The program of Packaging Engineering of Jiangnan University，a distinctive program of Jiangsu Province， is the only one of its kind first established in China with the best foundation and widest coverage that is entitled to grant bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees.
Early in 1963, Department of Mechanical Engineering of Wuxi College of Light Industry(predecessor of Jiangnan University)，began to offer courses about Packaging Mechanical Engineering and set Packaging Mechanical Engineering as one of their research orientations. In 1972， undergraduate students were enrolled majoring in Light Industry Machinery with their research focus on Packaging Mechanical Engineering. In 1984，departments concerned started the initiative to launch the undergraduate program of Packaging Engineering assuming the responsibility of writing out the objective and scheme for the undergraduate program of Packaging Engineering. In 1985，Wuxi College of Light Industry began to enroll in undergraduates of such a specialization as of the pilot universities nationwide and it then took the lead in China to enroll master candidates majoring in Packaging Technology and Mechanics in 1987. In 2003, master and doctoral programs of "Packaging Engineering" were approved to be established under the discipline category of" Light Industry Technology and Engineering" and again Jiangnan University led the country in setting up such programs to cultivate master and PhD graduates.
The program of Packaging Engineering is targeted to cultivate both application- and research-oriented engineering professionals with a solid foundation of the basic knowledge in natural sciences, Packaging Engineering theories and expertise as well as a fairly good understanding of social sciences, with the ability to embark on packaging system design and production，development of packaging techniques and machines. packaging production and management，packaging test and assessment, and with the qualifications to work in enterprises and research institutes concerned as well as trade，logistics and commodity inspection in such engineering fields as packaging system design, manufacturing of packaging products， packaging production and management， packaging quality test，scientific research in packaging and its applications， etc.
Jiangnan University has fostered the first group of graduates and postgraduates in Packaging Engineering for the nation and has long been pursuing the close integration of talent cultivation and demands from the society and industries, constantly probing into the pedagogy and patens of training packaging engineering professionals，and leading the country in reforms on the teaching an education of the program of Packaging Engineering, as a result of which Jiangnan University has been awarded the title of “China's Distinguished Establishment in Packaging Education”. Graduates of, Packaging Engineering from Jiangnan University tend to have their solid basis of theory and extensive horizon of knowledge with high comprehensive quality，strong innovative awareness and system design competence and wide social reputation as well.
The program of Packaging Engineering of Jiangnan University, covering a complete hierarchy of bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees, operates on the advanced philosophy of pedagogy and enjoys great fame in industries concerned with its superior teaching and research facilities and recourses, fruitful teaching results and research findings as well as its striking program advantages and disciplinary characteristics. So far，Jiangnan university has turned into an important base to cultivate high quality engineering professionals and conduct researches on packaging science and technology all over China.
