On October 27, Henan University (HENU) convened a Strategic Consultation Meeting on New Engineering Disciplines at its Longzihu Campus in Zhengzhou. The meeting brought together 15 distinguished experts, including Academician BAI Chunli of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, to provide insights and recommendations for the development of HENU’s new engineering disciplines. ZHANG Suojiang, President of HENU and Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, attended the meeting and delivered a thematic report.

In his report titled Building on Arts and Sciences, Empowering through New Engineering, Embarking on a New Journey, President ZHANG Suojiang emphasized that advancing new engineering disciplines is an imperative choice for HENU to serve national strategies, support regional development, and accelerate its transformation and leapfrogging. Confronted with the paradigm shifts brought about by the explosive growth of artificial intelligence, HENU must courageously shoulder its mission and drive the transformation of engineering education from a “resource-led, knowledge-learning” model to an “innovation-driven, capability-cultivating” approach.

He elaborated on the “9+3” strategic layout for HENU’s new engineering development: establishing nine new engineering schools focusing on areas such as new energy and smart manufacturing, artificial intelligence and robotics, and establishing three research institutes dedicated to fields including industrial and information security, and future science and technology. Through a new model of “Schools + Research Institutes + Bases”, HENU aims to build a new scientific and educational system with innovative teams as the fundamental units.

During the consultation and discussion session, the participating experts unanimously agreed that the Henan University New Engineering Development Plan demonstrates broad strategic vision and clear implementation pathways, representing a high-level blueprint for long-term development. They also provided constructive suggestions regarding implementation mechanisms and breakthrough reforms.

JI Bo, Party Secretary of HENU, stated that HENU will fully incorporate the experts’ recommendations to further refine the plan and direct resources toward talent cultivation and technological innovation.

This meeting represents a crucial strategic deployment during a critical period of HENU’s accelerated pursuit of first-class status. It sets the direction and outlines the blueprint for interdisciplinary integration and institutional innovation in the new development phase.