From October 19 to 20, a group of six experts from CEEAA came to HIE and conducted on-site inspection for joint engineering education professional certification on such majors as Mechanical Design, Manufacturing and Automation, and Chemical Engineering and Technology.

Prof. Wei Guo from University of Science and Technology of China served as the leader of the joint certification expert group, Prof. Ai Ning from Zhejiang University of Technology as the leader of the chemical engineering and technology inspection group, and Prof. Bi Dasen from Tianjin University of Technology as the leader of the mechanical design, manufacturing and automation group, Prof. Han Zhansheng from Beijing Institute of Petrochemical Technology and senior engineers from Shanxi Huanghe Tool & Die Co., Ltd. as members of the expert group, and Associate Prof. Chen Pengpeng from Anhui University as the secretary of the expert group.

On the morning of Oct. 19, professional certification on-site inspection meeting was held in Conference Room 311. All members of the expert group, HIE Party Secretary Chen Yuetang, President Yi Bing, Vice President Luo Yiping, principals of relevant functional departments, as well as team members and teacher representatives from the School of Mechanical Engineering and the School of Material and Chemical Engineering attended the meeting. The first stage of the meeting was hosted by Vice President Luo Yiping.

President Yi Bing briefly introduced basic information about HIE and its current status in regard to undergraduate training and professional engineering education certification. Mechanical Design, Manufacturing and Automation has passed this certification in 2016. Guided by feedbacks from the first professional certification, it takes engineering education professional certification as a starting point, constantly improves professional standards, explores and practices the reform of mechanical application-oriented talent training model of local colleges and universities, guided by local economic and industrial development requirements, centered on students, and focused on cultivation of application ability. It has built up an application-oriented mechanical major featuring "solid foundation, suitable caliber, specialized expertise and advanced application". Relying on application-oriented characteristic discipline in "Chemical Engineering and Technology" in Hunan Province, Chemical Engineering and Technology has always taken market demands as its lighthouse, so as to have an in-depth exploration of college-enterprise joint talent training model which is closely integrated with engineering practice. It has formed distinctive talent training characteristics and achieved high-quality talent training. At the same time, it has been a strong support for cultivating masters majored in Materials and Chemical Engineering. He emphasized that HIE will cooperate with full enthusiasm and pragmatic attitude, humbly accept valuable opinions and suggestions put forward by the expert group, and continue reforming and developing engineering education.

The second stage of the meeting was chaired by Prof. Wei Guo. He briefly explained backgrounds and purposes of this professional certification, as well as aims and tasks of on-site inspection. The expert team conducted on-site verification on relevant issues listed in the self-assessment report based on certification standards, and HIE replied each question accordingly. After that, members of the expert group were dispersed to Mechanical Design, Manufacturing and Automation, and Chemical Engineering and Technology separately, listened to supplementary reports made by each major, and verified on related topics.

During the field trip, the expert group inspected basic and professional teaching-related laboratories of the School of Mechanical Engineering, the School of Materials and Chemical Engineering and the Engineering Training Center. In order to gain a comprehensive understanding of teaching quality assurance system, school conditions and training objectives of these two majors, the expert group held seminars among student representatives and teacher representatives; conducted interviews among school leaders, heads of relevant functional departments, employer representatives, alumni representatives, teaching management personnel, representatives of core curriculum teachers, experimental teachers and young teachers; and reviewed a series of teaching materials and related teaching management documents such as examination papers, course design, internship reports, experimental reports and syllabus.

On the afternoon of Oct. 20, the professional certification expert group held an on-site assessment feedback meeting in Meeting Room 311.

Prof. Wei Guo, on behalf of the professional certification expert group, gave a brief introduction to the overall situation of the on-site examination and put forward constructive opinions and suggestions in aspects of mechanism construction and curriculum system construction. Prof. Bi Dasen, Prof. Ai Ning, Prof. Han Zhansheng and Senior Engineer Zhu Wusheng gave feedback on on-site examinations of the two majors from the perspectives of expert groups and individuals, and proposed constructive comments and suggestions in regard to overall conditions of the on-site inspection, combining requirements of the general standards of engineering education professional certification including "students", "training goals", "graduation requirements", "continuous improvement", "curriculum system", "teaching staff" and "support conditions".

Mr. Chen Yuetang, on behalf of HIE, expressed his gratitude to the expert team for their hard work and comprehensive guidance. He emphasized that the expert group has helped discover problems and deficiencies concerning talents training during the inspection process, and the valuable opinions and suggestions put forward by them will play an important role in promoting connotative development of various majors. HIE will carefully summarize opinions and suggestions given by them and analyze successful measures, good practices and results. Meanwhile, in regard to those shortcomings and deficiencies, HIE will hold specialized seminars, formulate detailed rectification plans, come up with practical solutions and implement measures one by one so as to effectively achieve the goal of continuous improvement. He said that this is an important opportunity for HIE to deepen reform and improve quality of its engineering education. It will enhance application-oriented undergraduate education, further integrate engineering education with enterprise requirements, and continue improving and optimizing talent training goals and models.