Based on the previous Forestry Department (founded in 1958) of Guizhou Agricultural College and the Gardening major of Horticulture Department (founded in 1999), the College of Forestry of Guizhou University was established in 2002. With the basis of cultivating high-level talents, it focuses on the research and study of applied fundamental theory and applied technology, targeting at the cultivation of forest plantations in mountainous regions of south China, the restoration of degraded ecosystem in karstic mountainous areas, water and soil conservation, development and utilization of plantations resource, and landscape planning and design. The college contributes a lot to the development of forest industry, vegetation restoration, environmental protection, and landscape construction of Guizhou Province. It is the teaching and research base for specialists in the field of forestry in Guizhou Province, and the team of crucial importance for ecological construction in Guizhou Province and China.
The college has formed an integrated scheme of multidisciplinary studies. Currently, there are three research institutions: the Institute of silviculture and Ecology, the Research Center of Karstic Ecological Environment, and the Research Center of Forest Information and Engineering. The college has a key provincial discipline of silviculture, the right to confer PhD degree in silviculture, and the right to confer Master’s degree in silviculture, Ecology, Water and Soil Conservation, Wildlife Protection and Utilization, and Agricultural Popularization. The college offers undergraduate programs in four majors, including Forestry, Landscape architecture, Soil Conservation and Desertification Prevention and Control, and Forest Resource Protection and Recreation. The college has three specialized laboratories of silviculture, landscape engineering, soil and water conservation engineering; one forestry basic laboratory; and one experiment nursery; and some intern bases across Guizhou Province, which provides the platform for cultivating advanced talents. Among those disciplines, Forestry is the national characteristic subject (1st level), the model subject of colleges and universities in Guizhou Province, the brand subject of Guizhou University, and Landscape architecture is the characteristic subject of Guizhou University.
The college has a stable and well-organized team of 57 faculty members, of whom one is the awarded candidate of “the New Century Millions of Talent Project” in china, two are the management experts of Guizhou government, two excellent scientific and technological youth talents of Guizhou Province, one excellent scientific and technological scholar of Guizhou Province, one renowned teacher of Guizhou Province, four special allowance experts of the State Council and Guizhou government. There are 16 professors, 17 associate professors, 10 doctors, and teachers who are below the age of 40 all have doctorate and Master’s degree, or are studying for the relevant degree.
There are 790 undergraduates, 233 postgraduates and doctoral students, and 200 adult students taught by correspondence. The employment rate reached over 95% from 2007 to 2010.
The college obtained many scientific and research achievements. In recent 5 years, it undertakes 973 state research projects, more than 100 national research and science-supporting research projects of the state, ministries and provincial government, 7 international cooperating projects, being offered with the funds of over thirty-five million Yuan. Meanwhile, the college obtains more than 20 awards, including Progress Award (2nd Prize) in science and technology from the state, Award in Science and Technology of Liang Xi Forest Industry from the Chinese Forestry Association, Scientific and Technological Progress Award (2nd Prize and 3rd Prize) from Guizhou Provincial Government, and etc.
The college has its method of training qualified students. With its own characteristics, the college innovates the carries for activities, and combines the ideological education with practice, cultivation of humanistic qualities, and the work for poor students. The college carries out a series of work, and obtains favorable results, thus becomes the advanced college of social practice in Guizhou University.
