In order to respond to the national goals of carbon peaking and carbon neutrality, build scientific and technological innovation platforms in the field of carbon neutrality in colleges and universities, cultivate more high-caliber talents, and carry forward Jilin University’s competitive advantages and characteristics of underground new energy, Jilin University has carried out a strategic layout in the frontier field of new energy-related disciplines, and established new energy-related disciplines and undergraduate majors since 2018. In May 2020, the Department of New Energy Science and Engineering was officially established.

    The Department of New Energy Science and Engineering now has an undergraduate major of “New Energy Science and Engineering” and a self-established cross-disciplinary secondary discipline of “Underground New Energy and Carbon Storage Engineering”. The undergraduate major of “New Energy Science and Engineering” was approved by the Ministry of Education in March 2020, and the first batch of undergraduate students was enrolled in September 2022. The self-established cross-disciplinary secondary discipline of “Underground New Energy and Carbon Storage Engineering” was approved by the Ministry of Education in September 2022, and will recruit master’s and doctoral students in September 2024. After more than ten years of accumulation and five years of preparation, a “bachelor-master-PhD” talent training system in the field of new energy and carbon neutrality has been formed.

    The construction of the undergraduate major of “New Energy Science and Engineering” and the self-established cross-disciplinary secondary discipline of “Underground New Energy and Carbon Storage Engineering” is the new driver of the development of disciplines in Jilin University, and an important measure to build an emerging interdisciplinary highland. It facilitates a better combination of developing the primary productive force of science and technology, cultivating the first resource of talents, and enhancing the first driving force of innovation, thus providing scientific and technological support and talents for carbon peaking and carbon neutrality.

    The Department of New Energy Science and Engineering adopts the concept and measures of introducing new talents and training the existing faculty, and has built a faculty with high academic ability and teaching skills. At present, there are 14 professional teachers, including 5 professors, 4 associate professors, 5 lecturers, 1 nationally acclaimed talent, 4 “Tang Aoqing Distinguished Professors” of Jilin University, 1 candidate for postdoctoral innovation program and 1 “Dingxin Scholar” of Jilin University. All teachers have doctoral degrees and have long-term or short-term experience of studying abroad.

    In the past five years, members of the faculty presided over more than 50 national, provincial and ministerial projects in the field of underground new energy development and carbon storage engineering, published 175 high-level papers, and obtained 9 invention patents and 9 software copyrights. Focusing on using research to facilitate teaching, the Department has built a talent training program of zero-carbon, low-carbon underground energy and carbon sequestration technology, winning 3 first prizes in national teaching competitions and 2 first prizes in provincial teaching competitions.