On October 9, the 2026 Symposium on Excellent Engineer Training was held in Beijing.

Wu Gang, Director of the Department of Degree Management & Postgraduate Education of the Ministry of Education (MOE), Xu Weiqing, Director of the Education Quality Evaluation Agency of MOE, Shu Hua, Director of the China Academic Degrees and Graduate Education Development Center of MOE, and Wang Yunpeng, Secretary of the CPC Beihang University Committee, attended the meeting. The meeting was hosted by the Chinese Union for Training Excellent Engineers and co-organized by 12 institutions including Beihang University. Guests, experts and scholars from universities, enterprises, research institutions, associations and organizations attended the meeting. Lyu Zhaoping, President of the University of Science and Technology Beijing (USTB) and Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, presided over the plenary session.

The meeting aimed to serve the major strategic needs of the country, continuously deepen the integration of science and education and the integration of industry and education, uphold the philosophy of excellent engineering education for graduate students, deepen the construction of education certification standards and improve the evaluation system for excellent engineer training, strengthen the development of the national college for excellent engineers, and coordinate the integrated development of education, science and technology, and talent, so as to cultivate a large pool of excellent engineers for building a great modern socialist country.

In his speech, Wu Gang pointed out that over the five years of reform, a new nationwide collaborative mechanism for industry-education integration had basically been established, the joint cultivation of engineering master's and doctoral students by universities and enterprises had achieved remarkable results, and the excellent engineer training system with Chinese characteristics was taking shape at an accelerated pace. Facing the cultivation of excellent engineer talent in the new era, Wu Gang stated that it is necessary to insist on quality as the priority, take mechanism development as the guarantee, deepen reform, drive breakthroughs in the reform of excellent engineer training, strengthen the demonstrative and leading role of the reform of excellent engineer training, and enhance the international discourse power and influence of China's higher engineering education. He emphasized that high-quality requirements must run through the entire process of excellent engineer training, and that the development of an excellent engineer training system with Chinese characteristics shall be accelerated to provide solid talent support for building China into a powerhouse in education, science and technology, and talent.

Wu Gang, Director of the Department of Degree Management & Postgraduate Education of MOE, Xu Weiqing, Director of the Education Quality Evaluation Agency of MOE, Shu Hua, Director of the China Academic Degrees and Graduate Education Development Center of MOE, Wang Yunpeng, Secretary of the CPC Beihang University Committee, Sun Litao, Vice President of Southeast University, and Wu Lianhe, Deputy General Manager of Aero Engine Corporation of China (AECC), jointly conferred plaques to the Excellent Engineer Training Consortium in the Key Field of Cybersecurity and the Excellent Engineer Training Consortium in the Key Field of Aero Engines and Gas Turbines.

At the plenary session, Wang Yunpeng delivered a keynote report titled "Uphold Philosophies, Optimize Mechanisms, Establish Standards: Beihang's Practical Exploration of Excellent Engineer Training." Benchmarking against the requirements and arrangements of the Party and the country, he deeply analyzed the challenges currently facing higher engineering education: the mismatch between the supply of engineering talent and urgent national strategic demands, the tension between traditional training systems and in-depth industry-education integration, and the gap between localized pilot explorations and large-scale implementation. He stated that responding to national strategic needs and the opportunities brought by the scientific and technological revolution and industrial transformation, Beihang had actively integrated itself into the frontier of technological innovation and explored and formed a "Beihang Model" for excellent engineer training in the new era.

Wang Yunpeng systematically reviewed the three phases of Beihang's excellent engineer training since 2005: learning and integration, independent innovation, and demonstrative leadership. He elaborated on Beihang's "four shared and four connected" mechanisms, and highlighted other innovative measures. He pointed out that in the future Beihang would thoroughly implement the requirements and arrangements of the central government, continue to focus on strengthening "quality" and "integration," foster a sound regional innovation ecosystem, pool forces to serve industrial development, and strive to cultivate more excellent engineers who are committed to serving the country through aerospace endeavors, contributing to building a strong country in education.

During the seminar, five parallel sessions were also held covering topics such as innovation in excellent engineer evaluation and the empowerment of artificial intelligence. Among them, the seminar on excellent engineer training in the field of aero engines and gas turbines was jointly hosted by Beihang University, AECC, and Taihang Laboratory. Wang Yunpeng, Secretary of the CPC Beihang University Committee, Wu Lianhe, Deputy General Manager of AECC, and Li Yuanchun, Deputy Director of Taihang Laboratory, attended and served as conference chairs. Heads and faculty from national new-type research institutions, 13 universities, and 16 secondary units of central state-owned enterprises attended the meeting.

At the meeting, Wang Yunpeng, Wu Lianhe, and Li Yuanchun, explained the great significance, target tasks, and path measures of excellent engineer training in the field of aero engines and gas turbines from the perspectives of universities, enterprises, and new-type research institutions, charting the direction and clarifying requirements for consortium development and excellent engineer training.

The meeting reviewed and approved the Charter of the Excellent Engineer Training Consortium in the Field of Aero Engines and Gas Turbines, elected the council of the Consortium, and nominated Beihang University, AECC, and Taihang Laboratory as the first chairman institutions. This marked the official establishment of the Excellent Engineer Training Consortium in the Field of Aero Engines and Gas Turbines.

The symposium also invited four experts to give special reports: Xu Qingze, Secretary of the Party Committee and Chairman of AECC Commercial Aircraft Engine Co., Ltd., Ding Shuiting, President of Civil Aviation University of China, Li Xin, Secretary of the Party Committee of AECC Hunan Aviation Powerplant Research Institute, and Yan Xiaojun, Vice President of Beihang University. From the dimensions of industrial development, talent growth, industry-education integration, and practical education, they shared the latest insights and practical explorations in excellent engineer training in the field of aero engines and gas turbines.

On October 9, the inaugural meeting of the Graduate Education Accreditation Working Committee of the China Engineering Education Accreditation Association (CEEAA) was held in Beijing. All committee members attended the meeting. Wu Gang delivered a speech. Academician Sun Cong, Chair of the Graduate Education Accreditation Working Committee, presided over the meeting.

Wang Yunpeng, Vice Chairman of CEEAA, expressed the hope that the Graduate Education Accreditation Working Committee would uphold excellence-oriented guidance, safeguard the lifeline of quality, and embed quality requirements through the entire accreditation process. Vice Chairman Xu Weiqing announced the decision of CEEAA to establish the Graduate Education Accreditation Working Committee, responsible for organizing and implementing the accreditation of excellent engineer education.

Wu Gang stressed that efforts shall be accelerated to build an accreditation system for excellent engineer education with Chinese characteristics. He urged the Committee to adhere to standard-driven development, industry-education integration and quality-first principles, and consolidate the quality assurance system for excellent engineer education through accreditation.

Zhao Weisheng, member of the Graduate Education Accreditation Working Committee, reported on the recent progress.

Editor: Liu Tingting