On December 24, the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China (UESTC) announced its first doctoral student to receive a Ph.D. based on practical achievements. The student, Wu Fan, is a 2022 doctoral candidate from the university's inaugural Engineering Master-Doctoral Training Reform Pilot Program. The decision to award him an engineering doctorate was approved at the seventh plenary session of the eleventh Degree Evaluation Committee held yesterday.

Wu Fan was jointly trained by UESTC and the 60th Research Institute of China Rongtong Group. In October 2025, he proactively proposed to substitute his dissertation with a practical achievement titled "Research and Engineering Practice on Key Technologies for High-Power Programmable AC/DC Power Supply"

A doctoral dissertation defense on practical achievements

The high-power programmable AC/DC power supply system developed under Wu Fan's leadership has achieved breakthroughs in three key technologies: precise high-power programmable power cascade topology design, modular collaborative adaptive control using domestically produced components, and model and data-driven fault diagnosis and fault-tolerant protection. Innovations in design methods and verification systems have addressed the reliance on expensive imported equipment and the difficulty in customization, significantly promoting the autonomous development of related technologies. The relevant achievements have been tested at key institutions such as the Metrology and Testing Center of the China Academy of Engineering Physics and AVIC (Chengdu) Unmanned Aircraft System Co., Ltd.

This move by the university is in accordance with the spirit and requirements of the Law of the People's Republic of China on Degrees and the Basic Requirements for Professional Doctoral Dissertations and Practical Achievements for Applying for Degrees (Trial). The Law of the People's Republic of China on Degrees, which came into effect on January 1, 2025, explicitly states for the first time at the legal level that both 'practical achievements' and 'dissertations' can serve as core bases for applying for degrees. UESTC is actively responding to national strategies and regional development needs, promoting reforms in professional engineering degree education, and exploring the advancement of applying for degrees based on practical achievements.

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