From November 27 to 29, 2024, the 4th International Forum on Engineering Education Forum & Tsinghua Design Science Conference 2024 was successfully held at Shougang Park in Beijing. The forum was organized by Tsinghua University and UNESCO, co-executived by the School of Architecture of Tsinghua University, the UNESCO Centre for Engineering Education (ICEE), and the Office of Academic Planning and Development of Tsinghua University, with the sponsor of Beijing Shougang Construction and Investment Co.,Ltd.

Jiang Peixue, Vice President of Tsinghua University and Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and Shahbaz Khan, Director of UNESCO East Asia Regional Office, attended the forum's opening ceremony and delivered speeches. Zhang Yue, Secretary of the Party Committee of the School of Architecture, Tsinghua University, and Zhang Li, Dean of the School of Architecture, Tsinghua University, presided over the opening ceremony and the keynote forum. Guo Lijin, academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tu Shandong, academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, and Duan Jin, academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences delivered keynote speeches. Yuan Si, Executive Director of the ICEE and former vice president of Tsinghua University, Wang Sanyu, Deputy Director and Secretary General of ICEE, Qiao Weifeng, Deputy Secretary of the Institute of Education of Tsinghua University and Assistant to Secretary-General of ICEE and Xu Lihui, Assistant to Secretary-General of ICEE attended the forum.  Shen Ye, Assistant to Secretary-General of ICEE and Editorial Director of the journal Engineering Education Review (EER) introduced the development of the journal.

Speech by Jiang Peixue

Speech by Shahbaz Khan

In conjunction with the Tsinghua Design Science Conference 2024, this year's forum, with the overall theme of “Polymorphism: Urban Intelligence in the Foreseeable Future”, focuses on the core topic of urban renewal and spatial intelligence, and explores the transformation and development of the traditional engineering disciplines and the cultivation of engineering talents for the future from different perspectives to engage in a global dialogue full of innovation and vitality. The forum was organized in two groups of eight parallel forums to promote in-depth exchanges on topics such as sustainable urban living, engineering education and interdisciplinary cooperation. Two groups of eight parallel forums was organized, each focusing on competency assessment, cognitive science, historical heritage, data science, degree evaluation, computational science, engineering technology, and decision science, and bringing together scholars and experts from related fields for cutting-edge discussions and academic sharing.

Zhang Yue

Guo Liejin

Tu Shandong

Duan Jin

Shen Ye

Zhang Li

In the afternoon of November 27, the parallel sub-forum A-“Capability Evaluation in Engineering Education” hosted by ICEE was held in the main venue, which was chaired by Kang Jincheng, ICEE's special expert and former director of the International Cooperation Bureau of the Chinese Academy of Engineering. Wang Sunyu made a presentation titled “Accelerating Education for a Stronger Country - Enginereing Eduication and Engineers Competence”. Arif Bülent Özgüler, Deputy Chair of the Washington Accord in International Engineering Alliance and Professor, Electrical and Electronics Engineering at Bilkent University, Ankara, Turkey, made a presentation on the topic of “Education Accreditation: From Assessment of Benefits to Measurement of Utility”. Li Jingye, Assistant to the President and Executive Vice Dean of Graduate School, China University of Petroleum (Beijing), shared the topic of “Experience and Reflections on Promoting Engineering Master’s Certification at China University Petroleum”. Li Quanfa, Former Deputy General Manager of China Communications Construction Group Corporation, gave a speech on “Exchange of Engineering Competence Assessment and International Mutual Recognition of Engineers”, and Rovani Sigamoney, Director of the UNESCO Zimbabwe Office, gave a lecture on “Capabilities required in Engineering Education”. George Kunihiro, Professor, Faculty of Science and Technology, Kokushikan University, Tokyo, Visiting Professor, Tsinghua University, gave a lecture on “UIA Charter for Architectural Education: Common Thread of UIA Validation and Canberra Accord”.

Kang Jincheng

Wang Sunyu

Arif Bülent Özgüler

Li Jingye

Li Quanfa

Rovani Sigamoney

George Kunihiro 

The speakers provided new thinking dimensions and practical inspiration for engineering competence evaluation related to workers and engineers. The participating experts and scholars and the online and offline audience actively interacted with each other and freely expressed their views in the interactive session. Dozens of experts and scholars in the field of engineering education from home and abroad attended this sub-forum on-site or online.

Group photo of the sub-forum “Capability Evaluation in Engineering Education”.

On the morning of November 28, the parallel sub-forum B - “Degree Evaluation in Engineering Education” hosted by ICEE and the National Academy of Engineering Excellence of Tsinghua University was held in the main venue of the forum. Liang Qionglin, Vice Provost of Tsinghua University, Dean of the Graduate School and Executive Director of the National Academy of Engineering Excellence, presided over the sub-forum. Zhang Qin, academician of the International Nuclear Energy Academy, Honorary Committee Member of China Association for Science and Technology, Prof. of both Institute of Nuclear and New Energy Technology and Department of Computer Science and Technology, Tsinghua University, delivered a speech. Zhuang Weimin, academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, Professor, School of Architecture, Tsinghua University, Chief Scientist of Tsinghua University, THAD, Director of the Tsinghua Collaborative Innovation Centre for Architecture, made a keynote report on “Research Advance of Architectural Programming & POE Intelligent Technology”. Zhu Meifang, academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dean of the College of Materials Science and Engineering, Donghua University, gave a speech on the topic of “Engineering Materials Education and Practice”. Michele Bonino, Professor, Head of the Department of Architecture and Design, Politecnico di Torino, gave a lecture on “Across: Innovation between Architectural Practice and Education”. Wang Zheng, Vice President, College of Engineers, Zhejiang University, gave a keynote speech on “Evaluation System in Engineering Education: Exploration and Practice at Zhejiang University”. Yang Po, Head, Department of Educational Economics and Management, Faculty of Education, Peking University, gave a keynote speech on “Evaluation of Practical Achievement of Professional Education Graduates”. Tang Xiaofeng, Director, Institute of Engineering Education, Faculty of Education and Research, Tsinghua University, gave a keynote speech on “Cultivation and International Recognition of Professional Engineering Competency”. Finally, Wang Sunyu summarized the sub-forum. Participating experts focused on the core proposition of the evaluation of engineering graduate degree training, discussed the new degree evaluation standard which focuses on actual engineering ability and innovative contribution, and takes practical achievements as the form of expression, explored the path of articulation between engineering graduate education and professional qualification certification of engineers, shared the practical experience of evaluation of domestic and foreign engineering education, and analyzed the reform of engineering education which promotes the deep integration of government, industry, academia and research. It also analyzed the difficulties and paths of engineering education reform to promote the deep integration of government, industry, academia and research. Dozens of experts and scholars from the National Academy of Engineers of Tsinghua University attended this sub-forum.

Liang QiongLin

Zhang Qin

Zhuang Weimin

Zhu Meifang

Michele Bonino

Wang Zheng

Yang Po

Tang Xiaofeng

Wang Sunyu

Group photo of the sub-forum “Degree Evaluation in Engineering Education”

On the afternoon of November 29, Yuan Si made a concluding speech at the closing ceremony of the General Forum. On behalf of Tsinghua University and ICEE, Yuan expressed his gratitude to all participating experts and scholars, as well as academic colleagues and industrial friends who provided support for the conference, and members of the organizing committee and volunteers. He hoped to continue to deepen the discussion on the topics of this year's forum, strengthen cooperation, and work together to leverage the power of engineering technology and design science to cultivate more excellent talents to make our urban space more sustainable and better.

Closing remarks by Yuan Si

The International Forum on Engineering Education is a biennial high-end international academic conference co-founded by Tsinghua University, the Chinese Academy of Engineering, and UNESCO. The Forum aims to bring together renowned scholars and outstanding leaders in the fields of engineering education, engineering science and technology, and engineering management from around the globe to discuss in-depth the innovative development of engineering and engineering education, and to promote the progress of the world's engineering science and technology and society. The Forum is held every two years, and the first three forums held in September 2018, December 2020 and December 2022 at Tsinghua University respectively.