Harbin Institute of Technology was founded in 1920 and in 1954 was designated as one of six key national universities by the Ministry of Higher Education in China. In 1996, HIT was among the first group of universities to be included in Project 211, which targets 100 higher education institutions in China that will receive special support to enhance development and become competitive on the world stage. The core of the university is in science, engineering, and research, but inter-disciplinary curriculum and studies are also being developed.
As part of this development, the university sent an 18-member delegation to the University of Minnesota in September 2014 to attend a two-week series of seminars and workshops provided in collaboration by the U of M China Center and the Center for Teaching and Learning. Given the already well-developed international aspects of HIT and the overseas work and study experiences of the participants, the seminars were offered exclusively in English. Participants attended an intense regimen of courses designed to strengthen both their pedagogical skills as well as their understanding of course curriculum and design.
