Southeast University
Southeast University (SEU), located in Nanjing of China, the ancient capital city of six dynasties, is a prestigious institution of higher education, renowned both at home and abroad. As one of the national key universities directly subordinate to the Ministry of Education of China and jointly established with Jiangsu Province, it is also listed as one of the universities involved in National “985 Project” “211 Project”. In 2017, SEU was ranked on the list of constructing “Class A first-rate world universities”.
SEU, as one of the time-honored institutions of higher education in China with profound cultural heritage, its origin can be traced back to 1902 when it was founded as Sanjiang Normal College, then known as Liangjiang Normal College, Nanjing Higher Normal School, State Southeast University and State Central University, etc. In 1952, national colleges and universities greatly adjusted their departments and disciplines by moving out the literature and science disciplines. Based on the College of Engineering of the original State Central University, relevant disciplines of Fudan University, Chiao Tung University, Zhejiang University and University of Nanking etc. were incorporated in succession to establish Nanjing Institute of Technology on the original site of State Central University. In May 1988, the university was renamed to Southeast University. In April 2000, a new Southeast University was established in combination with Nanjing Railway Medical College, Nanjing College of Communications and Nanjing Geological School. In the past 120-year school management, SEU, in the spirit of patriotism and concerning people all over the world, has been always making unyielding efforts in pursuit of prominence to achieve scientific progress and national rejuvenation. With time goes by, the school has gradually shaped its outstanding school spirit of “rigor, truthfulness, unity and diligence”, the school management philosophy of “being renowned for science and serving the country with talents”, and the school motto of “striving for perfection”.
SEU is a comprehensive research-oriented university featuring engineering discipline while covering many other disciplines including philosophy, economics, law, education, literature, science, medicine, management and art, etc. Among others, 11 disciplines have been listed as national “double first-class” construction disciplines and 5 disciplines obtain A+ in the fourth round of disciplinary assessment, both ranked at No. 8 at the national level; 12 disciplines are ranked among top 1% of ESI internationally, in which, the engineering discipline is listed at No. 20 with computer science at No. 16. Both disciplines are ranked among top 1‰ of ESI internationally. Meanwhile, the university has 3 national key laboratories, 4 national engineering research centers, 2 national engineering technology research centers, 1 national professional laboratory, 11 key laboratories of the Ministry of Education, 7 engineering research centers of the Ministry of Education, 33 postdoctoral research centers, 1 national-level think tank of liberal arts and 2 key high-end think tanks of Jiangsu Province.
UK-China Intelligent Mobility Research Centre (UCIMRC)
The UK-China Intelligent Mobility Research Centre (UCIMRC) of Southeast University, established in 2025, serves as a high-level platform and international window for academic exchange and scientific collaboration between China and the United Kingdom (Europe) in the field of intelligent mobility. Oriented toward national strategic demands, the center focuses on frontier areas of shared interest between China and the UK, promotes joint research on key scientific and technological challenges, and builds international exchange and training channels for young scholars and interdisciplinary talents.
Through inviting distinguished scholars from the UK and Europe to China for academic lectures and collaborative research, as well as supporting outstanding young scholars and PhD students to pursue study and research exchanges at top UK universities, the center is committed to cultivating high-level, interdisciplinary talents with global vision, innovation capability, and cross-disciplinary backgrounds, thereby nurturing future leaders in intelligent mobility for China. There are three key features and strengths of the center:
1. International High-Level Collaboration Platform
The center has established close and sustained partnerships with world-leading universities, including Imperial College London, the University of Cambridge, and the University of Oxford. It has formed interdisciplinary and internationally integrated research teams, offering extensive opportunities for overseas exchange, joint training, and collaborative innovation.
2. Focus on Core Research Directions in Intelligent Mobility
Addressing major national demands in intelligent mobility, the center conducts cutting-edge interdisciplinary research and technological innovation in three key areas: cooperative vehicle–infrastructure systems and unmanned systems, intelligent operation and maintenance of infrastructure, and brain-inspired navigation and intelligent perception, promoting coordinated development of fundamental research and engineering applications.
3. Industry–Academia–Research Integration and Technology Transfer Orientation
Leveraging Southeast University’s strong disciplinary strengths and the innovation ecosystem of the Yangtze River Delta, the center advances the engineering implementation and industrial application of key technologies in satellite navigation and positioning, intelligent transportation, and infrastructure monitoring. It aims to facilitate technology transfer and international dissemination, with significant application potential and industrial driving capacity.
Through high-level international exchange and collaboration, the center actively attracts world-class talent and advanced research concepts, accelerates the development of key disciplines and technological innovation, and continuously enhances China’s international influence and technological competitiveness in the field of intelligent mobility.
School of Instrument Science and Engineering, Southeast University
The discipline “Instrument Science and Technology” associated with the School of Instrument Science and Engineering of Southeast University was established in 1960, and is one of the long-standing and top-ranked disciplines in Southeast University. The school has offered doctor/master programs since 1961. In 1981 and 1984, it was approved by the Academic Degrees Committee of the State Council to establish two master’s degree granting rights: “Precision Instrument and Machinery” and “Testing Measurement Technology and Instrument”. In 1990, it was approved to set up the doctoral degree in “Precision Instrument and Machinery”. In May 1992, in order to meet the needs of the development of the discipline, the department of Instrument Science and Engineering was established from the department of Automatic Control, and the School of Instrument Science and Engineering was established in September 2006.
The academic level, scientific research achievements and personal training of this discipline are at the forefront of similar disciplines in China. In the 2016 “Instrument Science and Technology” first-class discipline evaluation organized by the Ministry of Education, the discipline of “Instrument Science and Technology” of the School was selected into the “A-” discipline, ranking the fourth in China. In December 2015, the “Instrument Science and Technology” discipline of the School was rated as excellent out of 153 participating disciplines in Jiangsu Province (the total acceptance of 9 disciplines in the province was “excellent”).
Chinese Academy of Surveying & Mapping
The Chinese Academy of Surveying and Mapping (short for CASM), founded in 1959, is a well-known multidisciplinary research institution in China specializing in spatiotemporal information. CASM has the ISO quality assurance system certification and has achieved a number of major scientific and technological achievements, while leading transformative advancements in spatiotemporal information technology.
The Academy’s research fields cover geodesy and navigation, photogrammetry and remote sensing, geographic information system and cartography, geospatial big data, natural resources survey and monitoring, etc. CASM has established the Institute of Geodesy and Geodynamics, the Institute of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing, the Institute of Cartography and Geographic Information System, the Research Center for Geospatial Big Data Application and the Research Center for Natural Resources Survey and Monitoring and other research institutions. It has invested in five scientific and technological enterprises and the International Joint Research Center for Surveying and Mapping Geographic Information. CASM represents a mature scientific and technological innovation system, consisting of non-profit research institutes, high-tech enterprises and collaborative innovation platforms.