Coppe and Harbin Engineering University discuss strategic academic partnership
Planeta COPPE / Electrical Engineering / Institutional News / Mechanical Engineering / Metallurgical and Materials Engineering / Ocean Engineering / News
Date: 29/05/2026
This week, Coppe and UFRJ’s Polytechnic School welcomed , esta semana, representatives from Harbin Engineering University (HEU), one of China’s leading universities and a global reference in the fields of naval engineering, ocean equipment, nuclear energy and maritime information technology. The visit marked an important step forward in discussions for building a long-term strategic academic partnership between the institutions.
The main goal of the meeting was to discuss the creation of a Joint Institute bringing together academic programs and departments from Coppe, Poli and HEU, with activities in undergraduate, graduate and research programs. In Coppe’s case, the initiative would involve the Ocean Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Metallurgical and Materials Engineering and Electrical Engineering programs.
The Chinese delegation was led by Professor Chi Miao, director of the Joint Institute HEU-University of Southampton, and included Professors Ni Baoyu, director of the College of Shipbuilding Engineering; Cai Chengtao, director of the College of Intelligent Systems Science and Engineering; and Professor Shi Dongyan, Head of the Department of Mechanical Design and Automation at the College of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering.
During the meeting, Professor Chi Miao highlighted the growing demand from Chinese students for academic partnerships in BRICS countries. “Previously, Chinese students tended to go to the US, Australia, and the UK. Currently, there is a movement towards other countries, such as the BRICS,” she explained.
The professor also emphasized the international recognition of UFRJ and the excellence of its Engineering courses, as well as the strong proximity between Coppe’s and HEU’s academic models, especially in graduate studies.
For Coppe’s academic director, professor Jean-David Caprace, the initiative represents an opportunity to consolidate a structuring cooperation between the institutions. “It is not a short-term agreement, but a strategic partnership in teaching and research, involving excellent students and professors and generating mutual benefits,” he stated.
Coppe’s director, Professor Suzana Kahn, highlighted the role of international collaborations in the search for solutions to global challenges. “Solving complex and common challenges requires interdisciplinary and multi-institutional teams. This is the path the world should follow,” she stated.
During the visit, the renewal of Coppe’s participation in the International Innovation & Cooperation of Naval Architecture & Marine Engineering Association (Icname) was also agreed upon. This international network brings together leading institutions such as the Dalian University of Technology (China), the University of Strathclyde (United Kingdom), the State Marine Technical University of St. Petersburg (Russia), Bureau Veritas (France), Ecole Centrale Nantes (France) and the China Classification Society.
