Academics
School of Physical Science and Technology

https://physics.gxu.edu.cn/English/Home.htm

The School of Physical Science and Technology at Guangxi University, with its long history and profound cultural foundation, was formerly the Department of Mathematics and Science when Guangxi University was founded in 1928. The Department of Physics was established in 1933, with renowned physicists such as Academician Hoff Lu, Academician Shi Ruwei, and Professor Zheng Jianxuan among its faculty. In 1978, the school was authorized to establish one of the first master's degree programs, and in 2005, it launched a master's degree program in First-level Disciplines in Physics. Since the full implementation of the "Double First-class" project (aiming for a world-class university with world-class disciplines) in 2017, the school has entered a phase of rapid development. In 2017, the discipline of Physics was selected as one of the candidates for Guangxi First-class Discipline Construction. In 2018, the school was authorized to establish the doctoral degree program in First-level Discipline in Physics. In 2019, the school was approved as a postdoctoral research station. In 2022, the discipline was officially designated for the second round of Guangxi First-class Discipline Construction. Moreover, the Physics major has been designated as a construction point for National First-Class Majors among universities affiliated with the Ministry, and the Electronic Science and Technology major has also been designated as a construction point for Guangxi First-class Majors. Additionally, the undergraduate majors of Integrated Circuit Design and Integrated System were established in 2022.

Faculty

The tenure-track system was implemented for all research-oriented full-time teachers starting in 2018. Currently, the discipline of Physics has 57 doctoral supervisors and 83 master's supervisors. There are 66 research-oriented full-time teachers, with this number expected to increase to 120 by the end of the 14th Five-Year Plan. Among these teachers, 3 have been selected for the National Major Talent Program, 17 have been awarded titles by the Chinese Academy of Sciences or provincial-level talent programs, and 5 have led key projects funded by the National Outstanding Youth Science Foundation, Outstanding Youth Science Foundation, and National Natural Science Foundation. Additionally, 1 teacher won the second prize of the National Natural Science Award as the first author. Among the part-time doctoral supervisors, there is 1 foreign academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and 11 young scholars selected for the National Major Talent Program or National Talent Fund Project.

Research and Academic Directions

The school has developed a talent training and academic research framework centered on physics disciplines, intersecting with Physics, Astronomy, Electronic Science and Technology, and Integrated Electronic Circuits and Systems. The main academic directions include Astrophysics and its detection technology, Photoelectric Physics and Devices, Condensed Matter Physics and New Energy Technology, Integrated Circuits and Systems, and Micro and Nano processing technology.

Academic Platforms

The School provides several academic platforms, including a major base for science and innovation, the multi-province-co-built State Key Laboratory for Processing Non-Ferrous Metals and Special Materials, an engineering and technical center for new battery materials, and a nanoenergy research center co-established by the Beijing Institute of Nanoenergy and Nanosystems, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and Guangxi University (GXU). Additionally, there is the Guangxi University-National Astronomical Observatories Physics and Space Science Center. Laboratories cover nearly 4 hectares, housing research equipment valued at nearly 200 million RMB. This equipment includes a field emission scanning electron microscope, an electronic probe, a physical property measurement system (PPMS), a confocal optical microscope (CLSM), a cryogenic magneto-optical microscope system, a photo-induced force microscopy system, a magnetron sputtering system, an inductively coupled plasma etching system, a plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition system (PECVD), an ultraviolet exposure system, an ultra-high vacuum electron beam evaporation system, a nano electron beam writing system, an organic metal chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) system, and other large shared equipment, as well as a large superclean lab (1200 square meters).

Collaborations

The School of Physical Science and Technology collaborates with institutions across China and internationally to co-establish the auto optical sky survey system, fast response auto-tracking telescope, a 1-meter optical telescope of LCOGT-AL, China-France VHF base station of SVOM, and other large-scale field astronomical observation equipment and ocean blue energy measurement base. Collaborating with renowned platforms in China, such as the Beijing Institute of Nanoenergy and Nanosystems, Chinese Academy of Sciences, National Astronomical Observatories, Purple Mountain Observatory, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Central China Normal University, Giga Device and so on, the School has established a unified foundation for fostering new talents.

Academic Environment

The college boasts an excellent educational environment, featuring an academic exchange café and discussion rooms. Additionally, the School regularly organizes frontline academic forums and academic lectures for postgraduates.

Talent Cultivation

The school has established a comprehensive research talent development system, encompassing a bachelor-master-doctor-postdoctoral trajectory. Undergraduate majors include Physics, Electronics Science and Technology, and Integrated Circuits and Systems, with an annual enrollment of approximately 250 students. Additionally, around 50 PhD and 200 Master's students are enrolled each year.

To nurture research-oriented undergraduate talents national and local science and technology initiatives, the School introduced an astronomy elite class in 2015. The program maintains a graduate enrollment rate of over 80%. In 2018, an innovative talent training class in physical and electronic sciences was established. Both classes follow a joint training model spanning Bachelor's, Master's, and PhD degrees. Undergraduate students can also participate in the selection of specialized classes across schools and majors.

Academic Research

Focusing on major national scientific initiatives, the School conducts technological breakthroughs and undertakes fundamental research on significant scientific frontiers, all while serving the socio-economic development of both the nation and Guangxi. Over the past 5 years, the School has undertaken 176 national projects with total research investments amounting to 240 million RMB. This includes 17 major and key programs funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC), as well as key R&D projects supported by the Ministry of Science and Technology and military initiatives. The School has also secured 52 general projects from NSFC and 13 major and key (including talent) science and technology projects at provincial and ministerial levels.

In 2022, faculty published 600 SCI papers, with over 90% appearing in JCR I and II journals. Five papers were accepted and published in prestigious journals like Nature and Science, one of which featured Guangxi University as the lead institution. Additionally, the astrophysics and related detection technology team received an innovation and competition award in Guangxi.

Exchanges and Cooperation

The School of Physical Science and Technology has established extensive exchanges and collaborations with domestic and international platforms, including the National Astronomical Observatories of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, University of California, Berkeley, National University of Singapore, Nanyang Technological University, and others. Through these partnerships, the School operates a 1-meter optical telescope of LCOGT-AL and shares access to over 20 optical telescopes of LCOGT located across 8 stations worldwide. Additionally, it collaborates on projects such as the China-France SVOM satellite and its VHF base station, a spectrometer with a 4-meter optical telescope, the China-ASEAN Blue Energy Associated Laboratory, and initiatives like POLAR-2 and HERD. Research efforts also focus on the development and utilization of marine blue energy through nano power generation technology, as well as the implementation of a self-driven marine environmental application system.

Service Support

The School is managed according to a modern university management model, aiming to relieve full-time faculty members from administrative burdens so they can concentrate on talent cultivation and academic research.