On July 26, 2022, the 2021 Ph.D. Students of Frontier Engineering, Peking University (PKU), had their first surveying engineering practice lesson, which is focusing on the national strategic direction of new materials, intelligent manufacturing and energy security. Led by Zhou Huanping, the Vice Dean of School of Materials Science and Engineering (SMSE), PKU, Zhang Jing, the Deputy Secretary of the CPC School of Council Materials Science and Engineering Committee, and He Feng, the Director of Professional Degrees Office, they visited the production base of Beijing Benz Automotive Co., LTD (Beijing Benz) and Sinopec Beijing Research Institute of Chemical Industry Yanshan Branch (Yanshan Branch of BRICI). A delegation of 14 people, including 2021 Ph.D. Students of Frontier Engineering, part of the Ph.D. students of Electronic and Information Engineering, some academic doctoral students of SMSE and staff of the Graduate School and SMSE, attended the course.

Commemorating Photograph of the teachers and students.

In the morning, the teachers and students first came to the Daxing Production Base of Beijing Benz. Beijing Benz is a joint venture jointly invested by BAIC Motor,Mercedes-Benz Group Croup AG. and Daimler Greater China Ltd. It integrates the functions of R&D, engine and vehicle production, sales and after-sales service.

VisitingBeijing Benz

In the exhibition hall, the teachers and students listened to the introduction to the overall planning, construction layout and future development plan of the Beijing Benz production base. In addition, they learned the technical process, spatial layout, performance testing and new product research and development of the whole vehicle production and assembly. Moreover, they felt the rigorous and accurate working atmosphere of Beijing Benz in the production and manufacturing process. Furthermore, they were also impressed by their advanced concept of “digital, flexible, efficient and sustainable” and their high-quality development under the guidance of the concept. Later, the teachers and students visited theSecond General Assembly Factory of Beijing Benz Production Base and the advanced intelligent production platform of the General Assembly Factory. The production control system can automatically sort and match all components of different vehicle models according to customer needs. At the same time, according to the standardized, modular and digitalproduct design, it can arrange the vehicles of different series to be assembled in mixed production lines. Beijing Benz has realized the transformation from conventional organizational production to intelligent manufacturing and become the leading figure in Chinese automobile intelligent manufacturing. During the visit, the teachers and students discussed the intelligent manufacturing, technological progress and industrial development of the automobile industry and exchanged their views.

Commemorating Photograph of the teachers and students of SMSE and leaders ofSinopec Yanshan Branch of BRICI

In the afternoon, the teachers and students visited theSinopec Yanshan Branch of BRICI. Wu Chunhong, the Secretary of the Party Committee ofSinopec Yanshan Branch of BRICI, Xu Lin, the President of Sinopec Yanshan Branch of BRICI and other major leaders warmly welcomed the teachers and students of PKU. They had a happy symposium.

At thesymposium, Zhou Huanping, the Vice Dean of SMSE, introduced the development history, faculty, talent training, characteristics of research directions and the layout of production, education and research of SMSE, PKU, thanked the leaders of Sinopec Yanshan Branch of BRICI for their warm welcome and expressed the exception of cooperating with Sinopec Yanshan Branch of BRICI.

Communication Site.

Later, Secretary Wu Chunhong introduced the history and key research fields of Sinopec Yanshan Branch of BRICI to the teachers and students. She pointed out that, under the leadership of the party committee of BRICI, Yanshan Branch practices the “four orientations” proposed by General Secretary Xi Jinping. Based on the needs of China and the development needs of the petrochemical industry, Yanshan Branch coordinates the construction of discipline platforms and talent training, accelerates the transformation of scientific research achievements into products, and effectively plays a supporting and leading role in scientific and technological innovation. In the past ten years, Yanshan Branch hashad fruitful resultsin the fields of silver catalyst, basic organic, synthetic rubber, etc. It has undertaken many national strategic scientific and technological tasks, achieved industrialization of many achievements and played an important role in promoting industrial progress and transformation and development of petrochemical enterprises. Secretary Wu Chunhong is very proud of the scientific research team of Yanshan Branch, which is able to fight, is good at innovation and is brave in taking on responsibilities. Her love and dedication to China infect every teacher and student. At last, Wang Peimin and Du Zhou, representatives of the doctoral students of Frontier Engineering, shared their personal gains and feelings about their study and working experience in PKU over the past year and communicated with all the participants.

Communication Cite.

After the symposium, Secretary Wu Chunhong led the participants to visit the R&D platforms of pilot test equipment and rubber processing application technology, which are the main R&D fields of Yanshan Branch. Later people in charge of the platforms introduced the operation, research and development of the relevant equipment with demonstration. It helps the teachers and students understand the technical innovation and research and development practice of the petrochemical industry in a better way and promotes their thinking.

Du Zhou, a 2021 doctoral student of Frontier Engineering, is introducing the new generation of hydrogenation catalytic technology that hewas responsible forresearching to the teachers and students.

With the support of the Graduate School and the organization of SMSE, the class of 2021 doctoral students of frontier engineering carefully made a survey plan, selected a production enterprise and an engineering research and development organization to visit, revised the plan of preparation, practice and conclusion and took the plan into practice. This curriculum design focuses on exploring and giving full play to the practical function of the platform, emphasizes interdisciplinary integration, successfully builds a platform for the communication of doctoral students in different schools, different majors and different grades and achieves good results.