Imagine a time before smartphones. It was before the internet dominated our lives. The Shanghai Jiao Tong University’s Department of Electronic Engineering was already shaping the future.
Today we stand before the Department of Electronic Engineering. It is a key part of Shanghai Jiao Tong University. The department’s story stretches back to 1908. It began as the postal ministry’s Shanghai Higher Industrial School. It was initially the Department of Electrical Machinery.
In 1913, it was renamed the Department of Electrical and Mechanical Engineering. By 1921, the school was named Jiaotong University. The Department of Electrical and Mechanical Engineering became the Department of Electrical Machinery. Three divisions were consolidated into two.
In 1928, Jiaotong University became part of the Railway Ministry. The Department of Electrical Machinery became the School of Electrical Engineering. It had two divisions. In 1937, the university fell under the Education Ministry. It had schools of science and engineering. Electrical Engineering was a department within the School of Engineering. It contained two divisions.
The Department of Telecommunications Management was established in 1945. There were also specialist Telecommunications Engineering and Management courses. In 1950, Telecommunications Management was moved into Electrical Engineering. The Department of Telecommunications Engineering was created in 1951.
In 1952, a major reshuffle occurred. Electrical departments from other universities joined Jiaotong University. These included Datong, Aurora, and Zhen旦. Also included were St. John’s University, Daxia University and Shanghai Industrial School. Three departments were formed. These were Electrical Engineering, Telecommunications Engineering, and Electrical Equipment Manufacturing.
Jiaotong University began relocating west in 1957. In 1958, the Shanghai part of the university merged. Electrical Engineering and Electrical Equipment Manufacturing combined. They became the Department of Electrical Engineering. The wireless engineering program was rebuilt.
The Department of Automatic Control was established in 1962. The Department of Precision Instruments followed in 1975. In 1978, the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science was founded. Wireless Engineering became Electronic Engineering in 1981.
The School of Electronic and Electrical Engineering was founded in 1985. It had four departments. These were Electrical Engineering, Electronic Engineering, Automatic Control, and Computer Science. Shanghai Jiao Tong University partnered with the Ministry of Water Resources and Electricity in 1987. This led to the creation of the School of Electrical Power. It had four departments.
In 1997, the Department of Precision Instruments merged into the School of Electronic Information. The School of Electrical Power and the School of Electronic Information merged in 2001. This formed the School of Electronic Information and Electrical Engineering. It has five departments.
The School of Electronic Information and Electrical Engineering is one of Shanghai Jiao Tong University’s largest schools. It is also one of China’s largest of its kind. Its undergraduate programs include Information Engineering and Automation. Further programs are Measurement, Control Technology and Instruments. Also included are Electronic Science and Technology and Computer Science. Finally, Electrical Engineering and Automation are part of the school.
The school’s research covers computers and automation. It includes communication and networks. It spans microelectronics and integrated circuits. The undergraduate teaching has achieved much. This includes national teaching achievement awards and national courses.
The school has first-class academic disciplines. It offers doctoral degrees. These cover Electrical Engineering and Software Engineering. They include Information and Communication Engineering. They also include Control Science and Engineering. It collaborates with universities worldwide. These are in the USA, Japan, France, Germany and Switzerland.
Here, within the walls of the Department of Electronic Engineering, innovation continues. Students and faculty shape the future. They contribute to Shanghai’s and the world’s technological advancements.