Ford Motor Company today announced the formation of strategic academic alliances with two of China's most prestigious universities – Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics (NUAA) and Shanghai Jiaotong University (SJTU) – to increase efforts on the research and development of automotive technologies and sustainable mobility.
The alliances mark the first time that Ford has established formal academic partnerships with universities in mainland China.
Both universities also announced the establishment of a "Ford Motor Company Professor's Chair" to help facilitate and promote the automotive technology research programs and academic curricula.
Dr. Gerhard Schmidt, vice president of Research & Advanced Engineering at Ford Motor Company, said: "NUAA and SJTU are widely renowned for their leading scientific research programs and academic reputations. The alliances with Ford will allow for high-level collaboration that will enhance mutual scientific and educational capacities, and leverage each other's strengths and resources in the co-development of automotive technologies."
NUAA partnership
NUAA has strong capabilities in the fields of aluminum sheet forming and diesel engine performance enhancement, which are instrumental in reducing vehicle weight and improving fuel efficiency. Ford intends to work with NUAA on furthering these programs, as well as helping develop technologies and identify solutions that promote environmental conservation.
The partnership with NUAA also represents strategic geographical significance for Ford, as Nanjing is the site of its joint-venture operations, Changan Ford Mazda. Changan Ford Mazda Automobile Nanjing plant, Changan Ford Mazda Engine Co. and Ford Motor Research and Engineering (Nanjing) Co. will all benefit from the locally-based programs at NUAA, and the hundreds of researchers and engineers who are expected to actively participate in them before graduating.
Ford been successfully increasing the number of NUAA graduates it recruits and employs, with the number tripling from 2005 to 2007. The new alliance will make the transition for many of the student engineers and researchers to employment with Ford a natural progression.
SJTU partnership
Ford has been working with SJTU since 1993, when the Ford China Research and Development Fund was established. Ford and SJTU launched the "C3P" lab in 1996, which has since made substantial technological contributions in the areas of advanced materials and manufacturing processes.
In 2006, SJTU became the second university outside the US to receive two University Research Program sponsorships from Ford Motor Company. Technical knowledge exchange, education and training are closely tied to collaborative projects between the two, and to date more than ten researchers from Ford have been appointed as guest professors by SJTU.
"Strategic partnerships between academic institutions and the private sector provide a vital bridge that links technological research and application and market realities," explained Dr. Schmidt. "Entering into strategic alliances with top Chinese universities will help facilitate technological innovation, as well as elevate Ford's leadership and overall contribution to China's growing auto industry."-Ford
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