School of Aeronautics at NPU and the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering at RWTH held an online meeting focusing on Joint Student Programs on Jan 26, 2023. Prof. Wolfgang Schroeder, Dean and Dr. Phil. Sabrina Grübener, International Strategy Coordinator, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering at RWTH attended the meeting. Prof. Tao Suo, Dean of School of Aeronautics, Prof. Zichen Deng, Former Dean of School of Aeronautics, Assoc. Prof. Jun Chen, Deputy Director of International Cooperation Office, Prof. Bin Li, Deputy Dean (Graduate Education) of School of Aeronautics, Assoc. Prof. Fangyi Wan, Deputy Dean (Undergraduate Education), Prof. Shengxi Zhou, Assistant to the Dean (International Cooperation) and other professors and administrative staff of School of Aeronautics at NPU attended the meeting.
The online meeting was hosted by Assoc. Prof. Jun Chen. Dr. Phil. Sabrina Grübener briefly introduced the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering. Prof. Tao Suo briefly introduced the School of Aeronautics, and Prof. Zichen Deng introduced the CSC project “Innovative Talent Training on Aircraft Design and Mechanics”. Prof. Bin Li and Prof. Shengxi Zhou proposed the plan of jointly training NPU master and Ph.D. students and sending postdoc researchers and visiting scholars under the support of the CSC innovative talent training project in research fields, such as multidisciplinary optimization design, new concept aircraft, flight dynamics, aerodynamics, solid mechanics, composite material structure, computing science, dynamics and control, acoustics, control and information, artificial intelligence, man-machine and environmental engineering, system health monitor, and etc. Prof. Wolfgang Schroeder was interested in the proposal and listed professors at RWTH performing research in all the concerned fields. He suggested NPU students and faculty should jointly conduct fundamental researches at RWTH. NPU students could conduct research training at Aachen, and at the same time voluntarily take courses taught in English.
Assoc. Prof. Fangyi Wan presented the cooperation demand for undergraduate students of the outstanding class Huangyushan Aeronautic Class. Prof. Fei Xu concerned the time when students should be selected, and the number of courses for the students. Dr. Phil. Sabrina Grübener said RWTH would accept NPU undergraduate students according to the student exchange agreement signed between two universities and suggested that students take four to six courses (up to 30 ECTS) each semester. RWTH will trust NPU faculty to interview undergraduate candidates and the list of candidates should be made by 31th March.
At the end of the meeting, Assoc. Prof. Jun Chen welcomed RWTH students to NPU and suggested RWTH visiting students apply for CSC and NPU president scholarships.
This online meeting was brought about with the efforts made by Prof. Wenfeng Li, the Young National Talent of China and RWTH alumnus. At the beginning of the Chinese new lunar spring, this meeting greatly helps to promote the cooperation between NPU and RWTH. The cooperation on student and faculty exchange between NPU and RWTH, which has started at least a decade before, will be expected to be very fruitful.
