Recently, Clarivate Analytics released the latest ESI data for March 2026 (covering the period from January 2015 to December 2025). After making its debut in the global top 0.01% in 2025, the chemistry discipline at Nankai University has climbed another eight places, entering the global top 10.

Behind this top-tier discipline ranking lies a comprehensive enhancement in overall academic strength. In the 2025 Soft Science Ranking of China's Best Disciplines, Nankai University's chemistry discipline ranked second nationwide; in the 2025 Global Ranking of Academic Subjects, it ranked among the world's top 10, with its position corroborating the ESI global top 10 achievement and jointly showcasing the leading position of chemistry at Nankai.

Chemistry at Nankai University has a long and storied history, tracing its origins back to the Department of Chemistry under the Faculty of Science （理科化学门 ） established at the inception of Nankai University in 1919. In 2021, on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the chemistry discipline at Nankai University, it was successfully selected as a discipline for the second round of the Double First-Class Initiative and was included in the First-Class Cultivation Action Plan. 

In the fifth round of discipline evaluations in 2022, it achieved a significant breakthrough. After a century of diligent efforts, chemistry at Nankai has yielded a bountiful harvest of scientific research achievements. In 2018, the project Creation of Ultra-Efficient Sulfonylurea Herbicides by the team led by Academician Li Zhengming was selected for the Exhibition of University Scientific and Technological Innovation Achievements on the 40th Anniversary of Reform and Opening Up; in 2019, the team led by Academician Zhou Qilin won the First Prize of the National Natural Science Award for their Discovery of Efficient Chiral Spiro Catalysts; in 2026, the international top-tier academic journal Nature published online the latest research achievements of the team from the College of Chemistry at Nankai University in the field of high-specific-energy lithium batteries, conducted in collaboration with other institutions. In recent years, the College of Chemistry has gradually established a number of high-level scientific research and teaching platforms, including three national key laboratories, one national engineering research centre, one frontier science centre, one national base for basic scientific research and teaching talent cultivation, and one national experimental teaching demonstration centre. 

Additionally, it has taken the lead in constructing the Haihe Laboratory of Material Green Creation and Manufacturing, spearheaded the establishment of the National New Energy Industry-Education Integration Community, and actively built the Nankai University-Cangzhou Bohai New Area Green Chemical Research Institute, striving to bridge the entire chain from basic research to applied transformation. These scientific research and teaching platforms are open to all students in the school, facilitating their comprehensive development and personalised growth. In November 2025, the Academic Committee Meeting of the Tianjin Key Laboratory of Energy Materials Chemistry was held, attended by nearly 20 industry experts, including Academician Chen Jun, Executive Vice President of Nankai University and a member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and Academician Li Jinghong from Tsinghua University, who serves as the Director of the laboratory's Academic Committee. Professor Niu Zhiqiang, the Director of the laboratory, provided a detailed report to the experts on the laboratory's construction progress, representative research achievements, and future development plans for the year. The experts fully affirmed the laboratory's phased achievements and offered constructive suggestions centred around the national major needs in the field of new energy chemistry.

For undergraduate teaching, Nankai Chemistry has established one of the first national experimental teaching demonstration centres, with all scientific research equipment and resources open to undergraduates. In their freshman year, students participate in laboratory experience programs, summer scientific research training, and chemistry experiment competitions; in their sophomore year, they can engage in national, municipal, and university-level scientific and technological innovation projects, independently designing or undertaking research topics. Each year, over 80% of students in the grade participate in scientific and technological innovation activities, significantly enhancing their scientific research capabilities and practical innovation skills. Nankai Chemistry transforms its top-tier scientific research platforms and profound historical heritage into a nurturing ground for every student. This comprehensive training system covering undergraduates ensures that the achievements of discipline construction are not only reflected in climbing rankings but also directly contribute to the growth and breakthroughs of generations of students. From its humble beginnings as the Department of Chemistry under the Faculty of Science in 1919 to its current position in the global top 10 of ESI rankings, every step forward for chemistry at Nankai University embodies the spirit of the university motto Dedication to Public Interests, Acquisition of All-round Capability, and Aspiration for Daily Progress, solidly grounding the advantages of basic disciplines in the daily practice of talent cultivation.

（News Sources: Nankai University）