strength to the construction of national ecological civilization and high-quality economic and social development.

(Data update: February 2026)