The Applied Electrical and Electronic Engineering: Construction Project module, offered by the University of Nottingham Ningbo China (UNNC), has been recognised by the Ministry of Education of the People’s Republic of China as part of the third batch of National First-Class Undergraduate Modules.
Back in 2019, the module was awarded the status of Provincial First-Class Undergraduate Module in Zhejiang Province. To date, UNNC has achieved six National First-Class Undergraduate Modules and 56 Provincial First-Class Undergraduate Modules, spanning three faculties and multiple disciplines.
Launched in 2017, Applied Electrical and Electronic Engineering: Construction Project is a compulsory module for Qualifying Year students in the Electrical and Electronic Engineering (EEE) programme. It adopts a project-based learning approach, equipping students with essential skills in practical problem solving, teamwork, data analysis, and project management. This module also introduces cutting-edge EEE technologies, including control and communication protocols, human-machine interface, autonomous driving, and target recognition.
To further enhance student’ practical and innovative abilities, the module features the Autonomous-driving Vehicle Project. Students start with fundamental car assembly and driving before progressing to communication hardware programming, signal processing, image recognition, and voice control. Ultimately, their vehicles must demostrate autonomous driving on designated tracks with traffic signage, completing tasks such as line-following, speed adjustment, turning, and ball-kicking, while ensuring smooth transitions between functions.
In addition to its strong emphasis on innovation and practical application, the module also encourages interdisciplinary collaboration. Over the past four years, it has partnered with the Product Design and Manufacture programme on a Smart Robot Project, providing students with end-to-end experience in project development. This collaboration has not only deepened their understanding of engineering–design integration but also significantly enhanced their teamwork skills.
In recent years, many members of the EEE Department have contributed to the teaching of this module, including Professor Chiew Foong Kwong, Head of the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Dr Jing Wang, Dr Chunyang Gu, Dr Yury Mikhalov, and Dr Sherif Welsen.
They come from countries such as China, Egypt, Malaysia and Russia, contributing expertise from sensors to digital circuit design, which provides multiple perspectives and greatly enriches students’ academic experience.
Dr Jing Wang, the module convenor, has been leading the module for eight consecutive years. She remarked: “This is a highly practice-orientated and innovative module. Students not only acquire essential technical skills but also develop academic and soft skills through hands-on projects. By integrating emerging industry technologies into the classroom, we enable them to apply knowledge in real-world contexts and gradually develop the key attributes of modern engineers.”
Published on 23 September 2025