Research Institute of Aero-engine (RIAE&ISAE) is jointly established by Beihang University and Aero Engine Corporation of China. The two sides integrate years of research accumulation and resource investment, adopt the principle of "strong combination, deep integration and close collaboration," and actively explore the school-enterprise collaborative innovation mechanism. RIAE&ISAE has been consistently introducing collaborative decision-making mechanism, integrated research mechanism, joint evaluation mechanism, complementary investment mechanism and collaborative education mechanism, in order to jointly tackle the issue of aero-engine.
Research Institute of Aero-Engine
Study
As the primary school responsible for cultivating "Outstanding Engineers" in the Gas Turbine field at Beihang University, RIAE&ISAE collaborates with ten internal schools and six joint-training enterprises. It focuses on tackling core technical challenges in critical gas turbine fields and addresses the disconnection between industry and education in actual engineering development processes. Centered on the fundamental mission of cultivating master's and doctoral students under the national reform pilot program for Gas Turbine talent development, RIAE&ISAE implements major national talent development strategies from the Central Talent Work Conference. Adhering to the "Four Shared" model and "Four Connectivity" mechanism, it innovates the talent cultivation paradigm for outstanding engineers. The institute aims to cultivate top-notch talents with firm ideals, solid theoretical foundations, interdisciplinary backgrounds, outstanding practical capabilities, global vision, and leadership potential in the Gas Turbine field, creating a benchmark for industry-academia collaborative education.
Currently, RIAE&ISAE has 607 graduate students, respectively 389 doctoral candidates and 218 master's candidates. Its innovative pilot program, the "Wu Daguan Elite Class," receives joint support from the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, and AECC Gas Turbine Special Program. Over four cohorts, the program has enrolled 107 students, with approximately 53.3% hailing from AECC. Leveraging industry-academia collaboration mechanisms, the institute coordinates with the industry to develop postgraduate practice base construction plans based on national Gas Turbine fundamental research projects. It has established systematic professional degree practice platforms at gas turbine OEMs for different research directions, with seven postgraduate practice bases established.
Since its establishment, the institute has achieved fruitful outcomes in cultivating well-rounded students: 18 students have won "Beihang University Outstanding Graduate Academic Innovation Achievement Awards," five received provincial/ministerial honors, two were awarded Beihang Youth May Fourth Medals, and two were selected as Beihang Top Ten Graduate Students. Students have published 55 high-level papers as first authors and obtained 59 authorized patents. For six years, RIAE&ISAE has adhered to the educational philosophy of "Selecting the Best, Cultivating the Best, and Producing the Best," dedicating itself to cultivating world-class talents that serve the gas turbine industry and support breakthroughs in core technologies of critical Gas Turbine fields.
Faculty
RIAE&ISAE currently has a total of 153 faculty and staff members, including 94 full-time faculty and 17 postdoctoral researchers. Among the full-time faculty, 73.4% hold senior professional titles, approximately 30.3% have overseas experience, and 97.7% possess doctoral degrees. The institute places high priority on nurturing young innovative talents, having elected one new academician to the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) since its establishment. It has cultivated six national-level leading talents, eight national-level young talents, eight recipients of the "Youth Talent Lift Program," and one recipient of the "Postdoctoral Innovative Talent Support Program." RIAE&ISAE also emphasizes mentorship development, with one faculty member honored as a "Beijing Outstanding Teacher," two as "Beijing Young Teaching Excellence Awardees," and four recognized by Beihang University’s "Ethics and Education" Award.
Guided by CAS/CAE academicians and national-level leading talents as Chief Principal Investigators (CPI), the institute has established 14 innovation teams across eight fundamental research areas critical to aero-engine development. Leveraging its industry-academia integration mechanism, RIAE&ISAE has engaged 109 frontline professionals from AECC (Aero Engine Corporation of China) as part-time collaborators in management and research tasks. Simultaneously, it has contributed 10 innovation teams and 13 young faculty members to AECC through initiatives such as support teams, joint design teams, and the "1+X Program," directly participating in tackling core technical challenges.
Research
RIAE&ISAE is committed to building a national strategic scientific and technological force, currently operating five national-level scientific and technological platforms and establishing the Future Aero-engine Collaborative Design Center to support interdisciplinary collaborative design. In terms of major experimental infrastructure, the institute has developed a suite of world-class facilities and platforms covering all specialized disciplines required for aero-engine development, playing a pivotal role in supporting engine model development and nurturing innovative talent.
Upholding the dual principles of supporting and leading, RIAE&ISAE dedicates itself to addressing national strategic needs and resolving industry challenges. It focuses on foundational frontier research, explores key technological innovations, and executes major scientific tasks through organized research initiatives. Fourteen key technology teams conduct research on critical aero-engine components, forming an independent and comprehensive engine design system. To tackle third-generation, fourth-generation, and fifth-generation engine challenges, the institute has established university-industry joint teams with AECC, integrating academic expertise with frontline engineering demands to solve critical bottlenecks. For next-generation engines, RIAE&ISAE pursues exploratory research, proposing forward-looking propulsion concepts such as "high-speed turbine," "strong pre-cooling," and "dual-variable" systems to shape the future of aviation power technologies.
International Cooperation
RIAE&ISAE always aims at the forefront of international development, with joint basic research and talent training in this field as the starting point. RIAE&ISAE has engaged in productive collaboration with key universities and enterprise partners in Russia, Germany, Britain and France. These efforts have broadened the global perspective of its faculty and students while establishing a robust international platform for joint scientific research and talent development. RIAE&ISAE drives the high-quality development of its International School of Aero-Engines through its Sino-foreign Joint Science and Education Center, focusing on organized advancement in international collaboration. In talent cultivation, the institute has steadily progressed with the dual-degree master's program in partnership with Beihang University and the Moscow Aviation Institute (MAI), having dispatched 17 students to date. For research collaboration, it has secured five international cooperation projects under the Science Center for Gas Turbine and three national foreign expert programs, utilizing these initiatives to host bilateral seminars and recruit international experts, thereby expanding the scope and depth of global engagement. In 2023, RIAE&ISAE hosted a bilateral seminar on aerospace disciplines between Beihang University and French partners. In 2024, through Beihang's "Global Partnership Initiative," delegations visited Germany and France, signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with École Centrale de Lyon to establish an annual dual-degree master's program (5 students/ year) and obtaining approval for the Aerospace Power Talent Introduction Platform to facilitate international expert exchanges. In the year of 2025, RIAE&ISAE will continuously expand its international collaboration horizons. Building on the foundation of two previous bilateral seminars, the institute will conduct visits to relevant universities and research institutions in the UAE and plans to establish a "Belt and Road" Science and Education Center, aiming to deepen its international cooperation network along the "Belt and Road" routes.
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Tel: +86-10-61716917
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Email：aero _engine@buaa.edu.cn
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Address：Research Institute of Aero-Engine, Beihang University, Changping District, Beijing 102206, P.R. China
