From 15 to 16 April, an expert panel from the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining (IOM3) conducted a two-day on-site visit to the Queen Mary University of London Engineering School (QMES), NPU, for engineering education accreditation. This visit marked QMES’s first comprehensive in-person review since it initially received IOM3 accreditation in 2021. The review was intended to promote development through evaluation, further aligning the quality of talent cultivation with international cutting-edge standards.
The IOM3 accreditation panel comprised Darron Dixon, Deputy Head of the School of Chemical and Process Engineering and Senior Lecturer at the University of Leeds; Shoaib Zia, Senior Mining Engineer; and Yong Sun, Associate Professor at the University of Nottingham Ningbo China. QMES’s entire leadership team, including Dean Fan Xiaoli and Executive Vice Dean Maria Romero-Gonzalez, together with relevant staff, participated throughout the visit.
Systematic Reporting and Comprehensive Presentation of Educational Achievements
On the first day of the visit, Fan Xiaoli delivered a welcome address and expressed gratitude to the panel for their attendance. Maria Romero-Gonzalez provided an overview of QMES, covering its educational philosophy, teaching system, quality assurance mechanisms, and student development. Subsequently, the panel held discussions with programme leads and directors of academic departments, focusing in particular on the implementation details of the UK Engineering Council’s AHEP4 (The Accreditation of Higher Education Programmes, Version 4) standard. The panel also visited the Peking Opera cultural class, teaching laboratories, and student achievement exhibition areas, gaining first-hand insight into QMES’s educational environment and cultural atmosphere.
In-depth Visit Focusing on Industry-Education Integration and Student Learning Experience
On 16 April, the panel conducted on-site visits to teaching facilities, laboratories, student projects, and industry collaboration activities across the Chang’an and Youyi campuses. At the Youyi Campus, the panel held a meeting with representatives of QMES’s Industry Advisory Board (IAB) and viewed videos produced by staff and students showcasing industrial placements and practical training, gaining a detailed understanding of QMES’s progress in industry-education integration. At midday, the panel met with student representatives from different year groups and joined them for lunch. The students actively shared their experiences and reflections on coursework, research projects, and international competitions. Their strong academic competence and global outlook were highly commended by the panel.
Driving Development through Evaluation: A New Chapter of High-Quality Development
Following the intensive and in-depth review, the IOM3 expert panel expressed full appreciation for QMES’s rigorous teaching management, high-quality educational outcomes, and the positive ethos demonstrated by staff and students. The panel also provided valuable recommendations for QMES’s future development. QMES’s leadership expressed their gratitude to the panel for the visit and stated that they would carefully consider the feedback received. They further committed to continuously optimising the talent development system and transforming the accreditation process into a sustained driving force for the internationalisation and high-quality development of QMES’s engineering education.
The successful completion of this accreditation process marks a significant step forward for QMES in terms of internationalisation and quality assurance. QMES will continue to align itself with global cutting-edge developments, deepen educational reforms, and strive tirelessly to cultivate more engineering talents with global competitiveness.
Text: Li Yangyang
Photo: Xu Caizhe
Translator: Fang Jie
Reviewer: Wang Yongxin
