Life, Shaping the Future | School of Biology and Biological Engineering (BBE), South China University of Technology 2025 Global Talent Recruitment

   Introduction to BBE

With a rich historical heritage, BBE traces its origins to 1952, when the Fermentation Engineering program was first established. After decades of sustained development, the School of Biology and Biological Engineering was formally founded in 2004. Today, the School has established a comprehensive talent cultivation system spanning undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral levels. It hosts two postdoctoral research stations in Biology and in Light Industry Technology and Engineering.

The first-level discipline of Biology comprises four second-level disciplines—Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Cell Biology, Microbiology, and Medical Biology—while the second-level discipline of Fermentation Engineering demonstrates strong academic strength. The professional doctoral degree program in Biology and Medicine (Biotechnology and Engineering track), together with the professional master’s degree program in Pharmacy, has injected new vitality into the School’s disciplinary development.

All three undergraduate programs—Bioengineering, Biotechnology, and Biopharmaceutical Engineering—have been recognized as National-Level First-Class Undergraduate Programs. Notably, the Biotechnology program was selected for the Ministry of Education’s “Strengthening Basic Discipline Program” (Qiangji Program), reflecting outstanding achievements in innovative talent cultivation. In 2013, the disciplines of Biology and Biochemistry entered the top 1% of the Essential Science Indicators (ESI) global rankings, with continued improvement, reaching the top 20.82% in 2024.

BBE boasts a strong and distinguished faculty. It currently has 75 faculty and staff members, bringing together a cohort of national- and provincial-level high-caliber talents, including recipients of the National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars, the National Science Fund for Excellent Young Scholars, high-level overseas recruits, Provincial Distinguished Young Scholars, and innovative and entrepreneurial teams. This faculty has become a national and regional backbone force in talent cultivation and scientific innovation in the biological sciences.

BBE has achieved remarkable outcomes in talent cultivation and currently enrolls more than 1,300 students. Established in 2009, the SCUT–BGI “Genome Science” Innovation Program has delivered outstanding results. Its innovative training model has attracted widespread attention both nationally and internationally and has been acclaimed as “a miracle in undergraduate talent cultivation in China” and “a quiet educational revolution.” Students have demonstrated exceptional performance in major competitions, including iGEM and the National Undergraduate Life Sciences Competition.

  BBE also demonstrates strong research capabilities, with strategic emphasis on synthetic biology, artificial intelligence and big data in life sciences, green biomanufacturing, biomedicine, and other frontier areas. It undertakes numerous key national- and provincial/ministerial-level research projects and maintains close collaboration across industry, academia, and research, providing technical support to more than 20 enterprises.

  BBE has established a comprehensive research platform system, including the Ministry of Education International Joint Laboratory for Synthetic Biology and Pharmaceutical Manufacturing, the Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Fermentation and Enzyme Engineering, and six related engineering technology research centers. It also hosts a university-level research institute—the Fangrui Institute for Innovative Drug Research—and operates a shared instrumentation platform, with research equipment valued at over RMB 100 million.

Recruitment Disciplines

Synthetic Biology, AI + Big Data of Life Science, Biomedicine and Health, Biochemical Engineering, Green Biomanufacturing

Recruitment Positions

Recruitment for Faculty Positions (Teaching and Research Track)

To further advance the implementation of the “Million Talents to South China Plan”  launched by the Guangdong Provincial Party Committee, and to enhance the School's teaching and research capacity, we are actively recruiting a cohort of outstanding scholars with strong academic credentials and  international influence. The School of Biology and Biological Engineering, South China University of Technology, warmly welcomes exceptional scholars from around the world to join our academic community.

Assistant Professor  (Tenure Track)

Generally under 32 years of age;

l PhD degree required;

Demonstrated innovative research ideas, a clear research agenda, strong academic potential, and a solid research foundation.

Associate Professor  (Tenure Track)

Generally under 35 years of age, with a maximum age limit of 40;

PhD degree required. Candidates should normally have at least two years of postdoctoral or research experience at universities, research institutions, or enterprises, either in China or abroad;

Demonstrated innovative research ideas, a clear research agenda, the ability to conduct independent research, strong academic potential, and a solid research foundation.

Professor (Tenure Track)

   Generally not exceeding 45 years of age;

   PhD degree required. Overseas candidates should normally have at least three years of postdoctoral or research experience abroad after obtaining the PhD and possess outstanding academic achievements; domestic candidates should generally hold a senior professional title;

Ability to independently establish and develop an academic research agenda, with strong innovative capacity, significant academic growth potential, and landmark research achievements recognized by peers both nationally and internationally.

Professor (Tenured)

Generally not exceeding 50 years of age;

PhD degree required. Overseas candidates should normally hold the position of Associate Professor or above at an overseas university, or hold equivalent positions in international enterprises or research organizations; domestic candidates should generally hold a full senior professional title;

Have conducted original research or key technological research in the relevant discipline and achieved significant landmark outcomes, or have made important contributions with substantial impact in serving national strategies and socio-economic development.

Note: For candidates with exceptional academic achievements, requirements related to age or professional experience may be appropriately relaxed on a case-by-case basis.

Support and Benefits

Generous Compensation Package

Appointments are made under the public institution staffing system.

Competitive compensation benchmarked against equivalent positions at top international universities are provided; for high-level leading talents or exceptional young talents with outstanding achievements, compensation will be negotiated on a case-by-case basis, including relocation allowances and public rental housing, subject to availability.

Tenure-track associate professors receive compensation and benefits at the associate senior level, while tenure-track professors and above receive compensation and benefits at the full senior level, including social insurance, housing provident fund, medical insurance, and other related welfare benefits.

Research Support

Tenure-track associate professors are appointed with the academic title of Associate Professor, may serve as master's or doctoral supervisors, are guaranteed graduate student quotas, and are supported for in conducting independent research.

Tenure-track professors and above hold the academic title of Professor, serve as doctoral supervisors, are guaranteed graduate student quotas, receive support for recruiting postdoctoral fellows, and are encouraged to build their own research teams.

Well-equipped research space and ample start-up research funding are provided.

Guidance from senior experts is offered for applications to national, provincial, and municipal research programs.

Children's Education

Access to high-quality educational resources at primary, secondary, and kindergarten schools affiliated with South China University of Technology.

Greater Bay Area Policies

Eligibility for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area personal income tax incentive policy: For qualified talents, the portion of personal income tax paid in excess 15% of taxable income will be subsidized by the government, andthe subsidy is exempt from individual income tax.

Eligibility to apply for the Guangdong Talent Yue Card, which enables one-stop online access to 14 public talent services, including household  registration, children's school enrollment, and social insurance.— Cardholders also enjoy priority and expedited services in areas such as immigration, healthcare, transportation, loans, and children's education.

Postdoctoral Positions

Application Requirements:

Abide by laws and regulations, demonstrate good academic ethics and personal integrity, maintain sound physical and mental health, and have no record of violations or disciplinary actions; applicants should also  demonstrate strong research ability and academic potential.

Generally not exceeding 35 years of age.

Hold a PhD degree from a well-recognized domestic or international university or research institution, normally obtained within the past 3 years; or be a recent PhD graduate who has successfully defended the doctoral dissertation.

Commit to full-time, on-campus postdoctoral research.

Career Development Support

The University has established comprehensive career development pathways for postdoctoral researchers and provide long-term, stable, and systematic support.

Research and Career Conditions:

Access to high-level national, ministerial, and provincial research platforms and facilities at the Class A “Double First-Class” university;

Eligibility to apply for the position of Associate Research Fellow after 18 months of residency or within one year upon completion of the postdoctoral appointment;

Upon completion of the postdoctoral term, eligibility to apply for faculty positions (teaching and research track), teaching-focused positions, or full-time research positions at the University.

Compensation and Living Benefits:

Competitive compensation packages, with annual salaries of up to RMB 550,000 or higher, plus additional funding for outstanding research performance. Departments and supervising faculty are encouraged to provide supplementary support and matching resources;

Social insurance and housing provident fund contributions in accordance with national regulations, along with relevant welfare benefits;

Provision of postdoctoral apartments or housing rental subsidies;

Access for children to in the high-quality affiliated kindergartens and experimental schools of the University;

Postdoctoral researchers recruited through the Guangzhou International Campus may receive additional research funding of RMB 200,000 ;

Upon completion of the postdoctoral program, those who remain employed in Guangdong Province and meet relevant provincial policies may receive an additional housing subsidy of RMB 400,000 from the provincial government (distributed over 3 years).

The University and the School continue to optimize their policy framework to provide strong and sustained support for early-career researchers, and warmly welcome outstanding PhD graduates worldwide to join the School of Biology and Biological Engineering, South China University of  Technology!

Contact Us:

Address: Building B6, South China University of Technology, University Town Campus, Outer Ring East Road, Panyu District, Guangzhou, China

Email: mjzheng@scut.edu.cn

Phone: Ms. Zheng +86-20-81182331

For more information, please visit the official website of the School of Biology and Biological Engineering, South China University of Technology, or follow our official WeChat account:

College Official Website                      College WeChat Official Account

In 2025, we warmly invite global talents from around the world to join us. Together, let us build a brilliant future for biology and biological engineering on this dynamic land filled with both opportunities and challenges!