GM and partners help set up PACE Center at Hunan University

Hunan University held the opening ceremony for its new Partners for the Advancement of Collaborative Engineering Education (PACE) Center on December 10. The facility will serve as an important training ground for Chinese automotive industry talent.

General Motors, a founding partner of PACE, collaborated with Autodesk, Hewlett Packard, Siemens PLM Software and Oracle to donate in-kind software and hardware – including 200 sets of computer software and five HP high-performance workstations – worth over $280 million to Hunan University. This is the largest corporate donation the university in Changsha, Hunan, has ever received.

Founded in 1999, PACE is an alliance between GM and other multinational corporations that is committed to preparing university students for their future automotive careers. Through its five Partner companies and 17 Contributor companies, PACE has donated software, hardware, training, consulting services and grants valued at more than $12 billion to 65 leading universities in 12 countries.

PACE was introduced in China in 2002. Hunan University is the fifth Chinese university to participate, joining Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Tongji University, Jilin University and Wuhan University of Technology.

GM and its partners have made donations worth over $1.7 billion to the five universities, training thousands of students. More than 1,000 university graduates who benefited from the program are working at GM and its joint ventures in China.

Gustavo Cespedes, executive vice-president of GM China’s SAIC-GM-Wuling joint venture, said: “Talent is the key to building a strong and innovative automotive industry. Through PACE, we are helping universities by providing advanced technology used by the industry and related industries. This is promoting the training of local talent and the overall development of the domestic automotive industry.” 

Hunan University President Zhao Yueyu said, “The new PACE Center will serve as an open, high-tech and advanced educational platform. It will improve our university's strength in key areas such as industrial design, mechanical engineering and automotive engineering. It will also help universities in central and southern China catch up with their global counterparts and meet the soaring demand for high-quality talent.”

Oracle Senior Director of Education Industry Keith Rajecki said, “Oracle congratulates Hunan University on being selected to join PACE. We believe the academic and industry collaboration will provide students with access to real-world technologies and experience, providing a more complete educational experience that prepares them for their future careers.”

Siemens PLM Software senior vice president and managing director for Greater China Leo Liang said, “Siemens is pleased to welcome Hunan University to PACE. With the latest digitalisation software, Hunan University can now develop a stronger pipeline of engineering and digital manufacturing talent for the automotive industry. Their graduates will be highly trained in the same software that drives smart innovation at 29 of the 30 top automakers around the world.”

Autodesk’s Greater China Region Director of Sales Richard Li said, “Autodesk’s vision of the future of making things is well aligned with Made in China 2025. Autodesk has committed its effort and support to cultivate Chinese automobile designers and the development of the automobile industry. We are delighted to work with General Motors, HP, Siemens PLM Software and Oracle to empower the next generation of manufacturers and product designers to promote the innovative development of China’s automotive industry.”

Hewlett Packard Enterprise PLM Practice Director Rob Link said, “Hewlett Packard Enterprise’s Product Lifecycle Management Practice is a long-term partner in PACE, offering full support of the mission of PACE.”