To present a glimpse of the university’s significant achievements made in 2023, Beihang Publicity Department of the Party Committee / News Center has curated a selection of top 10 events that defined the year for Beihang. Join us as we recap the pivotal moments of 2023.
1. Beihang fully implements the spirit of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China and breaks new ground for its high-quality development
In 2023, Beihang party committee comprehensively studied and implemented the spirit of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, vigorously integrated the development of education, technology, and talent, promoting the high-quality development of Beihang University. The whole university solidly carried out the theme education of learning and implementing Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, and integrated five key measures including theoretical learning, investigation and research, promotion of development, inspection and rectification, and establishment of regulations and systems. Relevant achievements have been published on the front page of People's Daily, Guangming Daily, and China Education News, and have been reported by CCTV News.
2. Beihang continues to consolidate the foundation of disciplinary development
In 2023, Beihang solidified the foundation of disciplinary development, focused on cross integration, collaborative efficiency enhancement, and open cooperation, and optimized the layout of primary disciplines, with the number of primary disciplines reaching 36. The university held a disciplinary construction work meeting and a forum for the development of liberal arts and humanities, achieving significant results. Housing eight “Double First-class” disciplines and ten preponderant disciplines, Beihang has formed a new pattern of disciplinary development featuring aerospace information advantages, deep integration of science, engineering, humanities and medicine, as well as guidance of new directions. It adhered to the integrated construction of discipline, platform, and team, and built nine science and education collaborative platforms and analysis and testing centers.
3. Beihang builds a high-calibre talent cultivation system
In 2023, the university successfully completed the undergraduate education evaluation. The expert group unanimously agreed that the university has continued to promote the transformation of scientific research advantages into talent cultivation advantages, built a high-quality talent cultivation system, and achieved tangible results in undergraduate education reform with Beihang characteristics. This year, Beihang has won a lot of educational honour nationwide. A batch of teaching achievement awards, first-class undergraduate courses, prestigious teachers and teaching groups sprang up. The independent cultivation of high-quality talents has reached a new stage.
4. Beihang fully implements its scientific research action plan with enterprising and pioneering spirit
In 2023, the university fulfilled its mission of self-reliance and self-improvement in high-level science and technology and strove to enhance its scientific and technological innovation capability. It strengthened the national strategic scientific and technological power, deeply participated in the construction of national laboratories, and undertook a series of major tasks nationwide and worldwide. It promoted the convergence and integration of innovation chain and industry chain, establishing 37 strategic partnerships with government agencies, enterprises and institutions.
5. Five professors of Beihang University elected CAS and CAE academicians
On November 22, 2023, five professors of Beihang University were elected as academicians of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and the Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE). The number of Beihang University’s new academicians ranked second in the country’s universities. Prof. Jiang Chengbao, Prof. Guo Lei, Prof. Tao Zhi and Prof. Cao Jinbin were elected as academicians of CAS, and Prof. Jiao Zongxia was elected as an academician of CAE. A professor was elected as a foreign member of CAS.
The university has comprehensively implemented the strategy of strengthening the university with talents, and striven to build a first-class faculty. The platform for talent development has been constantly improved, and the construction of the International Research Institute for Multidisciplinary Science 2.0 has been launched to create an international talent center and an innovation highland.
6. Professor Gui Haichao carries out the Shenzhou-16 spaceflight mission
On May 30, 2023, Gui Haichao, a professor and doctoral supervisor of Beihang University, served as the first-ever payload expert to be one of the crew members of the Shenzhou-16 spaceflight mission. During the 154-day stay in orbit, the three-member astronaut crew completed a series of space science experiments. The Shenzhou-16 astronauts Jing Haipeng, Zhu Yangzhu and Gui Haichao delivered the fourth live class from China’s space station to students on Earth, which was the first science lecture delivered from the Mengtian lab module of the Tiangong space station. One of the main classrooms on the ground was set in Beihang University, and more than 2,400 students and teachers attended the lecture. During Beihang University’s 71st anniversary, Gui Haichao sent a video blessing to the university from the space station.
7. Beihang takes the lead in engineer training reform with new alliance
On July 2, 2023, Beihang hosted the National Academy of Outstanding Engineers' Conference and the first Industry-Education Forum. This collaborative initiative aims to advance the system forcultivation of outstanding engineers, uniting academia and industry across all aspects. During the event, Party Secretary Zhao Changlu conferred appointments to university-enterprise mentor groups, while President Wang Yunpeng signed joint training agreements with collaborative units.
On September 27, 2023, the promotion meeting for integrating industry and education in cultivating outstanding engineers was held in Beijing. Thirty-three institutions nationwide, including Tsinghua University and Beihang University, jointly founded the Chinese Union for Training Excellent Engineers.
Collaborating with enterprises, Beihang has crafted a new model and set a new standard in engineer training reform. Their practices were featured in the headlines of China Education Daily, drawing widespread attention from mainstream media.
8. Beihang boosts student growth with diverse initiatives
In 2023, Beihang strove for blending ideological education across its courses and campus life. Beihang Secretary of Party Committee and President took the lead in giving the first ideological and political class to kick off the new semesters for students. The university also adopted a user-friendly "one-stop" model to better respond to students’ needs and concerns, making the entire process more convenient. This year, Beihang students continued to excel in academic competitions, innovation, entrepreneurship, and social endeavors.
9. Beihang strengthens its effort to push forward a new vision for international development
In 2023, the university introduced an action plan to promote high-quality development through international cooperation, actively constructing a comprehensive global framework for Beihang. On September 15, 2023, the inauguration ceremony of the Zhongfa Aviation Institute and the opening ceremony for the 2023 undergraduates were held at the International Campus in Hangzhou, welcoming the first batch of 176 freshmen.
On November 5, 2023, President Wang Yunpeng led a delegation to visit France, Germany, Italy, and other countries They participated in six bilateral exchange activities, met with ten university presidents, and signed seven cooperation agreements. The university promoted an approach of global development and laid out a blueprint for international cooperation, taking an important step in actively exploring international partnerships. In 2023, the university established the Beihang China-Europe Cooperation Committee, signed multiple international exchange and cooperation agreements, and achieved fruitful results in various international collaborative research projects.
10. Beihang actively cultivates the spirit of a first-class university and strives to create a harmonious and beautiful learning and living environment
In 2023, the university strengthened the connotation-oriented allocation of resources, with the completion and use of buildings 1-4 in Shahe campus, continuously optimizing the conditions for school operation. The digital transformation of education was accelerated, with 323 smart classrooms upgraded across both campuses, significantly improving the conditions for teaching and learning.
The university actively created a vibrant and positive sports culture atmosphere, organizing the largest-ever sports event since its establishment, with over 8,800 participants and a total of 15,000 people involved. It also adhered to the principle of edifying students through cultural and aesthetic exposure, vigorously enriching the supply of cultural resources, introducing high-quality art into the campus, and organizing more than 140 cultural and artistic activities.
Reviewed by: Li Jianwei
Edited by: Jia Aiping
Translated by: Lu Meili, Han Xu, Yao Zipeng, Hu Xueyang, Zhuo Yuzhu
