On September 23, 2018, the 7th "IET Distinguished University President Award" was held at the China University of Petroleum (Beijing). Zhong Denghua, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and President of Tianjin University, won the award. He donated all the prize (15,000 dollars) to TJU’s Peiyang Education Development Foundation to reward outstanding students. 

The "IET Distinguished University President Award" is the only award honoring college administrators in China. It was launched in 2004 by the IET Education Foundation. The award honors college administrators who bring distinction to the development of universities in China through their commitment to the areas of service and administration. Presented once every two years, the award aims to promote the management level and education standards of universities in China. This year, four nominees won this award: Zhong Denghua, President of Tianjin University, Xie Heping, former President of Sichuan University, Wang Hansong, Party Secretary of Dalian University of Technology, and Shan Honghong, Party Secretary of the China University of Petroleum. 

Committed to promoting the reform and innovation of China’s higher education, President Zhong Denghua serves as convener of the Engineering Education Research and Practice Panel. Due to his promotion, the Emerging Engineering Education Road-map (known as “TJU Action”) has resonated with domestic universities and has become an important part in constructing China’s Emerging Engineering Education. The International Alliance of Emerging Engineering Education, which was initiated by him, is making every effort to explore a Chinese model based on lessons learned and from their experience. In terms of talent training, President Zhong launched the “2030 Action Plan for a World Class Undergraduate Education”, working tirelessly to cultivate talent with the integration of general education and professional education and short-cut talent cultivation. In order to achieve all-round development, Zhong formulated the idea of “consolidating engineering, strengthening science, revitalizing humanities and developing medicine”. TJU successfully established the College of Medicine and the College of Intelligence and Computing based on the idea and continuously optimizes cross- disciplinary layout. Zhong pays great attention to both the introduction and fostering of new talent. Under his leadership, TJU has made great efforts in building a young talent pool and promoting its personnel system. TJU, aiming to improve its innovation capacity in the scientific and technological fields, has also improved its evaluation and incentive mechanisms for scientific and technological achievements that will serve the development of China’s national and local economy. TJU’s international influence has been rising as President Zhong works on expediting TJU’s internationalization process, extending its cooperation with world-renowned universities to broader areas and through more exchange programs. 

Since the establishment of the "IET Distinguished University President Award", three eminent administrators from TJU have received this honor. They are Liu Jianping, former Party Secretary of TJU, Gong Ke, former President of TJU and Li Jiajun, the former President of TJU and current Party Secretary of TJU. They won the award in 2008, 2010 and 2016, respectively. All the three winners donated their prizes to reward TJU’s outstanding students.