The inauguration ceremony of the School of Future Aerospace Technology was held at Vision International Cultural Exchange Center on the morning of July 13. Among the attendees were Zhang Kejian, Deputy Director of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) and Administrator of the China National Space Administration (CNSA), Wu Yan, Director of the Department of Higher Education of the Ministry of Education, Cheng Jiwei, Director of the Department of Personnel and Education of the MIIT, Liu Yuhui, Deputy Secretary of Education Working Committee of Beijing Municipal Committee of the CPC and Director of Beijing Municipal Education Commission, Cao Shumin, Secretary of the Party Committee of Beihang University, Xu Huibin, President of Beihang University, Zhao Qinping, Director of the Academic Committee of Beihang University, more than 20 academicians and chief engineers in the field of aerospace and information technology, and university leaders and directors from various schools and departments. The inauguration ceremony was hosted by Cao Shumin.
On behalf of Beihang University, Cao Shumin extended her warm welcome and heartfelt thanks to the leaders and guests. She pointed out that Beihang has fully implemented the spirit of President Xi Jinping’s remarks on higher education and technology innovation. The establishment of the School of Future Aerospace Technology is a major move to cultivate talents in the field of aviation and aerospace, giving support to the achievement of sci-tech self-reliance and self-strengthening at higher levels and serving the country’s major strategic needs. Resources and power across the university will be pooled to accelerate the building of the school.
In his welcoming remarks, President Xu Huibin said that Beihang, as the first aerospace institution of higher learning, responded promptly to the needs of the country and has been actively planning to build the School of Future Aerospace Technology. Beihang will grasp the important opportunity, be creative in talent cultivation and scientific and technological innovation, and make greater contributions to boosting the country’s strength in science and technology, as well as in education.
Zhang Kejian pointed out that the establishment of the School of Future Aerospace Technology is a powerful practice to implement the innovation-driven development strategy, strengthen the cultivation of innovative talents, seize the opportunity for scientific and technological development, and help achieve sci-tech self-reliance and self-strengthening at higher levels. He hoped Beihang will find the right position and aim at the advanced technologies to develop an innovation team with reasonable layout, and explore a new talent cultivation mode driven by cutting-edge technologies.
Wu Yan said in his speech that since 2017, the Ministry of Education has accelerated the New Engineering Disciplines Construction and has achieved positive results, and the School of Future Aerospace Technology is an important part in the overall layout and an essential exploration to promote the high-quality development of higher learning. He hoped Beihang will focus on future aerospace technology and cultivate more talents with imagination, insight, execution and leadership.
Liu Yuhui noted that the School of Future Aerospace Technology fully reflects Beihang’s characteristics and strength. He hoped Beihang will make further progress in future aerospace technology and combine it with the cultivation of world-class talents and the optimization of innovation and entrepreneurship ecology to provide more support to the development of the country and regional construction.
During the ceremony, Academician Xiang Jinwu introduced the construction ideas and development blueprint of the school.
Wu Weiren, Dean of the School of Future Aerospace Technology and Chief Designer of China’s Lunar Exploration Program, pointed out that the new school was founded at the right time when science and technology and high-end talent are playing an increasingly important role in national economy and overall prosperity. He said that Beihang, as the birth place of aerospace in China, needs to keep exploring, learning and improving in the real practice to cultivate new inter-disciplinary talents for the development of aerospace industry in China.
Participating leaders and experts jointly inaugurated the School of Future Aerospace Technology at the ceremony. The school will focus on the nation’s major needs in aerospace and international academic frontier, face the development trend of future aerospace technology as well as some scientific problems and the need in key technology breakthrough. It will cultivate more designers-in-chief and high-end innovative talents in the field of aircraft technology, space development technology and other basic science and cutting-edge technologies.
The School of Future Aerospace Technology will initiate enrollment in 2021 and adopt the eight-year triple degree program for BD/MD/Ph.D. Aiming to cultivate inter-disciplinary and innovative talents with new research program courses, it will pool high-quality resources across the university and invite academicians and chief engineers to be mentors. It strives to provide a place for students of all directions to interact, practice, explore and research, and cultivate students’ patriotism, humanistic feelings and global mindset.
Reported by Wang Qing, Hu Yiwen and Wang Meng
Photographed by Di Bailu and Liu Yaoze
Reviewed by Li Jianwei
Edited by Di Bailu
Translated by Li Zhuoyang
