From May 15 to 16, 2025, Professor C. Jason Woodard from Olin College of Engineering in the United States visited our school. Through keynote speeches, dialogues with faculty and students, and laboratory visits, he engaged in in-depth discussions on engineering education innovation and the cultivation of outstanding talents.
Professor Woodard delivered a seminar titled Transforming Education for Innovation and Impact: Lessons from Olin College at the Mechanical Engineering Youth STAR Academic Forum. The forum was chaired by Professor Chen Rong, Vice Dean of our school. Professor Woodard shared Olin College's educational philosophy and the development process of its project-based curriculum design, emphasizing the importance of fostering an interdisciplinary and practice-oriented learning environment to cultivate a growth mindset in students.
Professor Woodard participated in a faculty discussion and a teacher-student exchange session on the cultivation of talents in emerging engineering fields, hosted by Professor Zeng Xiangrui, Director of the Experimental Program in Technology and Entrepreneurship Innovation. Professor Woodard discussed topics such as curriculum development, extracurricular practical activities, and self-driven learning with faculty and students. The event attracted over 40 participants from the School of Mechanical Science and Engineering, the School of Future Technology, the School of Design, the School of Foreign Languages, and other departments. Attendees included Tang Ming, Party Secretary of the School of Future Technology; Liu Juan, Deputy Party Secretary; Wang Linling, Vice Dean of the School of Qiming; Zhu Qinmiao, Director of Entrepreneurial Practice for the Experimental Program in Technology and Entrepreneurship Innovation; as well as faculty and student representatives from the Experimental Program in Technology and Entrepreneurship Innovation and the School of Future Technology.
Additionally, Professor Woodard visited the Mechanical Engineering Lab Center, the Engineering Practice and Innovation Center, and student teams at the School of Qiming, engaging in further exchanges.
This exchange event was strongly supported by the School of Mechanical Science and Engineering, the School of Future Technology, the School of Qiming, the Engineering Practice and Innovation Center, and the Undergraduate School.
