The cyber science research of Nankai University began in 1984. It originated from the disciplines of mathematics and computer science, and developed from the directions of cryptography, computer networks, and computer applications. Nankai University was approved to set up an undergraduate major in “Information Security” in 2002. The “Information Security - Law” double degree pilot class was established in 2006 to cultivate compound security talents with both information security and legal professional capabilities. In 2012, the second-level discipline of “Information Security” was set up under the first-level discipline of “Computer Science and Technology” to train master and doctoral students. In 2018, we independently added a first-level master’s degree program in cyber science. In the context of the era when cyber science has become a key component of national security and an important security guarantee, in order to thoroughly implement the important instructions of General Secretary Xi Jinping on cyber security, the College of Cyber Science of Nankai University was established on May 11, 2018.

In 2021, Nankai University was approved to establish “Cryptographic Science and Technology”, becoming the first batch of universities in China to set up such a major. In the same year, Information Security was selected as a national first-class undergraduate major.

The college is located in the science group of the Jinnan campus of Nankai University, covering an area of 3,500 square meters for teaching and scientific research. It consists of the Department of Information Security, the Department of Internet of Things Engineering, and the Department of Cryptographic Science and Technology. It has participated in the establishment of 1 National Engineering Laboratory (National Engineering Laboratory for Computer Virus Prevention and Control Technology) and 1 Tianjin Key Laboratory (Tianjin Key Laboratory for Internet and Data Security Technology). The college mainly covers 5 second-level disciplines (cryptography and its application, network security, data security, system security, and cyberspace security management) and 3 undergraduate majors (information security, cryptographic science and technology, and Internet of Things engineering).

Since the establishment of the information security discipline, it has undertaken more than 20 major projects such as the National Key Research and Development Program, the National Key Basic Research Program (973 Program), the Commission of Science and Technology under the Central Military Commission, the National 242 Information Security Project, and the National Natural Science Foundation of China. More than 100 papers have been published in top journal conferences in the fields of information security, database, network and artificial intelligence, and the four top academic conferences (CCS, S&P, Usenix Security, NDSS) in information security have also seen papers from Nankai University. It has also published more than 10 influential textbooks in the information security industry such as Principles and Practices of Computer Security and Basics of Vulnerability Exploitation and Penetration Testing. In addition, it has established close cooperative relations with the National Information Security Evaluation Center, Baidu, Tencent, 360, Huawei, etc., and jointly established several research bases.

The college adheres to the development concept of “leading the academic development of cyber science, integrating the interdisciplinary advantages of science, engineering, law, and management, and innovating the training model of compound security talents”. It has taken into account the training of professional skills and compound talents, striving to build a comprehensive cyber science talent training platform across engineering, law, management and other disciplines. The “Information Security - Law Double Degree” pilot class has set a successful example for information security compound talent training in China, and has been used as a school feature to continuously upgrade the training mechanism and improve the quality of talent training. To date, many graduates have become the backbone of national departments, well-known enterprises and key universities, making outstanding contributions to the series of standards for China’s information security risk assessment.

The college is positioned to serve the strategy of building the nation and the Tianjin City into a cyberpower, and provide technical support for Beijing to safeguard cyber security. As the second undertaking unit of the National Engineering Laboratory of Computer Virus Prevention and Control Technology, the college is actively engaged in the research and development as well as industrialization of key technologies such as computer virus detection, virus capture analysis and forensics, virus protection and monitoring in environments such as specific target attacks, cloud computing and virtualization. The developed malicious code big data intelligent analysis system can identify more than 50 million malicious code samples and has been applied in multiple systems, effectively detecting multiple malicious attacks on the network. The developed smart card operating system and debit and credit applications based on information security technology have served more than 50 million cards and formed an output value of more than 300 million, effectively guaranteeing the safety of financial transactions. The developed database security protection technology has formed a leading product form at home and abroad in terms of data desensitization and traceability, and transparent encryption, serving a number of independent innovative products. That technology has been applied in various sectors such as finance and telecommunications, and has effectively solved the data security issues of governments, enterprises and institutions, which produce great economic and social benefits. Thus, it has won the Tianjin Science and Technology Progress Award many times.

Facing major national security needs, the College of Cyber Science of Nankai University focuses on cultivating high-quality cyber science talents and improving the cyber science practice system. It strives to build a distinctive cyber science talent training base, a domestic first-class cryptographic demonstration college and cyber science demonstration college.

(Data as of October 2021)