The University of Michigan-Shanghai Jiao Tong University Joint Institute (UM-SJTU JI, “JI” hereafter) was founded in 2006, following a strategic partnership between the University of Michigan in the United States and Shanghai Jiao Tong University in China. For over a decade, these two elite universities have sustained JI’s growth as a world-class educational and research institute in China dedicated to developing future innovators with a global vision.
JI students and faculty uphold the four principles of Internationalization, Interdisciplinarity, Innovation, and Quality (I3Q). This distinctive model of engineering education has earned JI prestigious awards, including the “Model of Chinese Higher Education Reform” from the Chinese State Council and the “Andrew Heiskell Award for Innovation in Higher Education” from the Institute for International Education.
At present, JI offers three majors to undergraduate students and eight research disciplines to graduate students. Two of its undergraduate majors, Mechanical Engineering and Electrical & Computer Engineering, have achieved ABET accreditation. The dual-Bachelor’s-degree program with the University of Michigan allows students to earn two Bachelor’s degrees in two different majors within four years. JI has also partnered with 27 top universities and institutes worldwide to offer students a variety of Global Degree Pathways (GDP) programs and international exchange opportunities, to encourage them to diversify their learning experience in preparation for an increasingly complex world.
All the courses at JI are taught in English by internationally recruited faculty from leading universities. Besides fostering engineering students’ intellectual curiosity and creativity, JI also serves to train them to be critical thinkers, strong communicators, and effective leaders in their fields. Stories of personal resilience and success from JI alumni continue to inspire current students who face greater challenges now than ever before in adapting to evolving technologies and the demands of the marketplace.