Harbin Institute of Technology

Reported by: Zhang Yan
Translated by: Pang Yue Han Jie
Edited by: Garrick Jones
Date: June 26, 2017

On June 24th, the conference to set-up the alliance of universities as well as the Forum of Education Development of Universities of MIIT was held in HIT. Chen Zhaoxiong - vice minister of MIIT and member of the Party Group, Zhang Xiaolian - member of provincial Party Standing Committee, minister of propaganda, Hu Yafeng - vice governor of Heilongjiang Province and member of the Party Group and the deputy director of the State Administration of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense and member of the Party Group and Wu Yanhua - deputy director of the China National Space Administration attended the meeting. Representatives of 7 universities under MIIT pushed a booklet which symbolized the official launching of the league together on an electronic screen. HIT was selected as the first university on duty, and Chen Zhaoxiong presented HIT with a flag. Wang Shuquan, the secretary of the Party Committee of HIT hosted the meeting. Zhou Yu, president of HIT declared “the initiative on setting up the university league of MIIT” during the meeting.

The setting up of the league is an important initiative, showing that this new era, the 7 universities of MIIT will fully implement the spirit of General Secretary Xi Jinping of series of important talks of higher education and that of conferences of ideological and political work , the service of serving people and the Party Committee, the socialist system with Chinese characteristics, the reform and opening-up and socialist modernization under new circumstances. Besides, it is a declaration of pushing froward the construction of world-level universities and disciplines, actively meeting new technological and industrial reforms and challenges. Also, it is a joint action of serving innovation-drive development strategies which integrates the both the military and people, creating a stronger aviation country. By holding the cooperative principles of “studying policies, sharing resources, reform innovation, cooperative development” and establishing an effective cooperative mechanism, the league will share high-quality education resources, promote the construction of world-level universities and disciplines, lead the reform and development of education as well as cultivate the development and function of economic social transformation, thus making greater contribution to achieve two “one hundred” goals and the Chinese dream of great rejuvenation.

Chen Zhaoxiong pointed out in the meeting that the 7 universities under MIIT, treated “cultivating people with morality” as a primary task, and were committed to developing with characteristics and innovation, thus forming distinct educational features and profound development essence. The 7 universities have been making breakthroughs continuously in personnel training, scientific research, social service, cultural development and innovation as well as international exchanges and cooperation, making significant contributions to national industrialization, informatization and modernization of national defense, thus becoming pioneers of Chinese higher education and important forces in pushing forward economic and social development. The construction of world-level universities and disciplines was the major strategic decision made by the Central Committee and the State Council. The set-up of the league symbolized that the 7 universities had entered into a new stage of cooperative development, which was an important impetus of improving the education level of universities under MIIT. The 7 universities were going to set up “four awareness”, persisting in the basic characteristics of socialist education with Chinese characteristics knowing that CPC leads China and adhering to the performing presidents responsibility system. Besides, the universities shall commit to the core observance of “four services” and task of “educating people with morality”, and enhance the “four confidences” of developing based on China and creating world-level universities, meeting the major need of the nation, facing international scientific frontiers and the national economy.

Chen Zhaoxiong put forward his demand for the “double world-level construction”from the following five aspects. First, we should commit to developing with desired characteristics by intensifying and highlighting positive features. We have to intensify features of disciplined construction, commit to serving the national major development strategies of creating a stronger network station, meeting the needs of integrating informatization and industrialization. We should actively adapt to the need of the industrial transformation and upgrading, enhance the construction of disciplines of national defense with characteristics, pay attention to cultivate emerging interdisciplinary practices, intensify the construction of disciplines with advantages, plan prospective and strategic directions, enhance resource support to create series of first-level discipline groups with combativeness. We need to highlight the characteristics of personnel training. We should commit to the goal of meeting the demand of the construction of national defense science and technology industry system and the development of industrialization and informationization to the quality of personnel innovation and practice ability, treating innovation and practice ability as an impetus, exploring intertrainning modes of interfaculties, interdisciplinary and intermajors. We should facilitate personnel to move from a single mode to an integrated one, intensify the training of innovative and outstanding personnel, make breakthroughs in personnel training by integrating resources. We should highlight the features in disciplines, persisting in serving industrialization and informationization, giving priority to the direction of solving both frontier and major problems. We should enhance cooperative innovation by depending on major projects and scientific tasks. We should enhance cooperation with local key enterprises and industrialized bases to speed up breakthroughs in bottlenecks and enhance the capacity of key technologies and push forward the process of transforming scientific fruits into productivity.

Second,we should persist in a way of connotative development that focuses on laying the foundation to overcome disadvantages and favor the future. We need to intensify both basic research and original innovation and regard intensifying basic research as a strategic task of enhancing the core competitiveness of HIT, especially on the frontier of basic researches of national defense. We should pay attention to interdisciplinary study with the direction of major scientific issues, pushing forward the construction of continuous funding and support the mechanisms of basic research to create a series of steady research teams and promote frontier basic research of interdisciplinary work in different fields to bear original and innovative fruits. We need to intensify education and teaching, set up the right direction of educating people, persist in combining both general education and major education, further strengthen the center position of personnel training and basic position of undergraduate teaching. We should treat cultivating as an innovative spirit and practical ability as our core goal and implement research teaching centralized by students and full of cases and exploration to enhance the education quality of undergraduates.

Third, we should pay equal attention to introduction and cultivation, manage to make breakthroughs and focus on creating first-level staff team. We need to introduce high-level talents carefully, to meet the needs of the development of discipline system, development direction of scientific research, the actual circumstances of talent team, depend on platforms such as major scientific research cooperation to speed up the introduction of first-level scholars, leaders in different disciplines and innovative teams who are active in the frontier of international academy and meet the demand for national strategies. We should accelerate the introduction of “high-level” talents who can make breakthroughs in key and core technologies and settle major problems in engineering. We also should introduce excellent young talents who are expected to be top scientists and leaders in different disciplines. We need to pay attention to cultivate high-level talents, enhance the construction of talented teams and the cultivation of leaders as well as the growth of middle-aged and young teachers. We should optimize the development environment of young teachers and try our best to settle the difficulties they actually face, providing a platform for them to grow into talents, superior to others and present their talents, thus forming and good situation for the success of talents and cultivating more talents and enhancing the sustainable development of personnel teams.

Fourth, we need to stimulate positiveness of each unit and the vigor of staff and students on education by deepening reform. We need to deepen the reform of personnel and income distribution, representing the demand for cultivating people with morality and development with connotation as well as the direction of showing respect to knowledge and talent, giving priority to front-line teachers who are engaged in basic research, teaching and administration in the allocation of salary and resources. We need to focus on the allocation system which can contribute to integrating and encouraging high-level talents, making them easy to introduce and stay in universities as well as be of great help to academic areas. We need to construct a scientific and reasonable assessment system by committing to the basic needs of “making the morality of teachers as the priority, teaching as the core part, research as the foundation and development as the intention and improving the systems of setting positions and assessment according to different criteria. We need to build up a scientific and reasonable assessment system, prioritizing performance objectives and the assessment of morality of teachers as well as carrying out the system of dismissing teachers who don’t have morality.

Fifth, we need to strengthen the construction of the Party, shoulder the major task of governing and administering the Party and transform the advantage of the construction of the Party and political thoughts to that of development of universities. We need to commit to the education direction of socialism, centralizing the following topics such as what kind of people to cultivate, how to cultivate people and whom we cultivate people for. We should enhance the construction of the Party in an all-round way, sticking to the education direction of socialism and fully implementing “four perseverance” of universities, “four unification” of teachers and “four right awareness” to hold the leadership and initiative of ideological tasks. We should fully implement the spirit of conferences of ideological and political education of universities and achieve profound recognition, objectives and tasks as well as basic needs to the ideological and political education of universities from the cases of the Party and the nation. Besides, we should fully embrace the responsibility of ideological education. We should grasp the spirit and essence of important talks of General Secretary Xi Jinping, studying the laws of ideological and political education, teaching and student growth. We should carry out our tasks according to new demands of the actual circumstances of universities and features of teachers. We should further improving the system of “ studies on the theoretical and practical issues of party building” and “three conferences and one lesson” to enhance the competitiveness of universities and to make universities the strong base of the leadership of the Party.

Chen Zhaoxiong emphasized that staff and students of all universities shall unite around the Central Committee of the Party centralized by Comrade Xi Jinping. We should commit to our faith with hard-working and perseverance to enhance the connotative development in all-round way, thus enhancing “double first-level” construction and serving the construction of national defense and major development strategies to welcome the successful opening-up of the 19th CPC National Congress.

Zhang Xiaolian pointed out that the 7 universities under MIIT paid attention to the needs of China and made contribution in the course of revolution, construction and development with hard-work and perseverance, which represented the features of aviation defense. The 7 universities, together with the league, furthered cooperation, promoted resource-sharing and cooperative development, which would create a famous “fleet” in Chinese higher education and even the world. The 7 universities have exerted much influence on achieving the goal of “two one-hundred years”. He also gave 3 proposals to the 7 universities under MIIT which are as follows.

First, we need to commit to “four services”, shouldering the new mission of the Party and the nation. We should enhance the great projects of the Party construction and the further the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics and have a profound understanding of the political, theoretical and practical significance of the important talks of General Secretary Xi Jinping. We should persist in the education direction of socialism and the task of education with morality as well as each job according to the important talks of General Secretary Xi Jinping. We should keep the mission and responsibility in our mind and put them into practice. We should put the ideological education in the whole process and lead the staff and students to have faith in, showing respect for and support the Party, listen to the words of, follow and work with, the Party. We should put ourselves into the great cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics.

Second, we should seize development opportunities and expand “innovation-driven” progress. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, colleges and universities have had unprecedented opportunities for progress. We hope that seven colleges and universities could firmly grasp this rare historical opportunity for the implementation of the “double world-class” construction, giving full play to the advantages of long-term service to aerospace and defense, and consciously integrate into the overall situation of Party Central Committee to promote the China’s five pronged strategy for building socialism with Chinese characteristics, that is, to promote coordinated progress in economic, political, cultural, social and ecological areas, and the Four Comprehensives. We should also consciously serve the national innovation-driven development strategy, and consciously play the important role which universities have as a talent and scientific base and as output base and expand the “innovation-driven” advances. What’s more, it’s also crucial for us to show our talents in the “innovation-driven” stage, and continuously improve the capacity and level of national strategy and regional economic and social development to promote leaps and sustainable development.

Third, we should actively take part in the construction of Heilongjiang, and help it to find a new way to fully advance. I hope that seven colleges and universities be can firm and enthusiastic and take the initiative to carry out the thought of General Secretary Xi Jinping’s keynote speech aiming at Heilongjiang two times and give an accurate grasp of the situation that Heilongjiang is climbing over the difficult period, meeting favorable development opportunities, and enjoying a developmental window of opportunity. They should actively help Heilongjiang to cope with the challenge of continued increasing downward economic pressure and the negative pull of traditional industry. We should continue to fulfill the urgent needs of talent and technology-driven economic development transformation and upgrading of Heilongjiang vigorously, carrying forward outstanding the cultural traditions represented by the Iron-man Spirit, Beidahuang Spirit and spirit of the anti-Japanese union. What’s more, actively carrying out with the all-round, wide ranging, and diversified cooperation and leading more talents to participate in the construction of Heilongjiang and promoting more scientific and technological achievements transformation in Heilongjiang is the best support for the revitalization of Heilongjiang’s development. Zhang Xiaolian said that the Heilongjiang Provincial Party Committee and the provincial government will continue to actively create a platform of favorable policy, resources and human environment, and work together to build and strive to create the glory of Heilongjiang’s comprehensive revitalization and development.

Wu Yanhua pointed out in his speech that innovation-driven development strategy and the integration of military and civilian development strategy continue to progress to meaningful goals, and collaborative national defense science and technology innovation has become a strong trend. The seven colleges and universities subordinated to MIIT show their commitment to the nation, dedication to national defense and the diligence to forge ahead in the long process of school operation, at the same time, they also have made remarkable results in the national defense science and technology basic theory research, cutting-edge technology exploration, key technology research and the cultivation of innovative talents making outstanding contributions. He hoped that they could continue to give full play to their advantages, seize the opportunity to forge ahead, and strive to bring national defense science and technology industry into a national scientific and technological innovation heights for the early completion of innovation and a world level scientifically and technologically strong country.

First, we should adhere to national defense characteristics and support the strategy of strengthening the country and military. Deep excavation of military heritage and huge development potential can continue to strengthen military characteristics, consolidate the existing advantages; we should aim at the major demand of national defense science and technology industry and equipping innovation and development for precision development can provide strong talents and technology support for the implementation of military strategy and the national defense science and technology industry; the 7 universities should be the main force of national defense. Military researches can make greater contributions for the construction of an advanced Chinese national defense science and technological industrial system.

Second, we should adhere to the integration of military and civilian life, and serve economic and social development. General Secretary Xi Jinping’s speech in the first plenary session of the Central Committee for the Integration of Military and Civilian Development leads us to strengthen the mission and the mechanism of innovation. So we need to take into account economic construction and national defense construction, and actively explore a new model for military and civilian integration of science and technology, and the sharing of military and civilian technology resources to speed up the establishment of innovation in the system of military and civilian integration and actively cultivate the model carrier as the first innovation pioneer. Furthermore, expanding the new space of integration of military and civilian development and exploring the new ways of integrating military and civilian development could accelerate the formation of all-elements, multi-fields and an effective development pattern of military and civilian integration.

Third, we should adhere to an innovation-driven strategy and improve performance with collaborative cooperation. We could take the opportunity of the establishment of the alliance and give full play to the leading role of the collaborative innovation of industry-university-research institution interaction and joint action mechanism through the two-way-driven scientific and technological innovation and system innovation. By focusing on fundamental common basic technology, cutting-edge subversive and “bottleneck” or “short board” problems that have restricted national defense science and technology industry development for a long time. We could gradually explore the new mechanism with strong coordination and intelligent research to speed up the realization of major core technology breakthroughs as an important part of the national defense science and technology innovation system.

25 teams of the 2016 research-based teaching innovation teams of MIIT were also commended in the conference. Four teams of HIT, namely “Computer Major Class Basic Course Teaching Team” led by professor Zhan Decheng, “Electronic Technology Basic Course Teaching Team” led by professor Wang Shujuan, “Basic Physics Teaching Team” led by professor Zhang Yu and “High-end Equipment Manufacturing Virtual Simulation Teaching Team” led by professor Yan Jihong were commended.

In the Education Development Summit for MIIT Universities, representatives from seven universities delivered keynote speeches focused on “adhering to the characteristics of development to promote 'double world-class' construction”. President Zhou Yu elaborated on the three aspects of the situation facing “double world-class" construction, development opportunities and HIT advantage and situation facing “double world-class" construction of HIT in the title of “grasping the opportunity to climb to the peak of the construction of hundred-year strong and world-class HIT with Chinese characteristics. Xiong Sihao, the deputy party secretary of HIT presided over the summit.

During the summit, representatives from seven universities attended the Group Seminar on Discipline Construction Work, Group Seminar on State-Owned Management Work, Group Seminar of Talent Training, Group Seminar of Scientific Research Management and Group Seminar of University Office, and exchanged and explored work experience and reflection on “double world-class” construction from different perspectives.

More than 180 representatives including representatives from the Department of Planning, Department of Finance, Department of Science and Technology, Department of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises, Department of Equipment Manufacturing Industry, Department of Civil-Military Technology Integration, Department of Information Technology Application and Software Industry, Department of International Cooperation, Department of Personnel and Education and Department of Office Service of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, representatives from Comprehensive Department, Department of Science and Technology and Department I of Systems Engineering of State Administration of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense, PRC, representatives of Committee of Industry and Information Technology of Heilongjiang Province and Heilongjiang Provincial Communications Administration, school leaders, relevant personnel and teacher representatives of seven Ministry-subordinated universities attended the conference and summit.

On the evening of the 23rd June, the heads of seven universities held a University Group Council Meeting in Room 626 of the Administration Building. They discussed and adopted the Agenda of the Association of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology Colleges and Universities, and signed the Framework Agreement on Cooperation with the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology Colleges and Universities on the meeting. What’s more, they also introduced the 2017 annual work plan and decided that Beihang University will be the rotating university for next year.