School of Power Engineering of Chongqing University (formerly known as the Department of Power Engineering, and was renamed as the Department of Thermal Engineering, and later School of Thermal Engineering) was first established as the Power Division of the Department of Mechanical Engineering in 1937. It is one of the first teaching and research bases for thermal sciences & engineering in China. Until now, there are 27 professors, 24 PhD supervisors, 23 associate professors and 1 senior engineer. More than 96% of the academic staffs have a doctorate degree. The School of Power Engineering has offered variety of undergraduate majors throughout the history, including Thermal Power in Power Plant, Thermal Engineering Instrumentation & Automation, Engineering Thermophysics, Thermal Engineering, Refrigeration & Cryogenic Technology in Air Conditioning, Nuclear Engineering & Nuclear Technology, New Energy Science & Engineering. Since 1998, according to the professional directory adjustment made by Ministry of Education, currently the School of Power Engineering offers three undergraduate majors, i.e. Thermal Energy & Power Engineering (national advantage and characteristic specialty), Nuclear Engineering & Nuclear Technology (reactor engineering direction), New Energy Science & Engineering. At present, the School comprises of 7 departments and 6 research institutes/laboratories, e.g. Thermal Physics Department, Department of Thermal Engineering, Department of Power Mechanical Engineering, Department of Refrigeration & Cryogenic Engineering, Nuclear Power Department, Department of Renewable Energy, Department of Central Laboratory (including Thermal Professional Independent Innovation Laboratory, Nuclear Science & Technology Laboratory, New Energy Science & Engineering Laboratory), as well as Thermal Key Laboratory of Chongqing City, Research Institutes of Engineering Thermophysics, Simulation Engineering, Energy & Environment, Refrigeration & Cryogenic Technology, Thermodynamics & Energy Saving Technology etc.. The School has developed into a multi-level, full range of thermal science and energy engineering teaching and scientific research base for doctoral, master and undergraduate education.
The general idea of running the school is to fully implement the educational policy of the party and the state, abide by the rule of higher education, take undergraduate education as the foundation, focus on postgraduate training, carry forward the advantages of traditional disciplines, and actively adapt to economic development and social progress, and train high-quality innovative talents. Based on the southwest but service the country and the world, specialize in power engineering and thermal physics, nuclear science and technology, new energy science and engineering, and also forge multi-disciplinary collaboration with environment, materials, information and management, to construct a characteristic and internationally renowned school for both teaching and research.
Development goals: In a short term, to reach the domestically leading level and to build certain international reputation in the direction of clean energy and low grade energy; to nurture a group of young academic elites with global impact; To construct the Key Laboratory of Ministry of Education and make a good foundation for its upgrading. In the long term, to establish the characteristics and disciplinary system of energy conversion and new energy exploitation technology; to build a national key discipline; to build the domestic first-class innovation platform for low grade energy utilization technology and system as well as clean energy and power system and technology; to upgrade to the national key laboratory.