The 1st International Forum on Engineering Education, which was jointly hosted by Tsinghua University, Chinese Academy of Engineering and UNESCO, was convened in Tsinghua University from September 24 to 25.
At the forum [Photo/Tsinghua]
Beihang President Xu Huibin attended the forum and delivered a keynote speech entitled “Reform and Innovation: Philosophy, Practice and Reflections on Engineering Education” in the Principals’ Forum held on the afternoon of September 24th.
At the Principals’ Forum
Divided into three parts: Challenges in a Time of Rapid Change, Practice and Reform of Beihang University and Forging into the Future, President Xu’s report expounded challenges that era transformation brought to the creative talents cultivation mode, introduced the development, reform and innovation of engineering education at the present stage as well as the exploration and practice of talent training reform of Beihang University in recent years, and put forward a vision for the future development of engineering education.
President Xu Huibin delivered his speech
In his remarks, President Xu noted that industrial development and technological advancement are inextricably intertwined with the concept and practice of engineering education. Beihang University has cultivated a number of leading figures and pioneering talents for the aerospace and defense industries in China since its inception. Forging into the new era, Beihang should not only stick to its original mission, but also innovate and strive to cultivate new generations who can bear the responsibility of national rejuvenation.
Living in an era of “knowledge explosion” and growing up with the Internet, the the contemporary students should be cultivated with education that must advance with the times. President Xu indicated that the concept and model of engineering education should undergo changes to meet the personalized needs of students. He shared the experiences on the exploration of talent training reform of Beihang University in recent years at the forum:
Adhering to the ideology of “nurturing top students into first-class talents”, Beihang University prioritizes the cultivation of exceptional students. In 2017, the university underwent the largest reform in its academic structure since its inception by establishing the Beihang School, which adopts College-based management model to support freshmen and sophomores and strengthens the integration of general and special education. The students are admitted to the university based on their aptitude in general disciplines, and will be nurtured with general education in a broad range of subjects. This move greatly stimulates students’ inner motivation, inspires their enthusiasm, enhances their all-round development, and finally guides the students to achieve self-discovery and self-realization. Moreover, Beihang also attaches great importance to students’ knowledge application and practical ability. The excellent students honed by the “Feng Ru Cup” competition and the world record-breaking “Lunar Palace 365 Experiment” are the best accomplishments under this training mode.
At the final part, President Xu put forward three questions: What are the implications for teaching and learning in the universities in the future? Where are the boundaries of specialization in the future? How to integrate aesthetics, art and social ethics into engineering education? Around those topics, he shared his thoughts with attendees on the future engineering education.
With the theme of “Innovation and Development of Engineering Education”, the forum aims to bring together world-renowned scholars and leaders in the fields of engineering education, engineering technology and engineering management to discuss the innovation and development of engineering education, promoting the advancement of engineering technology and social progress and coping with major global challenges.
During the two-day forum, 11 presidents from top universities at home and abroad delivered their keynote speeches around the topics of “Challenges to Engineering Education and Building First-Class Engineering Course” and “Engineering Education for Sustainable Development”. Nearly 50 experts and scholars had group presentations and discussions on topics such as industry-university-research collaboration, innovative practice of engineering education, engineering ethics education and the diversity of engineering education. More than 150 experts, scholars and industry representatives from nearly 20 countries or regions attended the forum.
Reported by Shi Yue
Photographed by Song Chao
Edited by Song Chao
Translated by Lyu Xingyun
