In September, the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security of the People’s Republic of China and the National Postdoctoral Management Committee jointly issued “The Notice on The Approval to establish 339 Centers for Postdoctoral Studies including Philosophy of Hunan University”, and announced the list of approved centers for postdoctoral studies. This is the first time in five years that the country has added new centers to the existing list.

Tianjin University’s Public Administration School at the College of Management and Economics is on the newly released list and has been approved to set up a new center for postdoctoral studies, which will greatly improve its discipline composition. This is another milestone event for the School of Public Administration after it was approved to establish a doctoral program in 2011 and passing the Ministry of Education degree evaluation by the in 2015.

Centers for postdoctoral studies are important platforms to cultivate high-level talents and develop better disciplines since they recruit postdoctoral research staff from higher learning institutions or research institutes. The qualification for setting up such a center is very high, with requirements about high academic achievements and high quality facilities and logistics that will support research activities. To set up such a center, the competition is fierce with an average pass rate of less than 50%.

By the College of Management and Economics

Editors: Eva Yin & Doris Harrington