From October 25th to 26th, 2019, the International Peer Review of the Architecture Discipline of Tianjin University was held grandly at the Conference Building, Weijin Road Campus of Tianjin University. Seven international peer reviewers conducted on-site reviews, and they are from University College London, Georgia Institute of Technology, University of Michigan, Columbia University, Cardiff University, Ohio State University and a well-known architectural journal. The review is aimed at examining the current development of the discipline from an international perspective, measuring the development of the discipline by international standards, and gathering useful opinions on the development of it in the future.

On the afternoon of October 25th, the introduction and report session of the International Peer Review of Architecture Discipline was held at the Conference Building, Weijin Road Campus. The session was attended by Wang Shuxin, Vice President of Tianjin University, Hu Minglie, Director for Disciplinary Development, the Graduate School of Tianjin University, Kong Yuhang, Dean of the School of Architecture, Kang Jian, Honorary Dean of the School of Architecture and Fellow of The Royal Academy of Engineering, as well as related administrators and faculty representatives of the school.

First of all, Vice President Wang delivered a speech, welcoming the arrival of international peer reviewers on behalf of the university. He gave a detailed introduction of the university's history, discipline development, and construction of “Double First-Class” (first-class universities and first-class disciplines in the world). He pointed out that architecture is a dominant discipline of Tianjin University, and hoped that all the reviewers attending the session would put forward valuable suggestions for the development of architecture discipline.

Later, Director Hu, Dean Kong, and relevant leaders of the school, such as Xu Zhen, Yang Wei, Zhang Xinnan, respectively gave reports on the overall review of the international peer review work of disciplines of Tianjin University, the basic situation, teaching, talent cultivation, scientific research, and prospect of the architecture discipline. In the report session, the reviewers had in-depth communication and interaction with reporters on topics of interest.

On the morning of October 26th, the reviewers had a thorough discussion about the contents of reports on the architecture discipline at the School of Architecture and listed the preliminary peer review feedback opinions. Later, reviewers visited the Low-Carbon Building Variable Module Laboratory, the Model Fabrication Studio, and teaching and research environment for students.

On the afternoon of October 26th, the reviewers held talks with representatives of teachers and students. They also had internal discussion about the preliminary opinions and related issues, forming peer review feedback opinions.

Afterwards, the international peer review feedback meeting was held at the Conference Building, Weijin Road Campus, which was attended by Zhao Meirong, Vice Chairperson of the University Council, Song Kun, Chairperson of the School of Architecture Council, Honorary Dean Kang, peer reviewers and faculty representatives of the School of Architecture. The meeting was presided over by Dean Kong.

Seven international peer reviewers respectively elaborated their preliminary opinions on talent cultivation, scientific research, faculty team building, international cooperation and exchanges, strategic planning and other aspects. Also they put forward valuable suggestions for the development of the architecture discipline in the future.

Vice Chairperson Zhao gave a closing speech, in which she expressed her gratitude to the reviewers for their contributions and efforts over the past two days and pointed out that the reviewers' opinions and suggestions are of far-reaching significance to the development of the discipline. She hoped that Department of Architecture would carefully sort out the feedback opinions of reviewers, improve the discipline development planning, and continuously advance the discipline construction level.

With the strong support of the university, the international peer review of the architecture discipline has completed three sections: self-review of the discipline, on-site review and feedback of reviewers. The Department of Architecture, based on the results of international peer review, will adjust the planning of architecture discipline construction and set the direction for the discipline development in order to realize sustainable and high-level intension development of the discipline, with being world-class as the goal, reform and innovation as the motivation, and institutions and policies as the guidance.

The architecture discipline of Tianjin University was established with the first group of architecture departments in the late 1930s in China, and was twice selected as a national key discipline in 2001 and 2007. In the first four rounds of discipline evaluation by the Ministry of Education, the discipline ranked top five (tied for the third) and was given A- in the fourth round, taking the lead among architecture disciplines in the country. In October 2019, the architecture discipline was included in the first batch of first-class undergraduate majors in China and was listed in the "Double Ten Thousand Plan" (ten thousand national first-class major stations and ten thousand provincial first-class major stations). The architecture discipline will further highlight its advantages, overcome its weakness and enhance its international influence, building a world-class discipline.