School of Instrument Science and Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology The School of Instrument Science and Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology (hereinafter referred to as HIT School of Instrument Science and Engineering), evolved from the discipline of Precision Instruments at HIT. As the first discipline of precision instruments in China, HIT’s Precision Instruments discipline traces its origins back to the university’s early days in 1920, when a Measurement Laboratory was established. In 1949, the Measurement major was set up, which later shifted its focus to the design and manufacturing of measuring instruments. In 1952, laboratories for measuring instruments, precision instruments, and electrical metrology were expanded; in 1956, further expansions were made to include laboratories for instrument manufacturing technology, thermal instruments, instrument components, precision mechanical instruments, and electrical instruments. Also in 1956, the first cohort of undergraduates majoring in Precision Mechanical Instruments graduated. The same year saw the establishment of the Department of Instrument Manufacturing, which initially comprised five majors: Precision Mechanical Instruments, Instrument Manufacturing Technology, Mathematical and Computing Instruments, Automatic Control Instruments and Devices, and Optical Instruments. Later, the major of Laser Technology was added; the major of Mathematical and Computing Instruments was renamed Timekeeping Instruments; the major of Automatic Control Instruments and Devices was renamed Automatic Detection Technology and Instruments. Additionally, two basic teaching and research sections were set up—Instrument Components and Tolerances (Fundamentals of Interchangeability and Measurement Technology)—bringing the total to six majors and two basic teaching and research sections. It was the first department in China’s university system dedicated to instrument disciplines, pioneering the systematic cultivation of high-end talents in precision instruments. Meanwhile, the Precision Instruments discipline served as a model program for learning from the former Soviet Union. With the assistance of Soviet experts, HIT launched China’s first graduate program in precision instruments, nurturing the country’s first generation of academic leaders and technical pioneers in this field.

To accelerate the development of China’s instrument science and technology as well as the instrument industry, and to support the construction of a country strong in advanced instruments, Harbin Institute of Technology officially founded the School of Instrument Science and Engineering on October 8, 2018. HIT’s discipline of Instrument Science and Technology (hereinafter referred to as the Instrument Discipline) is among the first batch of national first-level disciplines authorized to confer doctoral degrees, the first batch of postdoctoral research stations, and the first batch of national key first-level disciplines with doctoral degree authorization. At present, the HIT School of Instrument Science and Engineering offers three undergraduate programs: Precision Instruments, Measurement and Control Technology and Instruments, and Intelligent Sensing Engineering. It hosts a number of high-level scientific research platforms, including the Key Laboratory of Ultra-precision Instruments and Intelligence of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the National Metrology and Testing Center for the Lithography Machine Industry, and the National Defense Industry Research and Application Center for Ultra-precision Machining Technology. The school also serves as the host institution for the Metrological Instruments Professional Committee of the Chinese Society for Measurement and the Microscope Instrument Branch of the Chinese Instrument and Control Society. After over a century of development, HIT’s Instrument Discipline has achieved remarkable elevation in its comprehensive strength and academic standing. It has made continuous innovations and breakthroughs in the field of high-end and sophisticated instrument technologies, accumulated a vast array of core technologies, and yielded a great number of major innovative achievements at the international advanced level. These accomplishments have strongly supported the development of China’s aerospace and national defense weaponry and equipment, while also driving the progress of domestic high-end precision instruments and advanced equipment. The discipline has cultivated a large pool of innovative leaders and professional technical backbones, who play a pivotal role in the aerospace, national defense, and high-end equipment manufacturing sectors. It has also established a significant international influence in the global arena of measurement and instrumentation. In successive national evaluations of first-level disciplines, HIT’s Instrument Discipline has consistently ranked among the top tier. Moreover, it has maintained the world’s No.1 position for nine consecutive years in the Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU) Subject Rankings.