In order to establish a discipline assessment model and academic organization management system in line with international standards, promote the connotation of the discipline, and enhance the international influence of the discipline, on April 30th and May 1st, the hydraulic engineering and civil engineering of DUT received international assessment.
The international experts who were responsible for this assessment include: Academicians of the United States, Japan, and Mexico; President of the International Earthquake Engineering Society; Prof. Nakajima Masaru of Kyoto University; Prof. Schroebdan Simnovec, the Academician of the Canadian Academy of Engineering and the Professor of the University of Western Ontario. Professor Liu·Philip·Lifang, Vice President of the National University of Singapore; Professor Fajiad Ansari, Vice President of the University of Illinois at Chicago; Professor Cai Ximing, who majors in Hydrology and Water Resources in University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; Prof. Yukio Higashi, Vice President of International Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering Institute, and the professor of the University of Tokyo, Japan; Prof. Arimar, Director of the Advanced Infrastructure and Transportation Center in Rutgers University; Prof. Cheng Liang, Former Dean of the School of Civil and Water Resources Engineering in University of Western Australia; Prof. Song Gangbing, the founder of the Laboratory for Smart Materials and Structure in University of Houston. Prof. Masaaki Nakajima was the head of the evaluation group.
The international assessment of the disciplines of civil engineering and hydraulic engineering was the first international assessment conducted in DUT. So DUT attached great importance to this evaluation. On the morning of May 1st, Principle and Academician Guo Dongming met with the international experts of the assessment team in the conference room312 in the main building to express his thanks to all the experts for their guidance. He said that China was carrying out "double-first-class" construction, and DUT was on the list of construction projects. By 2050, China would have a number of world-class universities and disciplines built, and internationalization was an important part of world-class universities and first-rate discipline construction. Therefore, DUT attached great importance to this international assessment of civil engineering and hydraulic engineering. It was hoped that all experts would provide valuable opinions and guide the internationalization of DUT’ s disciplines. Through exchanges and cooperation, everyone would work together to witness the progress of DUT. Principle Guo Dongming also conducted extensive and in-depth exchanges with international assessment experts on the internationalization of the talent training.
The evaluation conference was held at the International Conference Center. Vice Principle of DUT Jia Zhenyuan delivered a speech at the conference and expressed his sincere thanks to international assessment experts who went overseas to guide the discipline construction. He said that the significance and purpose to have international assessment of disciplines was to use international first-class disciplines as a frame of reference, and to use international standards and perspectives to scrutinize the characteristics and advantages of disciplines, identify problems in the discipline construction of DUT and try to make breakthroughs in solving problems, so as to promote world-class universities and first-class discipline construction. Jia also issued a certificate of appointment for international assessment experts. Yu Long, Vice Minister of Faculty of Infrastructure Engineering, made a report on the discipline construction of civil engineering and hydraulic engineering. The meeting was chaired by Dong Guohai, Minister of Faculty of Infrastructure Engineering.
In the two days, the international assessment experts visited 10 teaching and research bases for civil engineering and hydraulic engineering, met with the leadership team of Faculty of Infrastructure Engineering, held discussions with the teachers of civil engineering and hydraulic engineering, and had discussions with the students of the two disciplines. In each session, the experts conducted questions, gave detailed meticulous and comments patiently, and made positive suggestions. In the communication, both sides have fully expressed their ideas, and the atmosphere was lively.
At the assessment summary meeting, international assessment experts gave their assessment opinions. They agreed that the civil engineering and hydraulic engineering disciplines of DUT had strong scientific research strength and had high-quality undergraduate and postgraduate education, especially laboratory equipment and resources, which left a deep impression on the expert group. It was hoped that the disciplines would strengthen the integration between the interiors and form the main direction; strengthen collaboration with other schools and departments, and cross-converge the emerging technologies. The international assessment experts also held discussions and exchanged with participants on subject orientation, goal orientation, faculty, personnel training, scientific research, international exchanges, and organization management. Prof. Nakajima Aki presided over the meeting and expressed appreciation on behalf of the expert group for the warm hospitality and thoughtful preparations from DUT.
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he disciplinary office, international cooperation and exchange office, graduate school, academic affairs office, science and technology research institute, development planning and comprehensive reform office, finance office, heads of departments (colleges), and persons in charge of related functional departments of DUT attended the assessment meeting.