Introduction to the Building Environment and Energy Engineering Program

The Building Environment and Energy Engineering program constitutes a core interdisciplinary field addressing national "dual carbon" strategy and new urbanization development requirements. Grounded in the context of global climate change and energy transition, it focuses on pathways to carbon peaking and carbon neutrality within the construction sector. Guided by the core principles of "health, low-carbon, and intelligence", the program aims to enhance human habitat quality and optimize energy system efficiency. It systematically integrates disciplines including green building design, renewable energy utilization, intelligent control technologies, and environmental health safeguards. The program is dedicated to cultivating high-level innovative talents with a composite knowledge system spanning architectural science, energy engineering, environmental ecology, and intelligent technologies. Driven by the dual objectives of carbon peaking and carbon neutrality alongside the digital economy, Building Environment and Energy Engineering has emerged as one of the most strategically significant interdisciplinary fields of the 21st century. It is evolving beyond traditional HVAC domains towards new dimensions characterized by "digital empowerment, ecological prioritization, and energy revolution".

1. Historical Origins

The Building Environment and Energy Engineering program at Nanchang University originated from the "Building Energy Conservation Technology and Engineering" program. It was one of the first five programs nationwide specially approved by the Ministry of Education in 2010, commencing formal enrolment in 2011. In 2012, it gained master's degree program accreditation for Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning Engineering. In 2013,the Ministry of Education merged the programs in Building Energy Conservation Technology and Engineering, Intelligent Building Facility Technology, and Building Environment and Equipment Engineering into the single program of Building Environment and Energy Engineering.In 2018, this program ranked first in Jiangxi Province's comprehensive undergraduate program evaluation, and in 2020,it was selected as a Jiangxi Provincial First-Class Undergraduate program Construction Site.

Figure1：Program Evolution

2. Faculty

The program employs 14 professional teachers, 11 of whom hold doctoral degrees. The faculty includes: One faculty member is a Jiangxi Provincial Teaching Master. The proportion of faculty possessing dual qualifications (academic and professional)or engineering backgrounds reaches 100%. The teaching team has been honored as a Nanchang Municipal Advantageous Science and Technology Innovation Team.

Figure 2：Academic Qualifications, Professional Titles,

 and Age Structure of Full-time Faculty

3.Teaching, Research, and Discipline Development Platforms

Centred on the theme of ultra-low energy consumption buildings, this program has conducted a series of studies on key issues such as building envelope energy-saving systems, green building materials and their applications, renewable energy utilization, holistic building performance assessment and technologies for creating comfortable and healthy environments. This has led to the preliminary Jiangxi-specific technical framework for ultra-ow energy consumption buildings. The program currently operates teaching and research institutions including the Building Energy Conservation Teaching and Research Office, the Building Environment and Energy Conservation Experimental Center, the Green Building Technology Research Institute, and the Green Advanced Building Materials and Technology Research center. It possesses four provincial-level teaching and research platforms, including the Jiangxi Provincial Key laboratory for Ultra-Low Energy Consumption Buildings and the Jiangxi Provincial Experimental Center for Nearly Zero Energy Building Engineering.

Figure 3: Teaching, Research, and Discipline Development Platform for the Building Environment and Energy Application Engineering Program

4.Training Methods and Distinctive Features

This program is dedicated to cultivating high-caliber, multidisciplinary innovators equipped with " Green DNA, Digital Mindset, and Global Perspective.“ Leveraging the strengths of national and provincial teaching and research platforms, it closely aligns with the ”dual carbon" goals, emphasizing the deep integration of digitalization, intelligence, and sustainability. The program focuses on three key areas: artificial environment control and optimization, renewable energy applications, and carbon neutrality with digital technologies. It integrates theoretical knowledge into practical activities and incorporates the latest research findings into teaching content, establishing an innovation training system centered on practice, scientific activities, and competitions. Emphasizing foundational knowledge and broad disciplinary coverage, it integrates interdisciplinary expertise in green building, big data, information engineering, IoT applications, and artificial intelligence to cultivate innovative talent.

5. Employment Prospects

This program offers strong employment prospects and high-quality job placements, with undergraduate graduates consistently achieving one of the highest placement rates across the university.

Primary employment destinations include:Selected graduates for government positions and public institutions at all levels;Central state-owned enterprises such as China Mobile Communications Group Co., Ltd. and China State Construction Engineering Corporation Limited;State-owned enterprises including Hunan China Tobacco Industrial Co., Ltd., Gree Electric Appliances, Inc. of Zhuhai, and Yangtze Memory Technologies Co., Ltd.;Private and foreign-funded enterprises such as Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd., BYD Company Limited, TSMC (Nanjing) Co., Ltd., and Panasonic Electric Works (China) Co., Ltd.

Future development in new energy utilization, achieving carbon neutrality and peak carbon goals, semiconductor manufacturing, and creating healthy and comfortable living environments all require professionals from this discipline. As energy and environmental challenges intensify, demand for graduates in this field will continue to grow.