Planning and Measures

Plan and Measures for the Construction of the Innovation Field at Tongji University

The Innovation Field for Design and Innovation is an important talent training platform supporting the Design discipline of Tongji University, a national Double-First-Class Discipline and IV-Category Peak Discipline in Shanghai. Tongji University attaches great importance to the construction and development of the Innovation Field and enlists the centre as a primary target for the fostering plans of Municipal and National Experimental Teaching Demonstration Centres. The Innovation Field is supported by effective policies and measures in terms of space, financial support and team building.

• Space

The Innovation Field presently covers a total area of about 5,500 square meters. In order to further develop design disciplines and majors, Tongji University started the construction of the Shanghai International Institute of Design and Innovation building in 2018, with a total investment of 599.82 million RMB and a total construction area of 62,236 square meters including over 10,000 m2 of experimental teaching facilities. The construction of the new building will provide the College with sufficient room for basic school operation, research and equipment etc. as well as enable further improvements of the Innovation Field facilities.

• Funds

In the past five years, about 10 million RMB has been invested from the special funds for laboratory construction projects allocated by the university and granted by the Ministry of Education, to improve the equipment and information system of the Innovation Field. The construction of Double-First-Class Disciplines and the Shanghai Peak Disciplines also gives priority to the enhancement of experimental teaching facilities and equipment with over 30 million RMB in experimental teaching funds invested.

• Team 

The Innovation Field is headed by Professor Wu Zhiqiang, academician of Chinese Academy of Engineering and vice president of Tongji University, as development advisor; Professor Lou Yongqi, dean of College of Design and Innovation of Tongji University, academician of Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering and special professor of Yangtze River Scholars Award Program of Ministry of Education, as director; Professor Xu Jiang, vice dean of the College and enlisted one of the Top Ten Outstanding Young Persons of the Design Industry, as executive deputy director; and Professor Zhou Hongtao, Shanghai professor of distinguished employment (Oriental Scholar) and doctor of Purdue University, as deputy director.

Through institutional reform, Tongji University continuously optimizes the construction of teaching teams and provides strong support for the development of the Innovation Field. The university improves the management method of experimental teaching and auxiliary staffing, taking the level, scale, scope of service and quality assessment results of the experimental teaching and scientific research platform as the main basis for the overall allocation of human resources for experimental technology teams. Construction plans for teams of experimental technology talents have been developed and implemented, setting up posts of varied levels and exercising merit-based recruitment and funding to regulate the path of development for the experimental teaching team. Experimental professional technical posts should be separately listed with specially formulated qualification requirements. The university has established a special experimental professional technical positions appointment committee for the overall management of the experimental technical team to ensure its healthy development.