Training reform builds pool of top engineers

A major national initiative to cultivate top-tier engineering talent through deep university-industry integration has enrolled nearly 26,000 master's and doctoral students since its launch three years ago, education authorities said on Tuesday.

The initiative, known as the training of excellence engineers, was launched in 2022 by nine government bodies including the Organization Department of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the Ministry of Education.

The essence of the initiative lies in a fundamental redesign of the training model. Universities and enterprises jointly enroll students, define research topics, supervise training, and share outcomes. The mechanism also promotes integrated faculties, interconnected curricula, shared platforms, and aligned policies, said Wu Gang, director of the Ministry of Education's department of degree management and postgraduate education, at a news conference on Tuesday.

To train the engineers, the Ministry of Education, in collaboration with the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission, has engaged eight major centrally administered State-owned enterprises and 32 leading universities to establish 50 national excellence engineer institutes.

To support the initiative, authorities have approved the extraordinary addition of 41 new engineering master's and doctoral programs. All student recruitment quotas for these programs have been individually allocated, with joint enrollment teams co-led by university presidents and corporate leaders.

Developing world-class engineers is an inherent requirement for the integrated development of education, technology, and human resources. It is also an urgent necessity for building a modern industrial system and a major strategic move to enhance national competitiveness, Wu said.

He highlighted that the reform serves as a critical link in advancing national self-reliance and strength in science and technology, particularly as China navigates the upcoming 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-30) amid a complex and evolving global landscape.

"Enterprise practice is no longer an option but a core requirement — at least one year for master's students and two years for doctoral candidates," Wu explained. "This ensures students are tackling real-world problems with actual tools and resources provided by industry partners."

The curriculum has been fundamentally reshaped. Enterprises have contributed over 10,000 industry challenges to serve as primary research topics. Over 13,000 enterprise experts, including more than 2,000 chief engineers, serve as industry mentors, while hundreds of university professors have taken roles within enterprises, he said.

Moreover, in line with China's Degree Law, solving significant engineering problems is now the primary criterion for degree conferment. More than 60 students have already earned their degrees based on practical achievements like product designs or major equipment innovations, signaling a decisive move away from purely academic metrics, he added.

The results are concrete. The inaugural cohort of over 2,000 engineering master's graduates has generated more than 2,500 innovation results. Over 81 percent have chosen to remain with key enterprises in their field, with many receiving direct employment offers, waived probation periods, and seniority recognition, he added.

Wu Huaqiang, vice-president of Tsinghua University, said it has ensured that real industry needs are matched with high-potential talent.

He cited the example of student Lu Yang, whose research on superthick coatings for heavy-duty gas turbines solved a critical bottleneck, with his research results directly applied to a domestically developed engine. "He now continues his critical work at State Power Investment Corp, embodying the perfect alignment of talent development and national need."

"This model directly closes the 'last mile' for graduates to become productive," said Wang Mingfeng of the Chinese Aeronautical Establishment. Students gain genuine frontline experience, analyzing real processes and solving actual problems, which makes them immediately effective upon joining our teams, he said.

zoushuo@chinadaily.com.cn