New Steps in Reform and Development to Create the Bright Future of Civil Engineering

--The New Year Address of the Dean of College of Civil Engineering, Tongji University

December 31^st, 2013 

Respected Faculty,

Dear Students,

Respected Alumni,

 As a new year begins, we shall also start anew. At this moment when the whole country bid farewell to the old year and welcome the traditional Chinese Spring Festival, I would like to, on behalf of the Administration of the College of Civil Engineering (CCE), extend our best wishes, sincere greetings and heartfelt thanks to all the faculty, staff and students, retired and veteran teachers, alumni at home and abroad, and friends from all walks of life who care about and support our development. 

In the year 2013, the College has attached great importance to encourage the awareness of pioneering and excelling of teachers and students, from which we gain useful experiences to build a better working mechanism. The culture development of CCE has been promoted to escalate the civilized progress. The Centennial Civil Engineering was launched to promote the spirit of Tongji Civil Engineering, activating various campus activities in spiritual civilization. 

The year 2013 has been important for us to promote the development of pilot College and open up new prospects for our college steadily. We have achieved much progress in many aspects: improving and adding detailed employment and payment reform programs for pilot College, making comprehensive revisions of the personnel training and management documents, and completing the quality assurance system for undergraduate teaching. While maintaining the first place in the ranking of Discipline of Civil Engineering in Mainland China, CCE has risen to the 18th in the international QS ranking. Our research has been in a leading place: winning 42 projects by the National Natural Science Foundation, with total funding of 33.7 million yuan. More than 200 papers were published in SCI journals, scaling to a new height. Talent recruitment and training have also achieved advancement: 19 professors were listed in the national programs of high-profile talents and 2 in the level of Shanghai Municipality. Supported by the student development funds, the College vigorously carried out diversified activities themed on “Excellent Engineer Pioneers Program” to improve the overall quality and cultivation of students. In 2013, the total number of scholarship winners hit 1689, with a total of 1.84 million yuan, and 1089 yuan on average. Graduate employment rate of different degrees in 2013 hit 97.04%, and the graduates had 96.06% of signing contracts. 

As the year of horse begins, CCE shall advance at a galloping speed. 

In the year of 2014, CCE shall continue to vigorously carry forward the spirit of reform and innovation, and comprehensively promote Excellent Engineer Program and the reform program of pilot college. We shall make it our fundamental task to equip students with virtues along the inclusive development path, aiming at nurturing “professional elites and pillars of the society for the nation in sustainable development”. 

In the year of 2014, CCE will celebrate its centennial anniversary. We shall take this great opportunity to invite alumni at home and abroad and all the friends who support the development of the College to join us in the grand ceremonies for further understanding and future development. We believe that under the guidance of the University, and with the endeavors of all CCE faculty and students, and the support from all walks of life, the College shall make remarkable progress in the new century . 

Happy New Year and our best wishes to your perfect health, family happiness, and the best of luck throughout the year!

Gu Xianglin, Dean, College of Civil Engineering