History
The precursor of Department of Manufacturing Engineering of Beijing Institute of Technology (BIT) is Mechanical Department of Yan'an Natural Academy. At that time, the department was established to solve the problem of manufacturing in ironmaking, glass, papermaking, medical instruments, etc. for Shaan-Gan-Ning border region, which had made great contributions to the victory of Anti-Japanese War and the War of Liberation. A number of excellent students of the department took critical roles in national defense industry of New China, including Jiahua Zou who served as Vice-Premier of State Council, Xuanping Ye who served as Vice-Chairman of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, and Xianlin Zeng who served as Minister of Light Industry, Director of Machine Tool Research Institute.
In January 1946, Yan'an Natural Academy was renamed as Shanxi-Chahaer-Hebei Border Region Industry Specialized School and transferred to north China. In April 1946, Engineering College of North University was established in Shanxi-Hebei-Shandong. In October 1948, Shanxi-Chahaer-Hebei Border Region Industry Specialized School and Engineering College of North University were merged to be Engineering College of North China University, in which the Department of Mechanical Engineering was founded. In August 1949, the college moved to Beijing. At the beginning of Liberation, the heavy industry was given priority in national economic construction, and thereby mechanical engineering became the first major of the college.
In 1952, the college was renamed as Beijing Institute of Industry which was the first institute of national defense industry. In 1962, the so-called 7th Department - Department of Aeronautical Automatic Control, was established. The department includes three majors: NO.71, NO.72 and NO.73, of which major NO.73 was Precision Instrument and Machinery Manufacturing Process. In 1963, process-related majors in colleges which belonged to State Commission of Science for National Defense, were named uniformly as Precision Instrument Technology until 1977. In 1979, major NO.71 (Gyroscope) and NO.72 (Hydraulic and pneumatic) were removed from the department, and then the 7th Department officially became Department of Mechanical Engineering. Beijing Institute of Industry was renamed as Beijing Institute of Technology in 1988. In 1997, the majors of Machinery Manufacturing Technology and Equipment, Mechanical Design and Manufacturing, Mechatronic Engineering were merged into one major - Mechanical Engineering and Automation.
In 2002, School of Mechanical and Vehicle Engineering was established by reorganizing the Vehicle and Traffic Engineering College, Institute of Mechanical Engineering and Automation and affiliated factories, from which the Department of Mechanical Manufacturing and Automation was established. In 2006, a number of staff from the department were assembled to establish a new department - Department of Industrial Engineering. In 2009, the School of Mechanical and Vehicle Engineering was renamed as School of Mechanical and Vehicle. On May 20th 2010, Department of Mechanical Manufacturing and Automation, Department of Industrial Engineering and Mechatronics Center were integrated to be the Department of Manufacturing Engineering with seven research institutes, namely advanced processing, micro manufacturing, digital manufacturing, industrial engineering, laser micro/nano fabrication, measurement and control, and electromechanical systems and equipment.
Introduction
Department of Manufacturing Engineering has always formulated its strategies in light of national strategic needs and global developments in science, technology, and education. The strategies include consolidating its strengths in mechanical and manufacturing engineering; leveraging its advantages and distinctive program in IT-related disciplines; and developing new strengths in defense, aircraft, aerospace and shipbuilding engineering. In accordance with needs of mechanical industry, our mission is to provide advanced engineers with fundamental knowledge and hands-on skills that will best serve the nation and be eager to find innovative solutions to new engineering problems.
We have five sub-disciplines – Mechanical Manufacturing and Automation, Industrial Engineering, Aerospace Manufacturing Engineering, Precision Micro/Nano Manufacturing and Opto-electronic Micro/Nano Manufacturing. The department offers bachelor degree programs in Mechanical Engineering and Industrial Engineering. It is also one of the first disciplines to have the right to confer master's degree. The department is ranked the nation’s best in terms of undergraduate, master, and PhD job placement. A number of new research-oriented teaching platforms have been established and the curriculum has been reformed to ensure appropriate content as well as good practical relevance. Such labs/research centers can provide enough space and facilities for undergraduate students to improve their hands-on ability, to develop and test prototypes and to explore new frontiers. Ranking 5th in China, the department has been a leading provider of Mechanical Engineering education.
The Department of Manufacturing Engineering has long enjoyed a reputation as being one of the best engineering department in the country with the faculty. Our staff and students have been engaged in leading-edge research that addresses the science and technological needs of a rising economy and makes the world a better place for all. Over the past few years, the department has successfully competed against other research institutions in China to win a number of high-profile research projects in the area of mechanical and manufacturing engineering. In recognition of its quality of research, key defense laboratories have been established, including key defense lab of advanced machining and key defense lab of micro machining. Our research funding in 2017 reaches over US$15 million, of which 20% is from industry and 80% is from government. In recent five years, we have published more than 150 papers and authorized over 140 national invention patents. In addition, the department has won awards in both education and research fields, including 1 National Natural Science second prize, 1 first prize for MOE Natural Science Award, 5 second prize and 2 third prize for National Defense Science and Technology Award, and 2 second prize for CNGC Technology Award.
Fig. 1 Key defense labs.
Fig. 2. National natural science awards.
Fig. 3 Awards for Ph.D thesis.
Fig.4 Research
Fig. 5. International cooperation
Fig. 6. Industrial application base in Shandong province
Fig. 7 Activities
Research Team
The Department of Manufacturing Engineering has 75 staff members, including 17 professors, 32 associate professors and 2 senior technical officers, wherein we have 22 doctoral promoters and 61 master promoters. The team consists of high-level talents: 1 finalist of Thousand Talent Program for Foreign Experts, 1 First National Innovation Leadership Talent of Ten Thousand Talent Program, 1 Changjiang Distinguished Professor, 1 Changjiang Chaired Professor, 1 winner of National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars, 1 MOST Chief Scientist of 973 Project, 3 Defense Chief Scientists of 973 Project, 1 MOST Young Chief Scientist of 973 Project, 1 finalist of Thousand Talent Program for Young Outstanding Scientists, 1 OD Young Top-Notch Talent, 1 winner of the National Science Fund for Excellent Young Scholars, 4 New Century Excellent Talents in University of Ministry of Education of China, 2 winners of Beijing Teaching Masters Award, 1 winner of Ho Leung Ho Lee Technology Innovation Award,1 winner of Fok Ying-Tong Education Foundation for Young Teachers in the Higher Education Institutions of China, and 1 finalist of CAST Award for Young and Middle-aged Talents. We also have one Changjiang Innovative Research Team in University of Ministry of Education of China.
High-level Talents
Lan Jiang: First Expert Team Leader for Key Project of Chinese National R&D Programs in Mechanical Engineering, Changjiang Distinguished Professor, winner of National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars, Chief Scientist of 973 Project, First National Innovation Leadership Talent of Ten Thousand Talent Program, Leader of Innovative Research Team in University of Ministry of Education of China, Expert of 863 Program, Committee Member of Science & Technology Commission of Ministry of Education, winner of Ho Leung Ho Lee Technology Innovation Award
Costas P. Grigoropoulos: finalist of Thousand Talent Program for Short-term Foreign Experts
Hailong Cai: Changjiang Chaired Professor
Xibin Wang：Chief Scientist of 973 Project
Zhijing Zhang: Chief Scientist of 973 Project
Yan Yan: New Century Excellent Talent in University of Ministry of Education of China
Chunguang Xu: New Century Excellent Talent in University of Ministry of Education of China
Jianhua Liu: OD Young Top-Notch Talent
Tianfeng Zhou: finalist of Thousand Talent Program for Young Outstanding Scientists, Young Chief Scientist of 973 Project, winner of Fok Ying-Tong Education Foundation for Young Teachers in the Higher Education Institutions of China
Jie Hu: New Century Excellent Talent in University of Ministry of Education of China, winner of the National Science Fund for Excellent Young Scholars
Xin Li: New Century Excellent Talent in University of Ministry of Education of China
Qing Xue: winner of Beijing Teaching Masters Award
Xiaowei Li: finalist of CAST Award for Young and Middle-aged Talents
Faping Zhang: Chief Scientist of 973 Project
Labs
(1) Advanced Processing Lab
(2) Micro Manufacturing Technology Lab
(3) Digital Manufacturing Lab
(4) Industrial Engineering Lab
(5) Laser Micro/Nano Fabrication Lab
(6) Measurement and Control Lab