Recently, the "Yangtze River Delta Higher Engineering Education Alliance Postgraduate Training Innovation Forum," guided by the Jiangsu Mechanical Engineering Society, organized by the Yangtze River Delta Higher Engineering Education Alliance, and hosted by the School of Mechanical Engineering at Jiangsu University, was successfully convened. The forum was held concurrently with the Jiangsu University Mechanical Engineering Discipline High-Quality Development Seminar. Attendees included Ren Xudong, Standing Committee Member of the Jiangsu University Party Committee and Vice President; Lu Jinzhong, Director of the Science and Technology Department; and Zhang Zhongqiang, Dean of the School of Mechanical Engineering. More than 50 experts and scholars gathered for the event, including deans from nearly 20 universities in the Yangtze River Delta region, such as Southeast University, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Nanjing University of Science and Technology, Soochow University, China University of Mining and Technology, Jiangnan University, Hohai University, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing Forestry University, Zhejiang University of Technology, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Hangzhou Dianzi University, Yangzhou University, Anhui University of Science and Technology, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, and Yancheng Institute of Technology, along with department and institute directors from Jiangsu University's School of Mechanical Engineering, to discuss major plans for innovation in higher engineering education and postgraduate training.

Centered on the theme "Co-construction and Sharing, Integration and Empowerment," the forum aimed to promote the breaking down of organizational barriers, the integration of high-quality resources, and the innovation of training models among universities in the Yangtze River Delta region, jointly cultivating high-level, interdisciplinary, and innovative talents capable of supporting national strategic needs and leading social progress. The forum featured multiple thematic reports covering key issues such as industry-education integration mechanisms, discipline system construction, and the enhancement of engineering innovation capabilities.

Ma Chenbo, Dean of the Graduate School at Nanjing Forestry University, delivered a presentation titled "Construction and Practice of a Professional Degree Postgraduate Training System for the Modern Forestry Industry," systematically sharing experiences in building a system aligned with the needs of forestry modernization. Chen Tao, Executive Vice Dean of the Future Science and Engineering College at Soochow University, in his report "Moving Forward with 'Innovation' and Achieving Long-term Goals with 'Quality' – Promoting Industry-Education Integrated Postgraduate Training," explained the quality-oriented integration pathways and implementation strategies. Ding Wenfeng, Vice Dean of the College of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering at Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, in his talk on "Cultivation and Practice of Top Postgraduates in Aerospace Advanced Manufacturing with Synergistic Engineering Capability and Academic Innovation," introduced innovative practices in establishing a collaborative education mechanism within high-precision manufacturing fields.

Sun Dongke, Vice Dean of the School of Mechanical Engineering at Southeast University, in his report "From 'Lone-Wolf Operations' to 'Collective Education': Explorations and Practices in Postgraduate Education and Management," delved into the systemic transformation of collaborative management and education mechanisms. Ye Yunxia, Vice Dean of the School of Mechanical Engineering at Jiangsu University, in her presentation "Practice of a 'Four Integrations and Four Sharings' Deep Industry-Education Integration Postgraduate Training Model in Local Universities for the Yangtze River Delta Manufacturing Industry," comprehensively demonstrated the systematic exploration and regional characteristics of local universities in deepening industry-education integration. Tan Dapeng, Executive Dean of the School of Mechanical Engineering at Zhejiang University of Technology, shared "Thoughts and Construction of Mechanical Engineering Degree Programs Guided by 'Two Bases'." Li Weidong, Dean of the School of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, introduced the overall situation and development plans for discipline construction and postgraduate training at his institution. The forum strengthened collaborative linkages among Yangtze River Delta universities in the field of engineering education, establishing a communication platform and solid intellectual support for promoting innovation in postgraduate training models, fostering interdisciplinary integration, and serving regional industrial transformation and upgrading.

During the subsequent Jiangsu University Mechanical Engineering Discipline High-Quality Development Seminar, presided over by Lu Jinzhong, Director of the Jiangsu University Science and Technology Department, Zhang Zhongqiang, Dean of the School of Mechanical Engineering, delivered a keynote report titled "Development and Reflections on the Mechanical Engineering Discipline at Jiangsu University." The report systematically outlined the current state of discipline construction, analyzed development opportunities and challenges, and proposed future strategic directions. Deans and invited experts from various universities engaged in in-depth discussions on key topics such as optimization of discipline layout, construction of high-level platforms, and innovation in talent recruitment and cultivation mechanisms. Representatives from peer institutions in the Yangtze River Delta region, drawing on their respective experiences in discipline construction, put forward a series of forward-looking and constructive suggestions regarding the layout of cutting-edge research directions, promoting interdisciplinary integration, and building industry-university-research-application collaborative innovation systems, providing important references for the scientific formulation of Jiangsu University's Mechanical Engineering Discipline "16th Five-Year Plan."