Talent Cultivation

Program Educational Objectives:

1. Graduates will have a wide field of vision with global perspective and will become successful professionals in the world’s leading academic institutions and industries;

2. Graduates will become recognized leaders in mechanical engineering or other related fields;

3. Graduates will be entrepreneurially minded to promote technical, economic, and social innovations to the nation and the world;

4. Graduates will have a deep passion for mechanical engineering and a strong understanding and awareness of their society, and be able to make changes in way of manufacturing and promote the development of industries.

Student Outcomes:

1. An ability to apply knowledge of mathematics, science, and engineering;

2. An ability to design and conduct experiments as well as to analyze and interpret data;

3. An ability to design a system, component, or process to meet desired needs within realistic constraints such as economic, environmental, social, political, ethical, health and safety, manufacturability, and sustainability；

4. An ability to function on multidisciplinary teams;

5. An ability to identify, formulate, and solve engineering problems;

6. An understanding of professional and ethical responsibility;

7. An ability to communicate effectively;

8. The broad education necessary to understand the impact of engineering solutions in a global, economic, environmental, and societal context;

9. A recognition of the need for, and an ability to engage in life-long learning;

10. A knowledge of contemporary issues;

11. An ability to use the techniques, skills, and modern engineering tools necessary for engineering practice.

Program Characteristics

The Department of Mechanical Engineering embraces the principle of “talent cultivation according to the requirement of the broad category of mechanical engineering”, a comprehensive educational approach rooted in strengthened general education. Aiming to nurture innovative, well-rounded, and high-quality talents with a solid grounding, the department places an emphasis on cultivating students’ comprehensive qualities, professional expertise, practical skills, and innovation consciousness and abilities. The program follows a credit-based structure and offers flexible learning periods. Upon successfully completing the program and meeting the requirements of the education plan, students are conferred the degree of Bachelor of Engineering in Mechanical Engineering.

The department is committed to nurturing innovative, excellent engineering talents who are research-oriented, management-oriented, and globally-minded. In the first two years of college, students are required to take public foundation courses in natural sciences, humanities and social sciences, and engineering, as mandated by the general education curriculum. For junior students of the mechanical engineering major, the program offers core foundation courses, including Engineering Materials, Mechanical Design, Mechanical Manufacturing, Material Processing, Testing and Inspection, and Control Engineering. During their senior year, students undertake more advanced, specialized courses in mechanical engineering. To enhance the overall competence and professional skills of students, the program provides a diverse range of training opportunities, including course experiments, project training, scientific research exploration, professional internships, and social practice. They are designed to solidify students’ basic knowledge and stimulate their interest and enhance their ability to explore the cutting-edge aspects of the discipline and address practical engineering problems. Additionally, the program aims to provide comprehensive training in project design, planning, organization, management, teamwork, and more. This prepares students to better meet future academic and professional demands and provides ample opportunities for their ongoing progress.

With a commitment to improving teaching quality, the department has been actively involved in curriculum reform and innovation and the establishment of practical education platforms. Notably, the department offers five quality courses that are recognized at both Beijing and national levels: Mechanical Drawing, Principles of Mechanics, Engineering Materials, Fundamentals of Manufacturing Engineering, and Material Processing. It also hosts the National Demonstration Center for Mechanical Engineering Experimental Teaching, the National Education Base for Foundation Courses in Engineering (Mechanical Engineering), and the Municipal-level Off-campus Talent Cultivation Base of Beijing. By seamlessly integrating scientific research and teaching, the department incorporates the latest research advancements and discoveries into its curriculum, bridging the divide between scientific research and classroom instruction. Furthermore, it actively encourages student participation in research projects through initiatives such as the College Student Training Program and the Top-notch Talent Cultivation Program. These efforts have provided high-quality resources for undergraduate development.

It also maintains strong ties with global academic and industrial communities, thus offering abundant opportunities for international exchanges. Collaborative partnerships have been established with esteemed institutions, including the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (U.S.), University of California, Berkeley (U.S.), University of Notre Dame (U.S.), University of Tokyo (Japan), Paris Institute of Technology (France), RWTH Aachen University (Germany), Technische Universität Berlin (Germany), and renowned companies such as DMG (Germany) and Timken (U.S.). Each year, undergraduate students have the opportunity to study and have practical experience abroad through these partnerships. In addition, the program offers foundational and advanced courses conducted in English with the use of world-class original textbooks. Students can customize their course selections according to their individual English proficiency and interest. To broaden students’ international perspectives, the program also invites visiting professors from abroad to demonstrate exemplary teaching and deliver lectures for undergraduates. This allows students to have the opportunity to experience the teaching and learning styles of top-tier foreign universities and enhance their English application and communication skills through practical exercises.

The department boasts a vibrant environment for extracurricular scientific and technological activities. Students can participate through various channels, including involvement in research projects initiated by faculty members. Moreover, they are encouraged to propose their own projects, with financial support provided by both the university and the department. The department annually hosts a variety of events, such as the National Mechanical Design Innovation Competition, Freshman Creativity Competition, and Tsinghua University Mechanical Innovation Competition, providing students with numerous platforms to showcase their creative abilities. Several students have achieved notable success, winning the top prize or the first prize in the “Challenge Cup” National College Students’ Extracurricular Academic Science and Technology Contest and securing the first prize in both the Beijing Mechanical Design Competition and the Intelligent Vehicle Competition. In addition to academic achievements, the department places a strong emphasis on the overall development of students. It organizes a variety of activities to support their well-rounded growth. The classes within the department have received numerous honors, including being recognized as the Advanced Class of Beijing and the Beijing Red Flag Youth League Committee on multiple occasions.

The department’s undergraduate program is characterized by its commitment to nurturing well-rounded individuals who have a solid foundation, diverse practical experiences, and enhanced personal qualities.

Well-rounded individuals who have a solid foundation: The department follows the principle of “talent cultivation according to the requirement of the broad category of mechanics”. More than 80 percent of the curriculum is dedicated to the fundamentals of natural sciences and humanities, general courses of mechanics, and foundation core courses in mechanical engineering. These include disciplines such as mechanics (theoretical mechanics, material mechanics, and fluid mechanics), fundamentals of electrical and electronic information, fundamentals of computer hardware and software, engineering materials, mechanical design, mechanical manufacturing, material processing control engineering, testing and inspection, heat transfer, and engineering thermodynamics. The more advanced, specialized courses cover various professional directions, including mechanical design and theory, mechanical manufacturing and automation, mechatronic engineering, and material forming and processing. With the interdisciplinary nature of contemporary scientific and technological advancements, the program’s focus on nurturing individuals with a strong foundation lays the groundwork for their further development.

Diverse practical experiences: Practice constitutes the cornerstone of talent cultivation. Through years of teaching research and practice and curriculum development, the department has put in place a practical education-based system that includes:

(1) Integrating experiments and practical education into core or important courses;

(2) Offering comprehensive practical and experimental courses covering fundamental disciplines like mechanical design and manufacturing, material forming and processing, testing and electromechanical control, simulation and information management;

(3) Implementing production internships and social practices closely related to real-world production to provide hands-on experience with both production and society for undergraduates; establishing the Municipal-level Off-campus Talent Cultivation Base of Beijing;

(4) Conducting training sessions to develop specialized abilities, including the Preliminary Scientific Research Ability Training: Thematic Sessions (for Undergraduates);

(5) Establishing the National Demonstration Center for Mechanical Engineering Experimental Teaching and the National Education Base for Foundation Courses in Engineering (Mechanical Engineering);

(6) Maintaining a high-level practical teaching team.

This practical teaching system, integrated into every aspect of the entire undergraduate education program, combined with the expertise of the high-level teaching team, establishes a robust foundation for cultivating innovative, excellent, and high-quality talents.

Enhanced personal qualities: A high-caliber talent, in addition to possessing innovation consciousness and capabilities, must also possess a solid and extensive knowledge base, analytical skills, far-reaching foresight, and a profound sense of social responsibility and ethics. Outlined in the educational objectives, in addition to mastering fundamental knowledge, applying knowledge, solving engineering problems, and executing project designs, the objectives include developing communication skills, teamwork proficiency, innovation consciousness, leadership awareness, personal morality, and the ability for lifelong learning. The department strengthens the cultivation of students’ well-rounded abilities by employing research-oriented teaching methods, extensive teaching practices, group-based course design, project research, social practice, extracurricular scientific and technological activities, and comprehensive thesis training within the context of actual scientific research projects.