On the morning of March 18, 2015, President NING Binmet with the delegation led by Prof. Edward Crawley, President of the SkolkovoInstitute of Science and Technology (Skoltech) in Russia. He is also the U.S.National Academy of Engineering (NAE) Member and Professor from MIT. VicePresident CHEN Feng and ZHA Jianzhong, Chair-holder of the UNESCO Chair onCooperation between Higher Engineering Education and Industries and Professorfrom the School of Mechanical, Electronic and Control Engineering were presentat the meeting. 

First, NING Bin extended welcome to Prof. Crawley onbehalf of the University and reviewed the long history of close collaborationbetween BJTU and Russian universities. He said the Chinese and Russiangovernments have placed great importance on bilateral economic and culturalexchanges in recent years. In this context, Beijing Jiaotong Universityattaches great importance to the implementation of China’s initiatives of “OneBelt, One Road” and “Going Global”. Giving full play to our advantage inhigh-speed railway, we have strengthened all-round cooperation with Russiantransport universities. He introduced the joint education institute betweenBJTU and St. Petersburg State Transport University. Then, he pointed out thatChina had been carrying out comprehensive reform in universities. Hence, we arekeen to learn the experience of the world leading CDIO engineering educationfrom Skoltech so as to give the impetus to the development of engineeringeducation of BJTU. He hoped that both sides would further expand exchange andcooperation with the opportunity of Prof. Crawley’s visit. 

Prof. Crawley expressed gratitude to BJTU for thehospitality and introduced the internationalization effort, teaching,scientific research of Skoltech and the experience of breaking the traditionalpattern of engineering education and exploring the cooperation between higherengineering education and industries. Before his visit to BJTU, HAO Ping, theVice Minister of Education met him and spoke highly of the school-running modeof Skoltech and would provide government scholarship for students from BJTU,Peking University, Tsinghua University and Zhejiang University to study atSkoltech. Prof. Crawley expressed his welcome to BJTU students from the Schoolof Electronic and Information Engineering, School of Computer and InformationTechnology, School of Electrical Engineering and School of Science. 

Principals from the Office of Academic Affairs, Graduate School, Office ofGraduates Affairs and Office of International Affairs were also present at themeeting. 

In the afternoon, Prof. Crawley made a presentationtitled “CDIO in the Design of a University for the 21st Century-Skoltech as acase” chaired by Prof. ZHA Jianzhong. Over 200 teachers and students attendedthis symposium.