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. SUN Yongfu, a member of CAE and former Vice Minister of the Standing Council of the Ministry of Railways of the People’s Republic of China, delivered a speech. The following are the key points of his speech.

Engineering and engineers play a decisive role in achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and in building China into a great modern country. Meanwhile, in-depth theoretical guidance is required to develop engineering and engineering education. There have long been relatively few monographs for general study on engineering and engineering education in China, with insufficient integration of theoretical research and engineering practice. In this context, the publication of monographs by CAE member ZHU Gaofeng, CAS member GU Binglin, Prof. YU Shouwen and ICEE book series was most opportune and of great significance to the theoretical research and practice of engineering education.

The monograph by ZHU Gaofeng focuses on basic issues of engineering and engineering education from perspectives such as engineering activities, elements and value, and combines engineering theory with practice closely. This innovative work fully embodies the systematic and strategic thinking of ZHU Gaofeng, and is of great significance to the development of engineering and engineering education. CAS member GU Binglin and Prof. YU Shouwen long occupied leading posts at Tsinghua University. Based on the long-term exploration of the university, they put forward a number of valuable ideas on the cultivation of innovative engineering talents, which plays a guiding role in China’s engineering education.

This year marks the tenth anniversary of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), which has made great achievements. China has witnessed significant progress on all fronts, increased its influence and opened up a new prospect by thoroughly implementing the guiding principles by General Secretary Xi Jinping in practice. In 2019, according to the arrangement of CAE, ZHU Gaofeng and I led colleagues from Tsinghua University, Zhejiang University, and other universities in conducting the “Research on Cultivation of Engineering, Scientific and Technological Talents and People-to-People Exchanges under the BRI”, and submitted a planning proposal to the departments concerned of the central government. After thorough consideration, we think that it is imperative to accelerate the cultivation of international talents, translate the resource advantages of China, an engineering education power, into engineering, scientific and technological talent advantages for BRI, and combine the cultivation of high-quality talents with in-depth people-to-people exchanges. Joint efforts should be made by governments, enterprises and universities to promote the development of relevant work both at home and abroad. In addition, we should improve the competency and adaptability of engineering talents, solve problems in talent development such as the lack of systematization, slow progress and difficulty in implementation, and put quality first while balancing scale and quality. We should better tell China’s engineering stories, build a better national image and spread the philosophy of building a community with a shared future for mankind, in a bid to ensure that where there are engineering projects, there are engineering education and engineering culture.

Innovative engineering education models, interdisciplinary curricula and interdisciplinary teaching teams, which are the key to the cultivation of innovative engineering talents, are essential to build a world leader in science and technology, and lead the development of and new economy and emerging industries. Given the increasingly complex international situation and the needs of building a great modern country, the research and practice of engineering and engineering education represent an arduous task of great significance. It is highly anticipated that all of you will continue to innovate and make new achievements and even greater contributions.

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