On March 15, 2023, the inaugural meeting of the Universities Alliance for Master of Engineering Management in Professional Degree (MEM) of Jiangsu Province was held in the School of Management and Engineering at Nanjing University. Fifty-five representatives from 15 universities with MEM authorization points in Jiangsu Province, including Nanjing University, Southeast University, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Nanjing University of Technology, Hohai University, China University of Mining and Technology and Nanjing Agricultural University, as well as experts from universities outside the province, such as Tsinghua University, Shanghai Jiao Tong University and Tianjin University, attended the conference.

 The establishment of the alliance was guided by the Office of the Academic Degrees Committee of Jiangsu Province and approved by the Steering Committee of Graduate Management Education of Jiangsu Province. The inaugural meeting was hosted by Professor Zhang Liang, Vice Dean of Graduate School at Nanjing University. Prof. Zhang Wei, Secretary General of the Third National Steering Committee on MEM Education and Director of the Engineering Management Education Center of Tsinghua University, Prof. Liu Jiangtao, Deputy Director of the Postgraduate Work Department of Jiangsu Provincial Education Department, Prof. Zhong Weijun, Chairman of the Steering Committee on Management Postgraduate Education of Jiangsu Province and Director of the School of Economics and Management of Southeast University, Prof. Zhou Jilin, Member of the Standing Committee of the Party Committee and Executive Vice Dean of Graduate School at Nanjing University, and Prof. Yu Honghai, Dean of School of Management and Engineering at Nanjing University, delivered speeches to congratulate the establishment of the alliance. The conference adopted the “Constitution of Jiangsu MEM Universities Alliance” and elected the chairman, vice-chairman, secretary-general and council members. Prof. Yu Honghai, Dean of School of Management and Engineering at Nanjing University, was elected as the chairman of the Alliance.

 During the theme report session, Prof. Li Qiming, member of the 2nd MEM Education Committee, Southeast University, Prof. Wang Xueqing, member of the 3rd MEM Education Committee, Tianjin University, Prof. Jiang Zuhua, member of the 2nd MEM Education Committee, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Prof. Ni Guodong, China University of Mining and Technology, gave special reports on intelligent construction and MEM education, case study dissertation writing in engineering management, the quality of MEM dissertation, and the practice and thinking of MEM education. Attendees discussed how to fully utilize the Jiangsu Province MEM Alliance platform.

All the attending representatives agree that the Jiangsu Province MEM University Alliance is a significant event in the development of MEM education in Jiangsu. The alliance aims to leverage the unique features and advantages of each school through the co-construction, co-management, and co-governance approach, sharing resources, collaborating on innovation, and achieving a demonstration of education model. Its establishment will provide an important regional platform for Jiangsu universities to jointly build academic highlands, carry out talent training together, collaborate on scientific research, jointly provide social services, and build and share public resources. This will help improve the quality of MEM talent training in the province and provide a Jiangsu model for the development of MEM education in China.