History of Development

Guangdong Province is a pioneer in China's manufacturing industry, and mechanical manufacturing is a pillar industry of the province, occupying a very important position both in Guangdong and across the nation. To meet the demands for talent and technological development in the mechanical manufacturing industry, Shantou University established the Department of Mechatronics Engineering (later renamed the Department of Mechanical Engineering) in 1988 and began enrolling undergraduate students, including those from Hong Kong and Macau, in 1990. In 1995, the Mechanical Engineering discipline was authorized to offer a master's degree program. In 1997, it was initiated as a key discipline under Shantou University's "211 Project." In 1999, it was approved as a Guangdong Provincial Key Discipline. In 2000, the Mechanical Design and Theory discipline was authorized to offer a master's degree program. In 2001, the Intelligent Manufacturing Technology Laboratory was approved as a Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education, becoming one of the earliest nationally recognized platforms in the field of intelligent manufacturing. In 2005, the department took the lead nationally in implementing CDIO engineering education reform. In 2009, it was approved as a National Fifth Batch Specialized Program Construction Site. In 2010, it joined the Ministry of Education's "Excellent Engineer" Training Program. In 2012, it was approved as a Guangdong Provincial Comprehensive Reform Program Construction Site. In 2017, the Mechanical Design, Manufacturing, and Automation program received professional accreditation from the China Engineering Education Accreditation Association (effective in 2018), achieving "unconditional six-year accreditation," the only one among 293 accredited programs nationwide. In 2018, the Mechanical Design, Manufacturing, and Automation program was approved as a Guangdong Provincial Key Program for construction and launched a new major, "Intelligent Manufacturing Engineering." In 2019, the Mechanical Design, Manufacturing, and Automation program was approved as both a National and a Guangdong Provincial First-Class Undergraduate Program construction site. In 2020, Shantou University's "Engineering" discipline, with Mechanical Engineering as its core, entered the top 1% of the Essential Science Indicators (ESI) global ranking for the first time. In 2021, Shantou University's Mechanical Engineering discipline received an A rating in the Times Higher Education China Subject Ratings (ranking among the top 23 universities nationwide), and the Intelligent Manufacturing Engineering program was approved as a Guangdong Provincial First-Class Undergraduate Program construction site. After more than thirty years of development, the Department of Mechanical Engineering has achieved a favorable momentum, advancing in parallel in traditional mechanical manufacturing and intelligent manufacturing, undergraduate education and master's instruction, as well as theoretical instruction and practical training.

Program Objectives

Guided by Shantou University's educational philosophy of cultivating students who are "aspiring, knowledgeable, persistent, and accomplished," and adhering to the training approach of "solid foundation, emphasis on practice, strong competence, and international perspective," the department is committed to producing future technical leaders and core members in mechanical engineering-related industries. These graduates are expected to possess a well-structured knowledge base, comprehensive abilities, innovative thinking, global vision, and a strong sense of social responsibility. By integrating theoretical research with industry-university-research collaboration, the department aims to cultivate high-quality, internationally oriented engineering and technical talents in the mechanical field who have solid foundational skills and a strong innovative mindset, thereby providing critical technological support for national economic construction and social development.

Faculty

The department currently has 43 faculty members, including 36 full-time teaching staff. Among them, there are 12 professors, 12 associate professors, 12 lecturers, and 7 laboratory instructors. Thirty-five faculty members hold a doctoral degree. A well-structured, competitive, distinctive, and dynamic academic team has gradually taken shape.

Research

Focusing on key industries in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and eastern Guangdong, the department has established four distinctive research directions: innovative design of mechanical systems and mechanical dynamics; digital and intelligent manufacturing; signal processing, diagnosis, and prediction for mechanical systems; and dynamic performance optimization and intelligent operation and maintenance of offshore wind power. These directions address the needs of industries such as light industrial equipment and electronics. The department has conducted pioneering research in mechanical innovation design and achieved a series of original research outcomes with international impact. Over the past five years, it has undertaken a total of 210 projects, including the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) projects, Guangdong Provincial Science and Technology Program projects, and industry-sponsored projects. Among these, more than 10 are national-level projects, with total approved funding exceeding 65.28 million RMB. The department has published 224 papers, including 167 SCI-indexed papers and more than 10 ESI Highly Cited Papers or papers ranked in the top 3%. It has filed 371 patent applications and been granted 208 patents. It has received over 10 awards, including three at the provincial or ministerial level or above. Furthermore, the discipline contributes to local economic development. A number of research outcomes have been applied and promoted in light industrial equipment manufacturing enterprises and wind energy equipment manufacturers, yielding significant economic and social benefits.

Platform Development

The main existing research platforms include: the Key Laboratory of Intelligent Manufacturing Technology (Ministry of Education), the Guangdong Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center for Machine Vision Intelligent Inspection Equipment, the Guangdong Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center for Robot Design, the Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Higher Education Institutions – Shantou University Intelligent Manufacturing Technology Laboratory, the Shantou Light Industrial Equipment Research Institute, and the University-Industry Collaboration Platform for Wind Turbine Control Systems. In addition, the discipline has established more than 10 stable industry practice bases in collaboration with several publicly listed companies, including VTech Group (Hong Kong), Luxottica Group (Italy), and O-film Tech (Shenzhen), providing rich practical platforms for graduate student training.