Harbin University of Science and Technology, one of China’s “Seven Sons of National Defense,” is piloting a scheme allowing doctoral students to graduate with a product or operational design presentation instead of a thesis.

According to reports, China’s National Defense University is implementing a scheme that will allow doctoral students to earn a degree by presenting a product, design, or practical achievement instead of writing a thesis. This move comes amid technological competition with the United States to solve complex engineering problems.

Harbin University of Technology (HIT), known as one of the “Seven Sons of National Defense” for its significant role in military research in China, is trying to develop new approaches to training engineers. According to reports, the university has begun testing the elimination of the scientific paper requirement as a prerequisite for obtaining a degree.

In September, engineer and doctoral student Wei Lianfeng became the first person to pass an oral defense and receive a doctoral degree based on the practical results of his research.

His research focuses on the development of vacuum laser welding processes and the design of related equipment.

China has quietly launched a national pilot program to redesign engineering education starting in 2022.
The plan, supported by the Department of Education and eight other key institutions, targets strategic areas such as semiconductors and quantum computing, where theoretical knowledge alone is unable to break through US-led technological barriers.