Editor’s Note: On March 4, 2023, as one of the global events of UNESCO World Engineering Day for Sustainable Development, Engineering and Engineering Education — Monographs of Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE) Member ZHU Gaofeng and ICEE Book Series Publication Symposium took place at Tsinghua University. The symposium focused on the theme of the new book series of Engineering and Engineering Education by CAE member ZHU Gaofeng, SUN Yongfu, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) member GU Binglin, Prof. YU Shouwen, and ICEE. ZHU Gaofeng, a member of CAE, former Vice President of CAE and Vice Chairperson of the ICEE Advisory Board, delivered a speech. The following are the key points of his speech.
 
When CAE was established in 1994, I served as the Vice President and learned a lot about education from such older generations of educators and engineering experts as ZHANG Wei and ZHANG Guangdou. At the end of the last century, CAE established the Education Committee, and I was honored to serve as the first Chairperson. When I ventured into the education field, I was merely a layman in education work despite years of education I received. Then I had the opportunity to study and delve into engineering education in the process of leading the research on the development and reform of engineering education in China.

Engineering education represents the combination of engineering and education. In recent years, many people have been engaged in practical research on engineering education. However, only a handful of scholars are devoted to academic studies, with even fewer writings focused specifically on engineering education. Few books are on the theory of engineering education, and it is rather difficult to find books titled “Engineering Education Pedagogy”. Numerous books are about education, but very few are about engineering education. A basic but systematic exposition of engineering education is made in my monograph in the context of inadequate research on engineering and engineering education, as well as insufficient integration of theoretical research and engineering practice. To be more specific, the monograph touches on the basic concepts, elements and values of engineering, as well as characteristics and trends of engineering education, and puts forward new ideas and methods for the reform and innovation, talent cultivation, and teacher force building of engineering education etc.

It is hoped that the symposium will draw the attention of the circles of engineering and education to construct the framework of engineering education pedagogy through joint efforts, and promote the healthy development of engineering education pedagogy. Meanwhile, further discussions on engineering will be carried out to throw light on the formation of a basic engineering framework.

Group photo