On October 7, on the occasion of celebrating the university’s 80th anniversary, Hefei University of Technology held an inauguration ceremony for three innovation schools, officially founding the Innovation School of Integrated Circuits, the Innovation School of Artificial Intelligence, and the School of Future Technology Innovation.

Yu Xiangcheng, Secretary of the University Party Committee, read out the official document on the establishment of the innovation schools. The inauguration was witnessed on site by academicians of the Chinese Academy of Engineering Chen Jing, Yang Shanlin and Pan Fusheng, academicians of the Chinese Academy of Sciences Chen Weijiang and Liu Ming, Zhao Ming, Director of the Anhui Provincial Department of Science and Technology, University Party Secretary Yu Xiangcheng, University President Wang Meng, Fan Jin, Director of Hefei Municipal Bureau of Science and Technology, and Professor Huang Qing’an from Southeast University. Hu Xiaoxuan, Deputy Secretary of the University Party Committee; Kang Yu, Member of the University Party Committee and Vice President; Li Wei, District Chief of Baohe District of Hefei; Liu Zhi, District Chief of Shushan District; and Tian Qi, Chief Scientist of Huawei, jointly unveiled the plaques for the Innovation School of Integrated Circuits, the Innovation School of Artificial Intelligence, and the School of Future Technology Innovation of Hefei University of Technology.

At the ceremony, Wang Meng introduced the development blueprint of the three innovation schools in terms of organizational structure, operational mechanisms and future planning. He pointed out that the establishment of the three schools marks a key layout for the university to align with national strategies and serve regional industries, as well as an important exploration to break disciplinary barriers and cultivate high-level talents. Adopting a lean and elite "light cavalry" model, the innovation schools will achieve agile response and targeted layout. Meanwhile, the university will accelerate the improvement of discipline and major adjustment mechanisms as well as talent training models driven by scientific and technological development and national strategic needs, striving to realize triple upgrading of the university’s overall school-running capacity, regional industrial competitiveness, and national technological discourse power.

Wang Meng emphasized that the three innovation schools will jointly form a strategic closed loop ofbasic industries — core technologies — future layout.

Adhering to in-depth integration of industry and education as well as university-enterprise co-construction, the innovation schools will build high-level faculty teams, high-standard scientific research and innovation platforms, and interdisciplinary talent training systems. They will realize the organic integration of organized talent cultivation, organized scientific research, and organized industrial services. With strong support from Anhui Province, Hefei City and co-construction enterprises, the university will anchor national strategic needs, strive for coordinated breakthroughs in high-level talent training and key technological research, and build the innovation schools into an innovation fulcrum serving major national equipment projects. It will fulfill dreams through solid work, empower development via innovation, and write a splendid chapter keeping pace with the nation and the times.

Zhao Ming, Fan Jin and representatives of co-construction enterprises delivered speeches respectively, extending warm congratulations and placing high expectations on the establishment of the innovation schools. They noted that the founding of the three schools is a major event in Anhui’s science, technology and education sector, and a powerful measure to implement the Outline of the National Education Power Construction Plan and promote the integration of industry with education and of science with education. Provincial and municipal science and technology authorities will fully support the construction of the three innovation schools, and work with the university and co-construction enterprises to build the schools into a new engine for the construction of the "Three Places and One Zone" and a new model for the integration of industry, academia, research and application.

Hong Richang, Assistant to the University President, presided over the inauguration ceremony. Responsible officials of relevant university departments and faculty and student representatives from related schools attended the event.