National Center of

National Center of

Technology, Policy and Management (TPM)

at Harbin Institute of Technology, China

National Center of Technology, Policy and Management

Introduction

Societal issues are becoming more and more complex, containing as they do a combination of technological, organizational and societal components. Examples of these can be found everywhere: road congestion, quality of electronic services, governance innovation, sustainability of industrial processes and the country’s spatial development. Issues of this kind involve various parties, often with conflicting interests and ideas. A purely technological approach to such problems, therefore, does not usually produce the desired results.

The National Center of Technology, Policy and Management (TPM) provides fresh perspectives on how to resolve such issues using a combination of technology and management. The TPM center was created in 2005 by integrating the research portfolio from Engineering, Management, Policy, Economics, and Human Sciences faculties of Harbin Institute of Technology (HIT). HIT is the initial university that develops the research of TPM. National Center of Technology, Policy and Management (TPM) establishes the open international top academic creative research platform and domestic leading position of TPM research, supporting by HIT. All of our educational and research programs are based on a multidisciplinary approach.

Beautiful campus of HIT

The TPM research is the cross-academic frontal realm of the new synthesized multi-subjects in present international academia, and it has further impact on the development of China’s economy and the enhancement of international competitive ability. TPM research is doing so by analyzing the structure and operation of technical multi-actor systems and by developing intervention strategies, practices and instruments for designing and improving systems of this kind. As cross-subjects of science and technology, management, and sociology, TPM mainly researches the impact and effect of the engineering technology system on the social system and the reverse. Through researching the mutual effects between engineering system and social system, we can have a new view to explore the impact of the two fields on the development of technology basis framework and social basis structure.

The Science Park of HIT

The typical research domains of TPM Center are,

§ TPM basis theory and methodology;

§ Design and management of the infrastructure;

§ Urban and regional development and innovative system;

§ Design and management of risk;

§ Service system engineering;

§ Technical industrial development.

TPM Center is initiating an experiment centre containing three laboratories,

§ Survey and Policy Analysis,

§ Behavioral Simulation and Gaming,

§ Group Supportive System and Collaboration Engineering.

Decision Theater

Nowadays, TPM Center has been developing collaboration with International TPM Consortium and other renowned universities of Asia, North America, and Europe. It also provides International Double Degree Master Program on Engineering and Policy Analysis, developing international communication and collaboration program, holding international TPM forum, and enhancing the domestic and overseas academic influence of TPM Center. At the same time, TPM Center establishes scientific research teams to provide policy consultancies and decision support for central and local government. Now, TPM Center is devoting to establish an open international top academic innovative research platform, train excellent talents, follow and develop TPM approaches, and make efforts on establishing Harbin Institute of Technology as a world famous and high research level university.

HIT-TU Delft Double Degree Master Program on Engineering & Policy Analysis (EPA)

HIT-TU Delft Double Degree Master Program on Engineering and Policy Analysis was signed on June 12th 2006. The cooperation between the two world-renowned universities, Harbin Institute of Technology and Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands, is a response to the human resource gap in an exceptionally demanding engineering consultant education of internationally competitive high quality talent. The EPA double degree program between TU-Delft and HIT will not only speed up the further development of TPM research and education activities, but also build a bridge for the East and the West to understand each other better.

Prof. Qi Zhongying and Prof. Hugo Priemus represent the two sides to sign the agreement

Engineering and Policy Analysis is an international double degree program for Chinese, Dutch, and other overseas students with a background in a technology field. The ultimate objective of this specialization is to improve the quality of decision making, policy and management. The program focuses on policy processes regarding large-scale technical systems for transport, telecommunication, industrial production, energy, and water management. EPA graduates possess knowledge of essential facts,

Study at TU Delft

concepts, principles and theories relevant to large-scale systems analysis and management, economics, and policy and decision-making. The four main themes in the specialization Engineering and Policy Analysis (EPA) are Policy Analysis, Economics, Systems Modeling, and Management. Students will gain interdisciplinary knowledge and understanding of these themes, as well as developing their intellectual abilities and practical skills. In the double degree master’s program EPA students will be trained to become policy analysts, policy makers or policy implementers for a range of technology sectors.

Study at HIT

As an international double degree master program, it admits both graduates who holds a valid BSc degree in a technological mono-discipline from HIT, TUDelft or other renowned universities. To ensure that Delft and Harbin students can finish the Double Degree Program successfully, this program was designed into two connected tracks, a two years program for Delft students, and a three years program for Harbin students with a preparatory year. In this preparatory year, Chinese students follow regular compulsory master courses of HIT and strength their English to meet TUDelft admission lever. The year after, they will go to Delft and follow Delft courses alongside the Delft students. During the first semester of the second EPA year, both Harbin and Delft students will follow courses at HIT. After accomplishing and passing all required courses, students can choose to finish their thesis at either HIT or TU-Delft under a joint supervision scheme. Either way, they will end up with degrees from both Delft and HIT.