Top Ten News of HUTB in 2024

2025-01-07

I. HUTB Accredited as Doctoral Degree Granting Unit

In September 2024, the Academic Degrees Committee of the State Council issued a notice regarding the list of units authorized to confer doctoral and master's degree and their authorized degree programs approved for the year 2023. Our university has been approved as a doctoral degree-granting unit, with the discipline of Management Science and Engineering approved as a first-level doctoral degree authorization program. The "Three-upgrade Strategy" goal has been fully achieved, realizing a seamless talent cultivation system from undergraduate to master's and doctoral levels.

II. "Digital Economy and Engineering Technology" Academic Symposium of CAE and 75th Anniversary Conference on the High-Quality Development of HUTB Held

In October 2024, the "Digital Economy and Engineering Technology" Academic Symposium of the Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE) and the 75th Anniversary Conference on the High-Quality Development of HUTB were grandly held, gathering the wisdom of more than 40 academicians to promote the university's leap-forward development over the past 75 years, especially in the last decade, and to carry it forward into the future. The event includes an opening ceremony, three keynote lectures, two sub-forums, one closed-door meeting, as well as the HUTB High-Quality Development Symposium and the Xiangjiang Laboratory Academic Committee Meeting. The university and Xiangjiang Laboratory jointly organized a series of wonderful events for the 75th anniversary of HUTB, including a faculty and student photography and calligraphy exhibition, an exhibition of artworks by Zhou Lingzhao, a ceramic art exhibition by Peng Yuanliang, a 75th Anniversary Music Gala, a signing ceremony for alumni-enterprise collaborations, and a homecoming event for alumni. The university’s achievements in the "Alumni Returning to Hunan" program ranked among the top in the province, including a second-place ranking in talent recruitment and introduction achievements.

III. HUTB Carries Out Solid Efforts in Party Discipline Education and Learning

On September 12, 2024, the university held a summary meeting for the education and learning of Party discipline. Since the launch of the Party discipline education and learning program, the CPC HUTB Committee has deeply studied and implemented General Secretary Xi Jinping's important speeches and instructions on Party discipline education and learning. It has regarded the Party discipline education and learning as a primary political task, insisting on integrating it into daily activities and maintaining regular focus. The university has completed all key tasks of Party discipline education and learning with high quality and efficiency, ensuring that the Party discipline education and learning work deepens, becomes more practical, and yields tangible results. In 2024, the university's Party building and ideological and political work were strong and effective. The university has consecutively received the "Good" rating for three years in the provincial evaluation of CPC committee secretaries' performance in grass-roots CPC building at higher education institutions. The university was selected for one national "Model Party Branch" in the fourth batch of nationwide Party building, and two teams of Party branch secretaries from the university were included in the national and provincial "Dual Leaders" Teacher Party Branch Secretaries "Building a Strong Country" special project. The university's practices in Party discipline education and learning have been fully recognized by the CPC Hunan Provincial Committee's Party Discipline Education and Learning Working Group and the Education Work Committee. The university's research on the theoretical interpretation of Party building has been continuously deepened, and its theoretical articles have been widely reprinted by the media. The "1+8+N" system of core ideological and political courses has been solidly implemented, and the characteristic "rooted downward, growing upward" ideological and political courses have been creatively developed.

IV. CPC HUTB Committee Secretary and Academician Chen Xiaohong, and Her Team Awarded 2022-2023 Hunan Provincial Science and Technology Outstanding Contribution Award, He Liang He Li Foundation "Science and Technology Progress Award," and First Prize of the Ministry of Education's 9th High School Scientific Research Outstanding Achievement (Humanities and Social Science) Award

On September 3, 2024, the Provincial Science and Technology Conference and Science and Technology Award Conference was held in Changsha. Shen Xiaoming, Secretary of the CPC Hunan Provincial Committee, presented the Provincial Science and Technology Outstanding Contribution Award to Academician Chen Xiaohong. During the session of discussions, Academician Chen Xiaohong, as a representative of Hunan’s "4+4 Innovation Project," delivered a speech titled "Focusing on Cultivating National Strategic Scientific and Technological Strengths to Create a Demonstrative Benchmark for High-level Technological Innovation Platforms." On December 3, the 2024 He Liang He Li Foundation Annual Award Ceremony was held in Beijing. Professor Chen Xiaohong, Secretary of the CPC HUTB Committee, Director of Xiangjiang Laboratory, and Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, was awarded the He Liang He Li Foundation "Science and Technology Progress Award" for her innovative contributions in intelligent technology and management decision-making in the field of resource and energy, as well as her significant contributions to the theory and practice of the "Two-Oriented Society" (a resource-saving and environment-friendly society) and ecological civilization. The Ministry of Education held a ceremony on November 4 to honor the winners of the 9th Higher Education Scientific Research Outstanding Achievement Awards (Humanities and Social Sciences). Academician Chen Xiaohong's research achievement "The Study on Construction of the Ecological Civilization System" won the first prize for Outstanding Achievement (Humanities and Social Sciences) in this selection. These historic breakthroughs in important awards have made significant contributions to the university's goal of building an innovative first-class university and promoting its high-quality development.

V. "Toward 2035: Integration and Innovation for the Future" Technology and Culture Expo and 2nd Science and Technology Festival Held

On May 31, 2024, the "Toward 2035: Integration and Innovation for the Future" Technology and Culture Expo and the 2nd Science and Technology Festival, jointly organized by HUTB and Xiangjiang Laboratory, kicked off. The event includes 25 diverse and exciting activities, such as the opening ceremony, academician lectures, major scientific research project evaluation and review meetings, the "Four-in-One Computation" (computing data, algorithms, computing power, and computing network) technology sharing session, the "Innovation for Metaverse II" AI+ Design Art Exhibition, and an artificial intelligence-themed science and technology exhibition, creating a strong atmosphere for the integrated development of culture and technology. On December 10, the inaugural conference of the HUTB - Xiangjiang Laboratory "Culture + Technology" Integrated Development Alliance was held. The alliance includes 24 cultural and technological groups, such as the Xiangjiang Symphony Orchestra, Changyin Teachers' Choir, Changyang AI Music Appreciation Group, Changyi Calligraphy and Painting Group, and the AI Large Model Research and Development Center, among others. The alliance aims to vigorously promote the deeply integrated development of culture and technology, achieving new progress and results.

VI. HUTB Approved as One of First Pilot Units in Hunan Province for "Promoting Integrated Reform of Education, Science, Technology, and Talent Systems"

In November 2024, the university was designated as one of the first pilot units in Hunan Province for "promoting integrated reform of education, science, technology, and talent systems." It is one of only two provincial universities selected, laying a foundation for the further consolidation of educational resources. In 2024, the university advanced its management and academic practices with the times. The university adjusted the functions of departmental and divisional institutions, as well as teaching departments, and optimized the job positions. Closely aligning with the construction needs of Hunan's "4×4" modern industrial system, the university has added four "New Engineering" schools, and seven master's degree programs, and achieved a dynamic adjustment rate of over 60% in its majors. The artificial intelligence curriculum is fully covered.

VII. Significant Progress Made in Construction of Xiangjiang Laboratory, and HUTB Achieves Remarkable Results in Organized Scientific Research, with Outstanding Accomplishments in both Research and Teaching

The Xiangjiang Laboratory, led by the university, has established the "Four-in-One Computation" Industrial Alliance and forged deep collaborations with 56 leading enterprises, including Huawei, Baidu, and H3C. It has produced and accelerated the transformation of more than 10 original products such as the Xuanyuan AI pre-training series of large models and a new generation of intelligent computing acceleration engine. The university has deployed and implemented more than 50 projects, including "Challenge and Leadership" and major key initiatives. It has applied for 224 national invention patents as the sole or primary applicant, with 143 granted. The university has also been approved for the Hunan Research Institution Intellectual Property Center project and jointly established the "Culture + Technology" Integrated Development Alliance. The construction and development achievements of Xiangjiang Laboratory have been extensively reported by authoritative media outlets, including People's Daily, China Central Television (CCTV), and Hunan TV. In 2024, our university achieved remarkable results in research and teaching. We have undertaken 40 national-level projects, ranking first in the province in the number of social science and management projects, ideological and political education projects, and national art fund projects. Our university's achievements were selected as one of the "Top Ten Golden Strategies" of the 4th Huxiang Think Tank Research. Over 30 policy recommendations were endorsed by leaders at the provincial and ministerial levels and adopted by relevant departments. Our university completed over RMB160 million in research funding throughout the year and established seven new provincial and ministerial-level research platforms, including the "Metaverse and Holographic Media Technology" Hunan Provincial Engineering Research Center. The transaction amount of technology contracts reached RMB140 million. Our teachers have won 43 awards in national and provincial mathematics competitions, setting a new historical high. Our university initiated 65 provincial-level teaching reform research projects, with the approval rate ranking among the top in the province's higher education institutions. The university has approved four provincial-level ideological and political demonstration courses and eight provincial-level ideological and political projects, with one selected for the Department of Education of Hunan Province's excellent model project database. Additionally, our university established 49 new off-campus internship bases, 21 new modern laboratories, and 95% of the teaching system is based on intelligent teaching.

VIII. Our Students Achieve Frequent Success in Academic Competitions, and Talent Development Efforts Yield Excellent Results

Our students have won over 800 national and provincial-level awards in academic competitions, including 244 national-level awards, one special prize, and 36 first prizes; as well as 637 provincial-level awards, with 168 first prizes. The number and quality of awards have reached a historical high. We achieved a historic breakthrough with a special prize in the 19th "Challenge Cup" National College Student Extracurricular Science and Technology Works Competition. We also won three first prizes in the 6th Global Campus Artificial Intelligence Algorithm Elite Competition and five first prizes in the 26th China Robot & Artificial Intelligence Competition, as well as two national championships. The average admission cutoff scores for the History and Physics majors in the provincial general discipline group ranked 4th and 6th among provincial universities. The admission rank for the History major has improved by nearly 1,000 places compared to the previous year. The employment rate of our graduates remains among the top in the province.

IX. Meritorious Deeds of Our Exemplary Students Widely Reported by Mainstream Media

On July 8, 2024, Chen Yanbo, a student from the Integrated Circuit Design and Integrated Systems program in the 2302 class of the School of Microelectronics and Physics at our university, was aboard the K1347 train operated by the China Railway Guangzhou Group Co., Ltd.'s Changsha Passenger Transport Section. During the journey, he witnessed a child passenger being unlawfully harmed. He bravely stepped forward to assist, and during a courageous struggle, his right hand was scratched multiple times, and his left upper arm was bitten. Ultimately, he, along with other passengers, subdued the perpetrator. On November 19, Liu Zhu, an employee of China Energy Engineering Group Hunan Power Construction Co., Ltd. and a 2019 Master's degree alumnus in Accounting from our university's School of Accounting, spent nearly 20 hours flying approximately 7,500 kilometers from Saudi Arabia back to Changsha. He donated a "newborn gift"—hematopoietic stem cells—to a stranger. The exemplary deeds of Chen Yanbo and Liu Zhu have been widely covered and reported by mainstream media outlets such as People's Daily, CCTV News, Guangming Online, Chinanews.com, Hunan Today, and Rednet.cn, receiving widespread praise.

X. Hongya Student Apartment and Zhuimeng Student Apartment Put into Use, and Three Buildings Topped Ahead of Schedule, Continuously Rejuvenating Campus Appearance

In September 2024, the unveiling ceremony of the Hongya Student Apartment and Zhuimeng Student Apartment was held. The new apartments are equipped with air conditioning, hot water systems, washing machines, public drinking water dispensers, and hair dryers, among others. The various hardware and software facilities are among the top rank in the province and even nationwide. In 2024, the university made every effort to advance the construction of the "Seven Major Initiatives of HUTB," securing a total of over RMB280 million in various types of funding. The first phase of the Moon Island campus construction has been fully completed, with three new buildings, including the new engineering teaching and laboratory building, topped ahead of schedule. Two new student apartments were built, adding 5,480 new beds. 26 information technology projects have been successfully completed, and 100 smart classrooms have been renovated. Construction on the Fenghua Building, Xiangyang Building, and the Scientist Innovation Center is progressing steadily. Our university continues to improve the salaries and benefits of faculty and staff. The university provides higher-quality and more comprehensive campus medical services, maintains a stable and safe environment, and has taken on a brand-new look. The sense of well-being, fulfillment, and security among students, faculty, and staff has steadily increased.