Dear HUSTers,

Have you ever walked past the building at the eastern edge of the main campus and wondered what goes on inside? You might see students emerging with excitement, holding laser-engraved keychains, personalized zodiac crafts, or custom souvenirs — all made by their own hands.

That building is one of HUST's best-kept treasures - Center for Practice Innovations(CPI), which might be the most hands-on, creative "classroom" on campus.

Just How Big Is This Place?

Spanning an impressive 18,000 square meters with over 4,500 sets of advanced equipment, CPI is the university's largest public platform for engineering practice, innovation education, and entrepreneurship training. It's open to all students across every discipline.

Inside, you'll find:

• 17 hands-on training workshops - covering the full spectrum from traditional machining to intelligent manufacturing

• 2 virtual simulation platforms - immersive operations with VR headsets

• 2 innovation practice zones- where your sketches become real products

• 1 engineering cognition area- a perfect starting point for absolute beginners

"3+6+1" — What Does That Mean?

At the heart of CPI lies a powerful system that drives everything you'll experience here:

• 3 Nationals - all equipment, CNC systems, and industrial software are developed domestically in China

• 6 Transformations - automation of equipment, digitization of processes, flexibility of production, visualization of procedures, integration of information, and autonomy in decision-making

• 1 Core - a Big Data cloud platform that serves as the brain of the entire center

Hands-On Experiences You Won't Forget

• Create Your Own Custom Craft on a Smart Production Line

Walk into the smart manufacturing zone, and you'll find a fully intelligent production line. Type in a personalized signature or choose a zodiac animal, and the entire line swings into action — machining, cleaning, inspecting, and laser-marking - to produce a one-of-a-kind souvenir. Imagine bringing home a self-designed gift for family or friends. Now that's a memory worth keeping.

• Role-Play in a Simulated "Industrial Chain"

Here, you can team up with classmates, choose roles - tool manager, drilling operator, quality inspector, workshop supervisor, and collaborate through computer systems to "cloud-manufacture" a product together. One student described it as "managing a futuristic factory".

• Assemble Machinery in Virtual Reality

In the VR assembly area, put on a headset and dive into an immersive virtual environment. The experience is so realistic.

• Laser-Engrave Your Own Design

Head to the laser processing workshop, upload your favorite image - a landmark from your home country, a personal design, the HUST emblem, and let the laser do the magic. Handmade souvenirs, crafted by you, right on campus.

What HUSTers Say?

> "The courses here are engaging and well-structured. The equipment is excellent. I not only experienced the entire intelligent manufacturing workflow but also gained a lot of relevant knowledge."

---- ZENG H., School of Artificial Intelligence and Automation

> "It's vivid and fun. You get to try out a variety of advanced engineering technologies. The immersion is fantastic. Highly recommended!"*

---- WANG L, College of Life Science and Technology

> "I learned how to disassemble and assemble robots here. It was a bit challenging, but so interesting. While working hands-on, I kept thinking and gradually mastered the skills of operating a robot. Truly a joyful experience."*

---- Sun Y., School of Management

Industry Connections: Learn from World-Class Enterprises

One of CPI's greatest strengths is its deep collaboration with industry giants. So far, the center has built partnerships with nearly 31 nationally significant enterprises and industry leaders, including DFM (Dongfeng Motor), Haier Group, Huawei Technologies, and Dongfang Electric.

For international students, this is an invaluable opportunity to understand the pulse of "Intelligent Manufacturing in China" and to build experiences that will shine on your future résumé, whether you plan to work in China or anywhere else in the world.

More Than a Workshop — A Global Community

There's a motto often heard at HUST: "Stand tall, reach far, pursue excellence." Here at CPI, it comes alive in a tangible form — putting the most advanced technology into every student's hands, so that innovation knows no borders and creativity never stops at imagination.

Come create. Come innovate. Your story starts here.

Source

ihuster

Center for Practice Innovations of HUST