Mechanical Design, Manufacturing and Automation (Including "Outstanding Engineer Program" / "Industry Program" Experimental Classes)

I. The Evolution of the Major

Professional Positioning

This major aims to cultivate well-rounded builders and reliable successors who develop morally, intellectually, physically, aesthetically, and in terms of work ethic, and who practice the Core Socialist Values. Students will acquire a solid foundation of professional theory and a reasonable knowledge structure, master the disciplinary fundamentals, specialized knowledge, and application capabilities in equipment design and manufacturing relevant to mechanical design, manufacturing and automation, and receive the basic training of a mechanical engineer. Graduates should possess good teamwork spirit, organizational and communication competence, and lifelong learning ability, and become compound senior engineering and technical talents capable of engaging in product design and manufacturing, research and development, operation management, and business sales in the field of mechanical engineering, especially in the field of oil and gas drilling and production equipment.

Adapting to the development of the times and national strategic planning, this major takes serving China's energy drilling and production equipment sector and local economic construction as its orientation. It adheres to the "industry-university-research" model established between teaching and research and the petroleum and petrochemical industry, strengthens professional practical application and school-enterprise cooperation, and improves students' professional skills and hands-on abilities, enabling graduates to demonstrate strong competitiveness in job selection and strong adaptability to employment.

Historical Development

The major of Mechanical Design, Manufacturing and Automation at Yangtze University originated from the "Petroleum Field Machinery" major established at Jianghan Petroleum Institute in 1978, and began recruiting undergraduate students nationwide in 1979. In 1993, it was renamed the "Mechanical Design and Manufacturing" major and, in the same year, obtained the right to confer the master's degree in "Mechanical Design and Theory". In 1999, in response to the national adjustment of the specialty catalog, it was renamed "Mechanical Design, Manufacturing and Automation". Entering the new century, the major has achieved successive breakthroughs in development: it was approved as a Hubei Provincial Brand Major in 2009, rated as a National Featured Major in 2010, and selected into the National "Outstanding Engineer Education and Training Program" in 2011. In 2020, the major was recognized as a National First-Class Undergraduate Major Construction Point, and in 2023 it officially passed the Engineering Education Professional Accreditation. Based on this major, the Hubei Provincial Modern Industry College was approved in 2024. The "Mechanical Engineering" discipline on which this major is founded is a key discipline of the former China National Petroleum Corporation and a key (featured) discipline of Hubei Province. It offers a doctoral program in the secondary discipline of "Petroleum Field Machinery", a master's program in the first-level discipline of "Mechanical Engineering", and a master's program in the first-level discipline of "Power Engineering and Engineering Thermophysics", forming a complete undergraduate-master-doctoral talent cultivation system.

II. Major Features

This major is a National Featured Major and a National First-Class Undergraduate Major Construction Point, and it has passed the International Engineering Education Professional Accreditation. It has also been selected into the Ministry of Education's "Outstanding Engineer Education and Training Program" and Hubei Province's "Strategic Emerging (Pillar) Industry Talent Cultivation Program". As the only major of Mechanical Design, Manufacturing and Automation with distinctive petroleum machinery characteristics in central China, it closely aligns with the needs of the energy equipment manufacturing industry. The major adheres to the deep-integration model of "industry-university-research", takes enterprise needs as its orientation, strengthens practical teaching and school-enterprise collaboration, and is committed to improving students' professional skills and practical abilities, enabling graduates to demonstrate outstanding competitiveness in job selection and strong adaptability to their positions.

III. Employment and Further Education

Graduates of this major enjoy a wide range of employment opportunities and can engage in product design, research and development, manufacturing, technical management, and business sales in industries such as petroleum and petrochemicals, energy equipment, general machinery, automobile manufacturing, aerospace, and marine vessels, with particularly notable competitive advantages in the oil and gas drilling and production equipment industry. In recent years, the average employment rate of graduates has remained above 95%. The proportion of students pursuing further education has steadily increased, with the postgraduate admission rate reaching approximately 25%. Many students have been admitted to or recommended for master's and doctoral programs at well-known domestic universities, including Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Chongqing University, Central South University, Beihang University, Sichuan University, Shandong University, and Northwestern Polytechnical University.

IV. Core Courses

Core Courses:Descriptive Geometry and Engineering Drawing, Theoretical Mechanics, Mechanics of Materials, Mechanical Principles, Mechanical Design, Electrical and Electronic Technology, Fundamentals of Mechanical Manufacturing Technology, Electromechanical Transmission and Control, Fundamentals of Fluid Mechanics and Hydraulic Pneumatics, Petroleum Drilling and Production Machinery, etc.

Main Practical Sessions:Engineering Training (Metalworking Practice), Mechanical Drawing Practice, Mechanical Principles Course Design, Mechanical Design Course Design, Comprehensive Electromechanical-Hydraulic Practice, Engineering Practice, Production Practice, Graduation Design (Thesis), as well as selected joint-cultivation practical projects in collaboration with energy equipment enterprises.

V. Faculty

The major of Mechanical Design, Manufacturing and Automation boasts a strong faculty. There are currently 39 full-time teachers, including 14 professors and 11 associate professors, with those holding senior professional titles accounting for 64.1%. Twenty-seven teachers hold doctoral degrees, accounting for 69.2% of the faculty. Among them, one expert enjoys the Special Government Allowance of the State Council, and one is recognized as an expert with outstanding contributions in Hubei Province. The major has a provincial-level teaching team for "Mechanical Design, Manufacturing and Automation", and, drawing on high-level talents introduced by the school—including provincial distinguished professors and industry professors—has formed a faculty team with high academic standards and rich engineering experience.

VI. Practice Platforms

This major provides a comprehensive practical teaching platform. It is equipped with 11 provincial- and ministerial-level talent cultivation and scientific research platforms, including the "Hubei Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center for Oil and Gas Drilling and Completion Tools", the "Hubei Provincial Experimental Teaching Demonstration Center for Mechanical Engineering Training", the "Hubei Provincial R&D and Promotion Center for Common Petroleum and Chemical Machinery Technology for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises", and the "Hubei Provincial University Student Innovation Base for Electromechanical Integration Technology". On campus, advanced mechanical engineering training centers and specialized laboratories have been established. Off campus, stable school-enterprise cooperation internship and training bases have been set up with well-known enterprises such as Sinopec, CNOOC, CNPC, Suzhou Dawson, Baoji Oilfield Machinery, and Valeo, providing a solid guarantee for the cultivation of students' engineering practice and innovation capabilities.

VII. Educational Achievements

Students of this major demonstrate strong learning abilities and a solid work ethic, and its graduates are highly recognized by the industry and society. The school has developed the "Light of Craftsmanship" model for student innovation and practical education. Over the past five years, students have won nearly 400 awards at or above the provincial level in top-tier competitions, including the "Challenge Cup", "Internet+", the National College Student Mechanical Innovation Design Competition, and the Advanced Drawing Technology and Product Information Modeling Innovation Competition. Landmark achievements include the National Grand Prize at the 17th "Challenge Cup" and the First Prize at the 10th National College Student Mechanical Innovation Design Competition. Over more than 40 years of operation, the major has cultivated a large number of outstanding talents in the field of mechanical engineering, represented by Zhao Chuanyu, a "National Moral Model". A great many graduates have become technical backbones and management elites in the petroleum, petrochemical, and mechanical equipment industries, making important contributions to the energy industry and local economic construction.