TIEI submitted a report and applied to become a member of Polytech Group in order to enable our students to have a broader platform for learning and practice, truly own the high-quality teaching resources abroad, further develop students’ international vision and enhance their core competitiveness. From April 22 to 23, Polytech Group experts conducted a two-day audit and inspection work to TIEI.

On the morning of April 22, Shan Xiaolin, Party Secretary of QHC and Guan Jing, Vice Dean of TIEI received Polytech Group delegation. Later, they visited the History Museum of Tianjin University and made the experts fully understand the history and development of Tianjin University. Then, they went to Feng Jicai Art Research Center to deeply experience the traditional Chinese culture.

At noon, Li Jiajun, Party Secretary of Tianjin University, met with the Polytech Group experts. First of all, he gave a detailed introduction to the history of Tianjin University, the series of measures for the construction of emerging engineering education, and the basic situation of TIEI. He said that TIEI has learned from the French engineer’s educational model, combined with the national conditions and social needs, the school’s unique concept and training model has been highly recognized by CTI. After five years’ of exploration and development, the overall construction of TIEI has achieved remarkable achievements. Subsequently, he conducted more in-depth exchanges with Polytech Group experts on various aspects such as TJU’s emerging engineering education construction development plan, scientific research achievements, international cooperation projects, and personnel training. Finally, Li Jiajun expressed his sincere gratitude to the Polytech Group experts.

In the afternoon, TIEI audit meeting was held in the first conference room of the Conference Building of the Tianjin University Weijin Road Campus. Claude Gilles DUSSAP, General Director of Polytech Group, Guy REUMONT, Director of Polytech Lille, Alexandre CAMINADA, Director of Polytech Nice Sophia, Philippe GOURBESVILLE, Former Director of Polytech Nice Sophia, Yuan Yingjin, vice president of Tianjin University, Zhang Zhen, Director of the International Cooperation, Han Qinghua, Dean of the School of Civil Engineering, Li Qiang, Party secretary of the School of International Education, Shan Xiaolin, Party Secretary of QHC, Chen Guanyi, Dean of QHC, Guan Jing, Vice Dean of TIEI, representatives of relevant professional teachers and representatives of TIEI Enterprise Club attended the meeting. The meeting was hosted by Shan Xiaolin.

First of all, Yuan Yingjin warmly welcomed the Polytech Group experts visit and delivered a speech. He said that TIEI is a pilot area for the talents in the engineering field jointly established by Tianjin University and Polytech Nice Sophia. By drawing on the training model of French engineers, TIEI fully played a leading role in the construction of emerging engineering education in response to scientific and technological revolution and industrial reform, and served for a series of national strategies such as “Made in China 2025”. In particular, he emphasized that TIEI was awarded the highest level of professional certification by CTI in 2017 and was recognized and highly praised by CTI Vice President Jean-Marc THERET.

Subsequently, Shan Xiaolin reported to the experts according to the actual situation of TIEI. He said that TIEI does not “copy” the existing model, but bases on development strategies and social needs, and formulates a talent training system that integrates the characteristics of Sino-French engineering education. Through this audit, we can build a platform for students of China and France who can share high-quality international education resources, and have a wider range of learning and exchange opportunities, besides, it can further promote the cooperation between Chinese and French companies, the exchanges between teachers and projects, and achieve the integration of production and education throughout the entire field of personnel training in the field of engineering.

Chen Guanyi gave a detailed introduction to the development and construction of Tianjin and Tianjin University in recent years. He said that the goal of TIEI is to cultivate international engineering leaders with “rigorous attitude, solid foundation, innovative spirit and practical ability” to adapt to the social needs and promote the world scientific and technological progress, and contribute to the construction of emerging engineering education.

Guan Jing made detailed reports from the background, training mode, school characteristics, teaching quality, Enterprise Club platform, and internationalization of TIEI, highlighting the innovations and changes made in teaching mode and talent training.

Then, Liu Gang, Wang Zixiong, Yu Ce, Meng Lin, and Liu Donghai, the professional teacher representatives of Smart Building, the Electronics, the Computer Science, the Biomedical Engineering, and the Water Engineering respectively combined their professional characteristics, specialty advantages, research direction, scientific research results, laboratory construction and other aspects were systematically introduced to the experts. The Polytech Group experts conducted on-the-spot questions according to the contents of the reports. The representatives of the professional teachers of TIEI gave satisfactory answers to them.

Finally, the member of Enterprise Club, Shao Peng, System Engineering general manager of NXP, Sun Ti, Senior Consulting Manager of Inspur Group, and Xu Zongwu, General Designer of China Institute of Building Standard Design & Research, reported in detail the cooperation projects and achievements in the field of personnel training in the engineering field according to the development of their respective enterprises and the advantages of the industry. They constructed the school-enterprise cooperation practice base with TIEI, formed the school-enterprise collaborative education mechanism, and received the students’ internships in the engineering stage of TIEI.

After all the presentations, the Polytech Group experts went to the three professional laboratories of Smart Building, Electronics and Biomedical Engineering to conduct on-the-spot investigations, and briefly communicated with the teachers and student representatives.

On April 23, Wang Shuxin, Vice President of Tianjin University, met with the Polytech Group experts. Wang Shuxin made a speech based on the overall planning of Tianjin University and the construction policy of the emerging engineering education “TJU Action”. In his speech, he said that the French engineer’s educational philosophy is exactly the same as the emerging engineering education construction concept. TIEI draws on the French engineer education system and combines the Chinese local education model to carry out a series of changes and innovations. It is very reproducible and popular in the context of engineering education reform. Subsequently, they conducted in-depth exchanges on the cultivation of innovative talents in the future engineering field, research projects, and discipline construction.

Subsequently, the experts went to the Beiyangyuan Campus of Tianjin University to conduct on-the-spot investigations on the two professional laboratories of Computer Science and Water Engineering. The teachers and student representatives of the two specialties laboratories gave on-site explanations and demonstrations to them.

At last, the experts went to the Ri Xin Study of Zhengdong Library to listen to the overall reports of TIEI three grades students and the first graduates, and communicated with the students according to the contents of their reports.

It is reported that TIEI submitted a report to Polytech Group in December 2018, applying to become a member of Polytech Group. Once TIEI has passed the Polytech Group audit, it will share the educational and teaching resources of all member colleges in Polytech Group. In addition, TIEI will become the first overseas member of Polytech Group, which will enhance the Tianjin University and TIEI international competitiveness and influence in the field of engineer education.

(Correspondent: Liu Yingtong; Photography: Tang Meng, Liu Yingtong)