I. Overview of the Discipline
The discipline of electronic information science and technology consists of the School of Electronic Science and Engineering and the National Exemplary Institute of Microelectronics. The undergraduate program includes four specialties, namely, electronic information science and technology, communication engineering, microelectronics, and integrated circuit design. The students who major in integrated circuit design are enrolled by the national exemplary institute.
Nanjing University’s discipline of electronic science and technology has a long history as a major national base for talent training and research in this area. Beginning in the 1950s, the university was the first in the country to establish the specialties in radio physics and semiconductor physics, which had distinct characteristics and worldwide impact. Then, in order to meet the needs of the country and the trend of disciplinary development, it gradually put effort at the construction of an engineering discipline. In 1984, the university set up the Department of Information Physics, which was renamed in 1994 as the Department of Electronic Science and Engineering. In 2009, as part of the disciplinary development and promotion strategy, the university built up the School of Electronic Science and Engineering (SESE) on the basis of the specialties of electronic science and technology and information and communication engineering and in cooperation with the 14th and 55th research institutes of China Electronic Technology Group Corporation (CETC). This new school is a representation of the university’s efforts at disciplinary construction as implementation of Project 211, Project 985 and Double First-Class Plan. It serves as an established cradle for talent training and research in the electronic information area. In the 4th disciplinary evaluation of China Academic Degree and Graduate Education Development Center (CDGDC), SESE’s electronic science and technology discipline was ranked the 6th in China. In the last national key discipline evaluation, SESE’s specialties of radio physics and microelectronics and solid-state electronics took the first and second places respectively.
The Institute of Microelectronics, Nanjing University, was founded in December 2015 to assemble existing related specialties of the School of Electronics Science and Engineering, especially the second-class national key specialty of microelectronics and solid-state electronics. Its establishment was approved by the Ministry of Education and supported by China Institute of Microelectronics League (CHINAIMEL) and Jiangsu Provincial Economy and Informatization Commission.
Nanjing University boasts a strong, top-notch faculty in electronic information science and technology, consisting of 175 members. It includes:
l 2 academicians of Chinese Academy of Sciences: Professors Zheng Youliao and Wu Peiheng
l 1 academician of Chinese Academy of Engineering: Professor Yuquan (doubly employed academician)
l 16 members of the Recruitment Program of Global Experts (including young talents)
l 3 members of the Ten-Thousand Talents Program
l 6 distinguished professors, 1 chair professor and 2 young scholars of the Changjiang Scholars Program of the Ministry of Education
l 7 laureates of the National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars
l 4 winners of the National Science Fund for Outstanding Young Scholars
l 2 members of the national youth talent support plan of the Ten-Thousand Talents Program
The faculty has produced 3 creative research groups funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China and other scientific research innovation teams included in the development plan for Changjiang Scholars and innovative teams of the Ministry of Education, major area innovation team category of the Innovative Talents Promotion Plan of the Ministry of Science and Technology, ten innovative teams of the year list of the State Administration of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense and higher education institute scientific and technological innovation team list of Jiangsu province. On the whole, they formed a well-organized teaching and scientific research talent pool featuring diversification and strong innovation capability.
II. Educational Objectives and Characteristics
Electronic information technology is an area that has witnessed the most rapid development since the 20th century, and it is also a pillar industry of this knowledge-based economy era. As part of it, IT has witnessed even faster and more revolutionary transformation and entered into a phase of knowledge explosion. The School of Electronic Science and Engineering serves as the base where the university can nurture specialized talents for society. On this very note, its objectives of student education reflect the characteristics of electronic information as a high tech discipline that is rapidly growing and interdisciplinary by nature, and they also reflect Nanjing University’s strength as a university with comprehensive science disciplines, a pure studying atmosphere and a time-tested and solid foundation.
On the basis of the university’s Double Three System, we have anchored undergraduate education in the construction of new engineering disciplines. The objective is to prepare leaders in academic research, innovation and entrepreneurship for China’s scientific and economic advancement in the future. Such promising talents should be equipped with not only high tech knowledge of electronic information, firm theoretical basis and strong research and practical ability, but also with all-round and balanced development and with high moral integrity and a strong sense of serving humanity. Our four-pronged cultivation centers on students’ abilities for research, comprehension, innovation and team work.
As an incubator for China’s outstanding engineers, our school holds the development principle of “integrating university and research integration, consolidating strengths, promoting diversity, and occupying the commanding height” in nurturing world-class high tech leaders and innovators. We have tailored for ourselves an integrated model in talent education which embraces “class transformation, open-ended experiment, learning by competition and innovation and entrepreneurship.”
In this way, students’ foundation of mathematics and physics and practical ability are nurtured so that they can be well-informed in cutting-edge technology and industrial trend and develop a global perspective and passion for creation. Our country and technological progress call for high-quality talents who can lead social development and be competent on the international stage. This is the cause we are committed to.
III. General Situation of Education
1. The Double-Three System
The Double-Three System refers to three educational stages: general educaiton, specialty education and diversified education; and three development paths: academic path, interdisciplinary path and employment & entrepreneurship path. To adjust to this system, we improved our curriculum and divided it into three modules, including the module of general and compulsory courses, that of core disciplinary courses and that of elective courses. This transformation focuses on re-structuring basic theoretical courses, strengthening innovative and practical courses and adding employment and entrepreneurship coures. The transformation enables students to receive qualified specialty education and have a range of choices for courses, majors and development paths.
2. Outstanding Engineers Program
The strategy of China’s new path of industrialization with distinctive features is our orientation for joint school-enterprise talent cultivation; the construction of an innovation-led country is our guiding thought for setting up the system of nurturing engineering technology talents; the goal of building up a nation rich in human resources is our objective for reforming the mode of talent cultivation. Following the general concept of the Outstanding Engineers Program of the Ministry of Education, we combine the fine educational resources of our school and the enterprises with their strengths to refine the curriculum system and carry forward practical education. We hope that through this, students can grow into well-trained specialized talents strong in practical engineering and innovation.
3. The Building of a Multi-Tiered Integrated Laboratory Curriculum
A system of the multi-tiered integrated laboratory curriculum is built based on the teaching and research resources of the school. “Multiple tiers” refer to in-class, open-ended, innovative and cutting-edge experiment types; and “integration” means education composed of on-campus experiments, competition training and off-campus practice. We go beyond the basic requirement, providing each student with access to research and enhancing their ability in an all-round way. Students can access to customized teaching based on their own quality. The new laboratory curriculum is flexible but by no means low-standard. It demonstrates our student-centered philosophy and is designed to encourage students’ self-directed, research-led learning and creativity.
Thanks to the system, we have made considerable achievements over the past three years, including:
l over 20 comprehensive, self-designed and open-ended experiments
l 7 cutting-edge experiments
l over 10 innovative experiments per year
l over 20 student self-proposed experiments per year
l 6 national first prizes and 8 national second prizes of the National University Student Electronics Design Contest
l 1 first prize of Mathematical Contest In Modeling / Interdisciplinary Contest In Modeling (MCM/ICM)
l 1 national second prize of the “Challenge Cup” national undergraduate curricular academic science and technology works competition
l 5 teams listed in the national students innovation training program
l 1 provincial first prize, 1 provincial second prize and 1 provincial third prize of the best graduation designs and theses
l over 30 undergraduate academic papers published at home and abroad
l 15 patents owned by our undergraduate students
