Tianjin University Earth System Science: A Century-Old Legacy Renewed

Tianjin University’s engagement with Earth Science dates back to its founding year in 1895, when then Peiyang University established the Department of Mining and Geography, marking the beginning of modern geoscience education in China.

In 1946, the Department of Geology was established, followed by the launch of the Geological Engineering Department in 1950. In 1952, during the nationwide reorganization of higher education institutions, the department was relocated to Beijing to help form the Beijing Institute of Geology, predecessor of today’s China University of Geosciences.

The Earth has always been a complex system. As global changes intensify and their systemic impacts become more pronounced, traditional single-discipline approaches are no longer sufficient to address the pressing environmental and societal challenges of our time. In response, Earth System Science has emerged, an integrative discipline that views the atmosphere, oceans, land, biosphere, and human sphere as interconnected components of a unified whole. It marks a shift from isolated, compartmentalized studies to coupled, systemic analyses, using holistic thinking to interpret phenomena such as the "butterfly effect."

In 2015, Tianjin University, driven by the academic vision of “revival and beyond,” invited renowned geochemist and academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences Liu Congqiang to lead the founding of the Institute of Surface-Earth System Science (ISESS). Under his guidance, the university became a national pioneer in constructing a theoretical framework for surface Earth system science, employing systemic thinking to meet global challenges. “Our mission is not to restart but to regenerate”, Liu emphasized.

The flame of modern geoscience education, first kindled in 1895 with the founding of the Department of Mining and Geography at Peiyang University, has now, ignited a new wave of innovation on the fertile ground of Tianjin University.

A decade of dedication has positioned Tianjin University as a new landmark in Earth sciences. Guided by top academicians and 22 national-level talents, the university has built a premier undergraduate program in Geography and launched China’s first interdisciplinary PhD in Earth System Science. With major research platforms including Tianjin’s first national field station and 13 high-impact papers published in Nature journals and PNAS, the university now ranks among the global top 1% in Earth Sciences and top 0.1% in Environmental and Ecological Sciences.

Milestones in a Decade of Growth

2015

Establishment of the Institute of Surface-Earth System Science (ISESS) at Tianjin University

2017

First international partnership signed with the Scottish Universities Environmental Research Centre (SUERC)

2018

Launch of the ISESS International Academic Advisory Committee

2019

Establishment of the Key Laboratory of Critical Zone Science and Sustainable Development in the Bohai Rim Region, Tianjin

Authorization to confer master’s degrees in Geography (first-level discipline)

2020

Founding of the School of Earth System Science and admission of the first undergraduate class in Geographic Science

2021

Tianjin University ranked among the global top 1% in Earth Sciences by ESI

Approval of Tianjin's first national field station: the Bohai Coastal Critical Zone National Field Observation and Research Station

2022

Approval to establish the nation’s first interdisciplinary doctoral program in Earth System Science

2023

First Prize in Tianjin’s Natural Science Awards

First approval for a National Science Foundation Innovative Research Group project

2024

Tianjin University ranked among the global top 0.1% in Environmental and Ecological Sciences by ESI

By: Qin Mian