American-based UGS is providing US$1.1 billion in software grants to 87 universities in China. UGS says this is the largest set of grants announced at one time in corporate history.
As a result of these grants, 45,000 undergraduate and graduate college and university students yearly in China will now have direct access to UGS' world-class PLM software. The software helps students and faculty conceive, design, engineer and validate projects using the same tools that today's leading global manufacturers employ.
"We are delighted to work with companies like UGS that share our vision of training the next generation of Chinese engineering talents in order to meet the needs of the development of economic globalization, and leverage our opportunity to build and market globally competitive products," said Shi Pengjian, deputy director, Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Education. "Ultimately, both the Chinese and global economies benefit from products that better meet customer demands and are brought to market quicker and at the best possible price. In order to maintain rapid economic growth of China, China is transforming its way of economic growth according to scientific theories on development. That is to establish a kind of new way of economic development, which is generated by innovation. New economic growth will tighten links between China and the rest of the world, and will be a significant force for improving international cooperation and relations."
The UGS grants announced today include those made of UGS PLM software to seven leading Chinese universities: Guangdong University of Technology; Guangxi University of Technology; Inner Mongolia University of Technology; Nanjing Institute of Technology; Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics; South China University of Technology; and Southeast University of Technology. In addition, they include a grant of UGS PLM software to Huazhong University of Science and Technology, a leading Chinese vocational university that the Ministry of Education has chosen to administer the supply of UGS software to 80 junior colleges throughout the country.
Over the past 10 years, UGS has now made in-kind grants of its software to approximately 450 academic institutions in China with an in-kind commercial value totaling US$4.4 billion. Those institutions include YanCheng Institute of Technology, which last year opened the first UGS College at the institute to address the growing demand for experienced technologists in the Chinese automotive market by integrating UGS software into its curriculum for all undergraduate mechanics students. The first freshman classmates of UGS College are scheduled to complete the first year of their PLM curriculum this month using NX software, and some of these students have already completed the NX Certification Exam required for graduation.
"These grants highlight UGS' firm commitment to the future economic growth of China and the ability of Chinese companies to participate in and contribute to the global innovation networks operated by the world's leading enterprises," said UGS Chairman, CEO and President Tony Affuso. "China will produce one-third of the world's new engineers this year, and leading global manufacturers need these engineers ¨C and the thousands to be educated in China in the years to come ¨C to be able to understand and apply the latest technology as part of the global innovation networks they are leveraging to build the most innovative products.
UGS is a global provider of product lifecycle management (PLM) software and services with nearly 4 million licensed seats and 46,000 customers worldwide. Headquartered in Texas, UGS' vision is to enable a world where organizations and their partners collaborate through global innovation networks to deliver world-class products and services while leveraging UGS' open enterprise solutions, fulfilling the mission of enabling them to transform their process of innovation.