Introduction

Harbin Institute of Technology (HIT) was founded in 1920 as a small technical school and now, 83 years later, has developed into a large multi-disciplinary nationally renowned university with science, engineering and research as its core. Since 1954, HIT has repeatedly been designated as one of China’s leading institutions of higher education and as such has received significant financial support and investment from the Central Government. HIT is also one of the national “211 Project“ universities. This project targets 100 institutions of higher education to receive preferential support for development into world-class universities in the 21st century.

HIT believes one of the most important elements in maintaining the high academic standards is their faculties. HIT employs a great number of scholars well known domestically and internationally. Currently, there are 2,885 faculty members, including 18 academicians of the Chinese Academy of Science and/or the Chinese Academy of Engineering, 444 doctoral supervisors, 629 professors and 1,112 associate professors.

HIT has been bold and innovative in its scientific research and has consistently undertaken large-scale and highly sophisticated national projects. Because of this, the funding for research increases yearly. In 2002, research funding from the government, industry, and business sectors reached 567 million yuan (US $68 million). Hi-tech research projects include China’s first simulation computer; the first intelligent chess-playing computer; the first arc-welding robots; the first radar with a world-class advanced system; the first CMOS chip IC card of HITs own independent design; the first giant computer-aided real-time 3-Dimage constructing system; the first microcomputer-operated fiber twiner and the first large-scale tank head forming machine. Most notable is the “large-scale ground simulation system vacuum container”, a nationally important scientific program, which only took three years to complete. And finally, a new mini-satellite being developed domestically is to be launched soon.

HIT students study humanities and social sciences along with their basic engineering and science courses for a strong comprehensive base. They go on to learn scientific research methods and laboratory skills with enhance their creativity and innovative abilities. When students graduate from HIT, they are equipped with strong theoretical knowledge and the ability for practical applications. Today, all the faculty, students and staff of HIT, with full confidence, are dedicating their concerted efforts to advance bravely towards the goal of building HIT into a well-known world-class university.

(Source: Harbin Institute of Technology)