School of Mechanical Engineering
Founded in 1973, School of Mechanical Engineering (SME) is one of the earliest schools in Nantong Vocational University. SME has thoroughly implemented Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. It upholds the motto of “Pursing noble moral and visionary aspirations; Studying the phenomena of nature to acquire knowledge”, follows the educational thought of Mr. Zhang Jian - the Nantong Sage- “What we learn should be expected to practice; What we practice should be adapted to local development.” and adheres to the school running idea of "Rooted in Nantong and Serve for Nantong". SME puts priority on student orientation and moral cultivation. Meanwhile, SME professors act as Vice President and Deputy Secretary-General of Nantong Industrial Design Association, as Vice President of Executive Council of China Industrial Design Association, Education Branch, as Vice President of Executive Council and Secretary-General of Nantong Mould Association. School General Branch of the Communist Youth League won the "May 4th Red Flag Regiment of General Branch in Nantong ".
SME accurately connects discipline construction with regional industrial development by offering 7 majors including Machinery Manufacturing & Automation, Numerical Control Technology, Mechatronics Technology, Mold Design & Manufacturing, Industrial Robot Technology, Intelligent Manufacturing Equipment Technology and Industrial Design, among which 2 Specialty Groups are formed, respectively, Specialty Group of Mechatronics Technology, Specialty Group of Machinery Manufacturing & Automation and Industrial Design. The former is listed in High-level Professional Group of Higher Vocational Education in Jiangsu Province. The latter, National Key Major, financially supported by Central Government; the first batch of characteristic majors in Jiangsu Province; High-level Backbone Major in Jiangsu Province. Besides, Mold Design and Manufacturing major became a member of the first batch of modern apprenticeship pilot projects of the Ministry of education. Three teaching teams were awarded as Outstanding Teaching Teams of Qinglan Project in Jiangsu Colleges and Universities, namely, Machinery Manufacturing and Automation Team, Intelligent, Manufacturing Team, Rapid Prototyping & Control Team. Two courses are proved to be Provincial Paradigmatic Courses: one is "Operation and Programming of Computer Numerically Controlled (CNC) Machine Tools"; another is "Preparation and Implementation of Mechanical Manufacturing Process". Several self-compiled textbooks have been rated as National Planning Teaching Materials of the 12th Five-Year Plan and the 13th Five-Year Plan including Electrical Control and PLC Application Technology, Installation, Adjustment & Maintenance of CNC Machine Tools, Workshop Management of Modern Enterprises, etc. SME won a 1st prize and a 2nd prize in Jiangsu Teaching Achievement Award. Graduates won many prizes with their excellent graduate papers and designs in Jiangsu Province.
SME vigorously implements the strategy of "strengthening school with talents", focuses on strengthening the construction of teachers' ethics and style. A "dual-professional faculty” team consists of 52 full-time teachers, among which 8 are professors and 10 doctors. More than 60% own senior professional titles. 95% of them are officially certificated by at least two professionals. All young teachers have doctoral or master's degrees. At present, one teacher has been awarded as “National Technical Expert”, one “Young Expert with Outstanding Contributions to Jiangsu”, one “Craftsman in Jiangsu Province”, one “Master Teacher of Colleges and Universities in Jiangsu Province”, one “Excellent Scientific & Technological Worker in Jiangsu Province”, one “Young Leading Talent of 333 Project (Level 2) in Jiangsu Province”, one “Young Leader of Science & Technology(Level 3)”, four “ Young Academic Pioneers of Qinglan Project from Jiangsu Colleges and Universities”, two “Young Master Teacher of Colleges and Universities in Nantong”, one “Young Leader of Science & Technology(Level 3) of 226 Project in Jiangsu Province” . Several young teachers won the first, second and third prizes in the “Teaching Ability Competition”, in “Mini E-class Competition” and in “Mechanics Teaching Competition”.
SME actively explores construction of modern vocational education system, and cooperates with Huaiyin Institute of Technology and TongZhou technical Secondary School in Jiangsu Province by running programs like "3(higher vocational training) + 2(undergraduate study)" Segmented Training and "3(secondary school training) + 3(higher vocational training)" Segmented Training. A pass rate of 99.8% remains in the entrance examination from higher vocational training to undergraduate study phase. SME has led undergraduate education admission rate and the number of high score candidates in Nantong Vocational University, which enables a steady continuous study network connecting secondary technical schools, junior colleges, comprehensive universities. Students of SME won awards in the “Challenge Cup”, “National Mechanical Design Competition”, “Jiangsu Vocational Students Skills Competition”, “Jiangsu ‘Internet + (plus)’ Entrepreneurship Competition”, “Jiangsu Robot Competition”. SME lays great emphasis upon international exchange and cooperation by training 10 Namibian students each year, and specially attaches importance to cultivate students' engineering quality, practical skills and creative thinking. The total investment of teaching equipment is more than 40 million yuan in which contains 9.5 million yuan in Industrial Robot Training Class Room (Phase One only). Plenty of training centers have been completed, such as Center for Electric Engineering Fundamentals, for PLC Control, for Modular Production System Installation & Adjustment, for Flexible Manufacturing System Installation & Adjustment, and for Robot Comprehensive Practice, etc. SME is the first unit with authorization for "1 + X" certificate of Industrial Robot Application Programming in Nantong. Together with a 98% of excellent certification-obtaining rate, SME is able to carry out the appraisal of medium and senior national skilled talents in multiple types of equipment manufacturing industry.
SME keeps upscaling Integration of Industry & Education, School-Enterprise Cooperation, and social services by adhering to the concept of 8 links, that is “Link Disciplines to Industry; Link Courses to Jobs; Link Classes to Workshops; Link Scientific Research to Production Practice; Link Internships to Employment; Link Training to Occupation; Link Teachers to Masters; Link Principles to entrepreneurs”. In 1980s, SME forerunner initiated a similar policy referring to “Early Linking & Directional Recommendation” successfully so that it was regarded as the “Pioneering Order” of Education by School-Enterprise Cooperation in China. In recent decade, in response to modern apprenticeship system, SME has completed numerous collaborative projects with the industrial front runners including Jinguang Group, Zhongtian Iron and Steel, China Metallurgical Group Corporation (MCC group), Jiangsu Prince Paper Making Co., Ltd., Tongfu Microelectronics Co., Ltd, Shemar Power, Luxshare Precision Industry Co., Ltd., etc. Joint Industry Schools are Enterprise Teacher Studios have been built one after another. For instance, Jiangsu Master Xiaoyi Studio, Nantong CNC Public Technology Service Platform, Nantong Municipal Public Service Platform of Digital Design & Manufacturing Technology, Key Laboratory of Machining Precision of CNC machine tools, Key Laboratory of Nantong Industrial Robot Applied Technology. More than 90% SME teachers with senior titles serve as technical consultants and evaluation experts, offering scientific and technological services for enterprises. An excellent scientific & technological innovation team (provincial level) specialized in ultrafast laser precision processing technology and equipment has undertaken 40 different projects from Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province, from Jiangsu Key R&D Planning, from Jiangsu International Cooperation of Science and Technology. SME teachers have published over 100 articles in national and international journals including Nanoscale, Appl., Phys., Lett., Adv., Funct., Mater, China Science, China Mechanical Engineering, Computer Integration System, Chinese Journal of Laser, Composite Materials, Journal of Agricultural Machinery Engineering and so on. SME has won a 2nd prize and two 3rd prizes of “Jiangsu Science & Technology Award”, a 1st prize of “Shanghai Technological Invention Award”, and two 2nd prizes of “Shanghai Science & Technology Award” and have been authorized over 30 invention patents.
This is a new era starting with a new journey. SME embraces new changes. School of Mechanical Engineering will centralize administration with Party Construction, ideological & political leading work in order to strengthen School Party Building, to improve Talent Training Quality, to enlarge social services, and to accomplish the country’s construction plan of Double High-levels in Chinese schools and colleges about disciplines. We keep pace with time with progression and efforts. We strive for new achievements of higher vocational education and teaching.
