In January 2024, Beihang University held the fifth meeting of the 10th Academic Degree Evaluation Committee. Reviewed by the meetingAgreed to revoke the professional degree category of Master of Civil Engineering and Water Conservancy。As soon as the news came out, some people who were not optimistic about the future development of the civil engineering profession were once again shrouded in a haze.
As early as October 2023, on the occasion of the 120th anniversary of the School of Civil Engineering of Hunan University, Academician Zhou Fulin, who has been deeply involved in civil engineering for decades, talked about the fact that civil engineering, which was once popular all year round, is now listed as the least popular major, and it seems that it has suddenly become a "sunset" major.
School of Civil Engineering, Hunan University.
Once upon a time, civil engineering was once hot, and it was one of the majors with the largest number of applicants in China. However, with the development of China's large infrastructure and large real estate, the booming Internet industry has attracted a large number of students. The phenomenon of "emphasizing IT over civil engineering" is also emerging among young people in China.
The "** era" that once belonged to civil engineering seems to be coming to an end.
The glory is no longer and has become a "sinkhole"?
The "cold" application for the civil engineering major reflects its "decline" in the hearts of candidates to a certain extent.
In 2023, the national special projects of famous universities such as the University of Science and Technology Beijing, the civil engineering of Dalian University of Technology, and the civil engineering of Sichuan University have all entered the second round of solicitation of volunteers in Yunnan, and after passing the national special qualification review, science can be applied for as long as the score is above 485. In the case of Guangzhou University in Guangdong Province, the lowest score in the civil engineering group was as low as 453. Wuhan University, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Shandong University and other 985 universities have also entered the voluntary solicitation in Henan, a major province for the college entrance examinationRecruit dissatisfied,Many candidates would rather disobey the adjustment than apply for the exam.
Since 2020, Tsinghua University will no longer enroll students in one batch for civil engineering, but only in early approval and poverty batch enrollment, and early approval cannot change majors. Shanghai University and other universities have reduced the number of students enrolled in civil engineering majors. Jimei University, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China and other schools have abolished the undergraduate major of civil engineering.
All of a sudden, the civil engineering major seemed to have entered a cold winter, and the worry of "unemployment after graduation" also made candidates "look at civil engineering and be discouraged" when filling in the volunteers. A young and handsome civil engineering graduate, who has been engaged in civil engineering for two months, has become a middle-aged uncle with vicissitudes of life; My cousin was transferred to Central South University majoring in civil engineering, and his relatives posted on the Internet to ask if he wanted to go back to repeat his studies; It is not ......uncommon for civil engineering graduates to take the postgraduate examination for literature, economics and scienceMany netizens include civil engineering in the "new sinkhole" major, and "persuasion" is endless.
New era, new engineering
However, with"New Engineering".With the advancement of construction, the civil engineering majors of many colleges and universities seem to have been reborn.
The construction of "new engineering" is a strategic action to actively respond to a new round of scientific and technological revolution and industrial transformation. The so-called "new engineering" is scientific, humanities, and engineeringCross-fusion, cultivateCompound and comprehensive talents, the integration of technology and economy, society, and management, and play a leading role in technology and industry. Compared to the old engineering department,The new engineering department emphasizes the practicality, interdisciplinarity and comprehensiveness of the disciplineSpecial attention is paid to the close integration of new technologies such as information technology, artificial intelligence, electronic control, and software design with traditional industrial technologies. While paying attention to the construction of emerging industries, the traditional engineering majors are upgraded.
In the context of new engineering, the civil engineering profession has also ushered in transformation and upgrading!
In the face of netizens' "singing and declining" about civil engineering, a researcher from the School of Civil Engineering of Chongqing University said that in everyone's traditional perception, civil engineering is generally considered to be the bottom of the scientific research food chain. However, "when we are engaged in scientific research, we deeply feel that civil engineering is not at the bottom, and it provides rich scenarios for the application of artificial intelligence."
Compared with the traditional concept of civil engineering is the perception of "building a house".Chongqing University's civil engineering has been strongly integrated with artificial intelligence. In 2017, Zhou Xuhong, academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and director of the Steel Structure Engineering Research Center of Chongqing University, established a research team covering civil engineering, automation, computer, mathematics and statistics related disciplines at Chongqing University, and took the lead in developing architecture in the countrySmart ConstructionThe research of theory and technology covers multiple sectors such as intelligent production, intelligent detection, and intelligent control.
The era of intelligence is an era that all walks of life are facing. In"Smart + Civil Engineering".Intelligent construction came into being in the backgroundA construction method that realizes the deep integration of artificial intelligence and construction requirements. It will provide more possibilities for civil engineering majors to seek transformation and upgrading and new development opportunities, and keep up with the pace of construction of new engineering disciplines.
At present, a number of civil engineering majors in colleges and universities have joined the exploration ranks of intelligent construction. In 2017, Tongji University was the first to be registered for the establishment of intelligent construction majors. Relying on the advantages of Tongji Civil Engineering's high platform, it integrates the knowledge of architecture, mechanical engineering, materials engineering, electronic information, engineering management and other disciplines. For the overall trend of the industrialization development of modern society, intelligent construction has been cultivatedProfessional talents, compound talents. Up to now, there are more than 100 undergraduate colleges and universities in China that offer this major.
In addition,Although some colleges and universities do not offer intelligent construction majors, they also try to introduce the concept of intelligent construction into existing civil engineering majors. For example, at the beginning of 2020, the Department of Civil Engineering of Shanghai University and the School of Management jointly applied for and approved the "Civil Engineering-Engineering Management" double bachelor's degree compound talent training program. Considering the needs of the transformation and upgrading of the construction industry, the project introduced the concept of intelligent construction, and invited the construction robot team of the School of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering and Automation to participate in the construction of the project.
In the context of industry development, Tongji University, which ranks first in the country in civil engineering, is also facing a crisis. In this regard,Tongji University began to reform the ace major - civil engineering, actively exploring the multiple possibilities of this major, and helping the reform and practice of civil engineering talent training from the perspective of new engineering.
Tongji University has formulated according to the demand for talents for the future development of civil engineering, and the characteristics and interests of students themselves"Civil Engineering + N".Personalized talent training programs are available for students to choose from. The program includes general education courses and professional foundation courses, and is offered at a later stageSeven modulesThe selection covers construction engineering, underground construction engineering, geotechnical engineering, bridge engineering, road engineering, rail transit engineering, engineering disaster prevention and risk assessment, etc., realizing the individualization within the profession.
At the same time, it has jointly set up the "Mathematics and Science Intensive Class" with the School of Mathematical Sciences, the "Mechanics Experimental Class" with the School of Aeronautics and Astronautics and Mechanics, and the "Innovation and Entrepreneurship Class" with the School of Innovation and Entrepreneurship.
Offered in conjunction with the Faculty of Law"Civil Jurisprudence".Under the premise of not increasing the length of study, the compound talent experimental class carefully condenses and deeply integrates the knowledge and practice credits of civil engineering and law majors, and provides a replicable and promotable demonstration for the cultivation of cross-college and interdisciplinary personalized talents. On this basis,Since 2019, Tongji University has launched "Major Major + Micro Major, Minor Major, Minor Degree".The advanced talent training model has been fully formed"Civil Engineering +" compound talent training model
Civil Engineering + N" (Source: Official website of the School of Civil Engineering, Tongji University).
This interdisciplinary talent training model of Tongji University adapts to the training requirements of interdisciplinary and comprehensive talents in the context of new engineering. It not only provides more career direction choices and guidance for students, but also is expected to prevent talent disconnection and better adapt to the needs of future civil engineering projects, including design, construction, management, investment and development, finance and insurance, legal practice and other comprehensive work.
There is still a lot of room for innovation in the future of civil engineering
Academician Zhou Fulin believes that civil engineering has a lot of room for innovation"As soon as new materials and technologies come out, they can immediately form innovations." This also means that in the context of "new engineering", the civil engineering major has not only not entered the "end of the road", but through continuous innovation and advancing with the times, it will gain greater opportunities and possibilities, and usher in a new "sunrise" of its own development again and again.
In February 2017, the "Fudan Consensus" brought "new engineering" into the public eye, and the subsequent "Tianda Action" and "Beijing Guidelines" led to the widespread practice of new engineering construction across the country.
The construction of the new engineering department will further promote the reform and development of college majors, including civil engineering. With the rapid development of science and technology and the changes of society, the new engineering will continue to update the content of fields and professional fields to adapt to the emergence of new needs. At the same time,The new engineering will further integrate and intersect with other disciplines to form a new discipline system and professional field. In the future, the construction of new engineering will lead the reform and development of higher education and provide more high-quality engineering talents for the society.
"Full of vitality and transformation, the workers are skillful and strive for the new." It is believed that under the positive response to the construction of new engineering, it will promote the reform of engineering education in China with new ideas, new requirements and new ways, so that countless majors like civil engineering will always be bathed in the glory of the rising sun.
February** Dynamic Incentive Program