The College of Food Science at Southwest University (SWU) was founded in 1983 and has since grown to offer a full range of programs from undergraduate to postdoctoral levels. Doctoral degrees are available in food science, food, grain, oil, fat, and plant protein engineering, agricultural products processing and storage engineering, and aquatic products processing and storage engineering. The college also offers master’s degrees in six disciplines, including food science, grain and oil processing, and agricultural products processing. Since 1983, it has trained over 1,868 master’s and doctoral students and more than 6,000 undergraduates. Currently, the college has 1,258 students, including 276 master’s and 28 doctoral students.
The college’s faculty comprises 102 members, including 28 professors (one of whom is a chair professor), 18 doctoral supervisors, and 32 associate professors. Research focuses on the entire food industry chain, covering areas such as the deep processing and storage of citrus, spice and seasoning technologies, rabbit meat processing and hotpot ingredients, and key technologies related to sweet potato, konjac, and tea. The college integrates expertise from agriculture, industry, and related fields to promote interdisciplinary innovation.
Six research centers operate under the college, specializing in Food Chemistry and Safety, Food Nutrition and Health, Animal Food Processing, Modern Food Processing Technology, Food Storage and Logistics Packaging, and Tea and Specialty Resources Processing. The college also hosts key platforms, including the Chongqing Specialty Food Engineering Technology Center (established in 2006), the Chongqing Key Laboratory of Specialty Foods (since 2021), and the Sichuan Cuisine and Yu Flavor Industry Innovation Institute.
The college maintains extensive international ties, collaborating with universities and research institutes in the United States, Japan, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Hungary, Thailand, Canada, Australia, Sweden, Israel, South Korea, and Denmark, as well as with institutions in Taiwan and Hong Kong. It has also established a joint Chinese-foreign education program in food quality and safety with the University of Tasmania. The college’s majors in food science and engineering, tea science, and packaging engineering are open to international students, offering courses in both English and Chinese. Strong connections with local food processing companies in Chongqing further support its teaching, research, and industry collaborations.
More information: http://spxy.swu.edu.cn/English/Introduction.htm.
