Shenzhen Technology University (SZTU) is a public institution of higher education established by Guangdong Province and Shenzhen Municipality with a strong beginning and high standards. Its establishment as a university of applied sciences was officially approved by the Ministry of Education on November 30, 2018 with the identification code 4144014655. SZTU is located in Pingshan District of Shenzhen City and covers an area of about 970,000 sqm.

Mission

To meet the urgent demands from the advanced manufacturing industries locally and nationally, SZTU is obligated to cultivate talents such as senior engineers and designers with a spirit of craftsmanship. SZTU aims to establish itself as an open and innovative international university with Chinese characteristics and a global outlook.

Education mode

Based on the experiences of other universities of applied sciences and technology, SZTU will implement a modern apprenticeship system in teaching. The university is geared to meet the demands of advanced manufacturing industries oriented toward employment and entrepreneurship. It is based on enhancing the capacity of engineering, practice and innovation. SZTU will explore a new education mode of applied sciences by joining efforts between industries and universities, production and teaching, and practice and learning.

Talent cultivation

In terms of training for talents, SZTU is exploring a new mode of “university education plus enterprise internship plus engineering projects.” In accordance with the principle of producing talents in applied sciences with market orientation, SZTU will push cooperation between industries and universities to a new level; put more focus on the assessment of practical capability and undergo small-sized teaching; promote the integration among teaching, learning and practical training; and recruit students from diversified sources. SZTU will strive to realize Five Connections: connection between specialty setup and industry needs, connection between curriculum setting and professional criteria, connection between teaching processing and production processing, connection between diploma and professional certificate, and connection between vocational education and lifelong study.

Teaching staff

SZTU will recruit full-time and part-time teachers with excellent teaching qualification and rich practical experience, who will account for 80 percent of the whole teaching staff. Publishing of papers will not be the key criteria for assessment, but the ability to solve actual problems for enterprises, businesses and industries will be the main standards for staff appointments and promotion. Professional teachers are required to have at least six months’ practical experience in enterprises every five years.

Specialty setup

SZTU sets up specialties and courses according to the needs of industrial chains and innovative chains. To meet the demand of pillar industries, strategic emerging industries and the future industry in Shenzhen, the newly issued Shenzhen Action on Made in China 2025 defines 11 strategic key areas for the advanced manufacturing industry of Shenzhen, which includes digitalized network equipment, new-type display, integrated circuit, new-type components and parts, robots, precision manufacturing equipment, new material, new-energy automobile, aeronautics and space, marine engineering equipment, and gene engineering equipment. Based on this, SZTU plans to set up six colleges in its first phase: the Sino-German College of Intelligent and Manufacturing, College of Big Data and Internet, College of New Materials and New Energies, College of Urban Transportation and Logistics, College of Health Science and Environmental Engineering, and College of Creative Design.

University-enterprise cooperation

SZTU will work diligently to promote university and enterprise cooperation to a new level by the following means: conducting joint cultivation models; establishing integration centers of experiment, training and practice; and employing technicians from enterprises as part-time professors. Industries and enterprises can take part in the whole process of school management, including specialty setup, curriculum setup, talent cultivation and assessment and evaluation of staff members.

International cooperation

SZTU aims to establish itself as an international university and cooperation platform. It is looking forward to conducting extensive cooperation with universities of applied sciences in Germany, Switzerland, the United States and other nations. The pattern of international cooperation can be as follows:

1. To develop a two-campus pattern through student exchange programs and mutual credits confirmation. The two sides can develop 2+2 or 3+1+2 joint programs.

2. To introduce the whole teaching system from cooperative universities. To meet the demand from the manufacturing industry in Shenzhen and Pearl River Delta of China, the university would like to introduce to Shenzhen Technology University cooperative universities’ methods of school administration, professional settings, curriculum systems and on-the-job training practices.

3. To establish an education and training base. Both sides agree to establish vocational education training centers, providing international qualification certification and training in Shenzhen, and develop training programs for teaching and management staff.

4. To establish collaborative innovation labs. Both sides agree to establish collaborative innovation labs, carrying out industry-oriented research programs and developing new methods in the joint efforts of education between industries and universities, in order to enhance education in engineering , creativity and academic capability and promote project achievement transformations.

5. To fund students to study and practice in cooperative universities and enterprises abroad; to produce top-notch talents in applied sciences who possess a global outlook and an international view.

The establishment of SZTU is an active exploration to address the shortage of high-level innovative applied talents, aiming to optimize the structure of higher education in Guangdong Province and Shenzhen Municipality.