The Ministry of Education announced the selected projects in the first batch of the Emerging Engineering Research and Practice program. Tianjin University had nine projects on the list, ranking first among all Chinese universities. 

The newly announced program contains 612 research and practice projects, including 202 projects for comprehensive emerging engineering reform and 410 projects aimed at major reforms. Comprehensive reforms cover three kinds of university -- superior universities with engineering courses, comprehensive universities, and local universities. Major reforms contain 19 programs including artificial intelligence, big data and intelligence manufacturing. Tianjin University had six comprehensive reform projects and three major reform projects respectively on the list.  

The Emerging Engineering Education program is intended to cultivate talents in the newly developing engineering field, upgrade conventional engineering majors and plan for talent cultivation in future strategic areas. The educational authorities and universities are discovering new thought, new standards, new modes, new methods, new technology and new culture for the Emerging Engineering Education program. They are shifting from major-dominated education to industry-priority education, changing independent majors to cross-discipline fusions of subjects, switching their role from serving to guiding industry. 

The development of Emerging Engineering Education, led by Xi’s thought for Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era and the spirit of the 19th CPC National Congress, has been initiated to confront the new technological revolution and industrial transformation, to improve advanced education and to win the battle for improving quality, promoting justice and creating an innovative talent cultivation scheme. 

By: Cai Wenting

Editors: Qin Mian and Keith Harrington