Trained over 40,000 professional talents in total! 80th Anniversary of the Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering Discipline at Wuhan University of Technology

On October 17, the 11th National Forum on Ship and Offshore Engineering Development was held in Wuhan, Hubei. At the same time, the high-quality development forum of the School of Naval Architecture, Ocean and Energy Power Engineering of Wuhan University of Technology and the 80th Anniversary Conference of the Ship and Offshore Engineering Discipline were convened. Reporters learned from the conference that over the past 80 years, the School of Naval Architecture, Ocean and Energy Power Engineering of Wuhan University of Technology has trained more than 40,000 professionals, participated deeply in major national projects such as domestic large-scale cruise ships, the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge, and the world's first 10,000-ton new energy bulk carrier. The school has become an important base for talent training and scientific research in the field of ship and offshore engineering and energy power engineering in China. In the 2025 "Shanghai Ranking’s Global Ranking of Academic Subjects," the university’s ship and offshore engineering discipline was ranked fifth globally.

According to the introduction, the educational history of the School of Naval Architecture, Ocean and Energy Power Engineering at Wuhan University of Technology traces back to the Department of Shipbuilding and Department of Marine Engineering of the National Maritime Vocational School founded in 1946. It is one of the Ministry of Education’s pilot colleges for comprehensive reform under the "Three-Wide Education" initiative and serves as the key support for the university being recognized as a “Outstanding Unit in the Pilot Construction of a Transportation Power Nation.” Currently, the school offers three undergraduate programs: Ship and Offshore Engineering, Marine Engineering, and Energy and Power Engineering—all of which are pilot programs for the "Education and Cultivation Plan for Outstanding Engineers" and are designated as national-level first-class undergraduate construction programs. As of October 16, the Ship and Offshore Engineering discipline has 271 faculty members, including 11 national-level talents and six central government special-allowance experts. There are currently 3,243 undergraduate students and 1,790 postgraduate and doctoral students. Over the past five years, graduate employment rates have consistently exceeded 96%.

Currently, Wuhan University of Technology is the largest school among those directly under the Ministry of Education in terms of talent cultivation for the transportation, building materials and construction, and automotive industries, and is an important hub for technological innovation. It is also the only university directly under the Ministry of Education that simultaneously hosts comprehensive academic systems in fields such as ships, ports, logistics, shipping, management, repair and construction, as well as water transport disciplines.

The 11th National Forum on Ship and Offshore Engineering Development was co-organized by the Chinese Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers and Wuhan University of Technology, hosted by the School of Naval Architecture, Ocean and Energy Power Engineering of Wuhan University of Technology, and specially supported by the China Communications News Agency.

Concurrent sessions included five sub-forums focused on hydrodynamics of ship equipment, frontier technologies in offshore engineering, utilization and thermal management of new and renewable energies, power and safety of new energy ships, and the green and smart ship industry chain investment promotion conference and project roadshow.

Attendees of the event included Zhu Yingfu, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, Wang Haiyu, Director of the Yangtze River Maritime Safety Administration, Xia Guihua, Vice Chairman of the Chinese Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers, Meng Fangbing, Party Secretary of Wuhan University of Technology, Wu Qiang, former General Manager of China State Shipbuilding Corporation, Xia Qiyong, Deputy Director of Hubei Provincial Office of Defense Technology Industry, Xu Tao, Executive Deputy District Mayor of Wuchang District in Wuhan City, Xing Hongyan, Deputy Director of the Science and Technology Innovation Department of China State Shipbuilding Corporation, and Fu Shixiao, Dean of the School of Naval Architecture, Ocean and Civil Engineering of Shanghai Jiao Tong University, among others.

In his speech, Meng Fangbing stated that the Ship and Offshore Engineering discipline is a crucial support for the university’s focus on the transportation industry. The School of Naval Architecture, Ocean and Energy Power Engineering is a key base for talent cultivation and scientific research in the fields of ship and offshore engineering and energy power engineering in China. For 80 years, the school has aligned its development with the national maritime endeavors, nurturing numerous outstanding graduates who are rooted in ship manufacturing, energy power, and other fields, becoming the backbone of the industry. The university adheres to the "four orientations," tackling critical technologies, deeply servicing major national projects, and actively building a new ecosystem for innovative integration between the university and industry as well as university and alumni. Looking forward to the "15th Five-Year Plan," it is hoped that the school takes the 80th anniversary of the discipline’s establishment as a new starting point, firmly upholds the original aspiration to educate and serve the country, takes on the responsibility of independent innovation in science and technology, and gathers the power of unity and progress to make new contributions in the new journey of building a strong nation.

More than 30 experts, scholars, and industry representatives, including Zhou Guoping, senior expert of China State Shipbuilding Corporation and ship design master, and Yuan Dingding, Vice President of Huizhou EVE Energy Co., Ltd. and Dean of the Energy Storage System Research Institute, delivered reports and engaged in discussions on the frontier issues in green and smart transformation and ship and ocean engineering technological innovations.

On the same day, Wuhan University of Technology signed cooperation agreements with more than 10 organizations, including the Yangtze River Maritime Safety Administration, and donation agreements for scholarships or the Ship, Ocean Energy and Power Engineering Complex with 28 organizations. The university also launched several achievements, including a pilot base for industrial development in new energy ship propulsion, a multimillion-dollar technology transfer project for intelligent ship technology, the GeneHull platform for ship intelligent design optimization, the nation’s first hydrogen-blended powered demonstration ship, and a green and intelligent ship and offshore equipment industry technology incubator. Representatives from the Wuchang District Government and Wuhan University of Technology jointly revealed plaques for the ship and offshore equipment industry incubator and industrial community.

The country’s first hydrogen-blended powered demonstration ship is spearheaded by Wuhan University of Technology in collaboration with Hubei Guangji New Energy Shipbuilding Group Co., Ltd., the Wuhan Specification Research Institute of the China Classification Society, and Hanli New Energy (Wuhan) Technology Co., Ltd. Utilizing the major high-tech shipbuilding project of Hubei Province, the initiative explores new paths for integrating hydrogen energy and inland waterway shipping. With a total investment exceeding 49 million yuan, the project aims to build the country’s first 130-meter-long hydrogen-blended powered standard ship type for Yangtze River shipping, develop China’s first megawatt-level hydrogen-blended internal combustion engine, achieving a maximum hydrogen blend ratio of over 30%. The project is planned to complete its first domestic demonstration operation by 2027, with an expected comprehensive carbon emission reduction of over 50%, contributing to the green and low-carbon transformation of Yangtze River shipping.

The Fifth China University Deans' Joint Conference on Ship and Offshore Engineering was held simultaneously. On the same day, Wuhan University of Technology inaugurated its Fifth Transportation Culture Festival to promote the spirit of comprehensive transportation, unite efforts toward progress, celebrate 80 years of heritage, and write a new chapter in maritime strength.

On the same day, the School of Naval Architecture, Ocean and Energy Power Engineering at Wuhan University of Technology also released the collection of educational achievements, "Ships Since 1946," and the "Alumni Directory," systematically outlining the trajectory of 80 years of educational history and vividly showcasing the rich cultural heritage and significant educational accomplishments of the Ship and Offshore Engineering discipline.

Vice Presidents of Wuhan University of Technology, Luo Rong and Li Zhengying, Deputy Director of the School Affairs Committee Liu Zuyuan, as well as experts and scholars from industry, academic institutions, and research organizations, together with responsible individuals from relevant departments of the university and representatives of teachers and students, attended the event.