College of Automation Science and Engineering was found in January of 2002, its predecessor was Automation Department of South-China Engineering College. College of Automation Science and Engineering adopts two degree management of college-department, it has two departments(Control and Information, Automation and Network Engineering), two centers (Automation Teaching Experiment Center, Automation Technology Research and Development Center), and a System Engineering Institute. Besides, it set up First Level Discipline Doctor Degree Program of the Control Science and Engineering (including Master or Doctorate degree programs of Control Theory and Engineering Systems Engineering, Pattern Recognition and Intelligence System, Detecting Techniques and Automation Devices),and center for post-doctoral studies in 2000, Control Theory and Engineering was authorized as Key Subject of GuangDong Province, later in 2001,the automation subject was regarded as Brands Subject of Province. The Principles of Automatic Control was regarded as Key Course of Province. The Editorial Department of the nation-famous magazine “Control Theory and Application” was set up in our college. 

Now, College of Automation Science and Engineering has a teaching team of high-level, professional title related with degree and ages, old-middle-young. Fuhan Chen, Member of Chinese Academy of Science, was jointly appointed by our college, professor HuangJie, member of Cheung Kong Scholars Programme used to work in Chinese University of Hong Kong was invited to be Special-Term Professor of my college. In addition, Academician Yanda Li in Tsinghua University, Academician YouXian Sun in Zhejiang University and many other scholars well-known both at home and abroad are to be Honorary Professor or Invited Professor of my college. To go with the tenet “people oriented, teaching-centric, study-focus, and building first-rate university” and the request of “moral quality-first, basics-emphasized, ability-appreciated, and easy adaptation, the college reform and make innovations, set up a automation teaching experiment center. It is a modern center whose fixed assets is over 15 million RMB with advanced equipments, advanced and formal management, and it is regarded as one of the ten basic teaching experiment centers. With the help of “211 Project” and “985 Project, our college establish a Advanced Control Engineering experiment, Real-Time Control Engineering experiment based on profibus and Internet, control of Complex Systems basement, Information Engineering experiment, and so on.  

Over more than 40 years, capable people come forth in great numbers and put their talents to best use every year in Automation College. So far, it has cultivated over 5,000 undergraduates, over 600 junior college students, more than 600 masters, and about 150 doctors. HongLiang, Xu, as Major General in Xichang Satellite Launch Center was graduated from our college with many other social elites. They work hard in their posts such as advanced management leader, professor,  Chief Engineer or success entrepreneurs, contributing to Chinas drive for modernization. 

Our college boasts a group of outstanding personnel specialized in academic research and  Developing technology, it develops several Research Topics in forward position of Automation Control Theory, which are closely linked to economic development and reach the advanced level at home or abroad: (1)  Modeling of Complex Systems, Control and Optimization; (2) Comprehensive Analysis of Control System; (3) Intelligent Detection and Intelligent Control; (4) Intelligent Monitoring and Fault Prediction of Industrial Process; (5) Motion control and Real-Time Control Based on Network; (6) Numerical Control Machine and Embedded System; (7) Intelligent Medical Devices. We have yielded substantial results in the following aspects: theoretical studies of modeling control and optimization of Complex Systems, “Intelligent Peritoneum Dialysis Apparatus” of Intelligent Medical Devices, Soft-sensing Technique of Paper Pulp Kappa Value, Numerical Control Machine and Embedded System, elevator group control, motion control, robot control, Intelligent Monitoring and Fault Prediction of Industrial Process, nondestructive examination and sorting of manufactured products, MIS of Large Enterprises. Some of them reach the international advanced level or rank the domestic top-class level. In the past 5 years, we have obtained about 20 million RMB research fund for the national or provincial Projects, over 880 papers was listed in journal at home or abroad or read in Conferences, 104 articles was embodied by three big indexes, 12 monographers was published, 16 provincial awards was got, and 4 provincial projects got through the province’s identification.

The Theory basis of the undergraduate education in our college is very strong. We think highly of computer technology education. Many professional technical are opened in our college, including application of computer technology, intelligent control, information processing, motion control, processing control, enterprise management and so on. As for the scientific research, we attach equal importance to theory research and project application plus developing technology. We will be in line with the principle of “using IT to propel industrialization, “using information technology to reform traditional industries, accord the request of constructing high level universities, work hard to make our teaching, research, laboratory construction, and team construction to reach a new level, and make much contribution to the automation and informationization of our province even our country.             

With precise knowledge pursuit, the school eminent spirit of comity and factualism has come into being. SCUT sticks to its educational guideline of "emphasizing moral character, building well-grounded base, strengthening ability and cultivating comprehensive adaptability". And this guideline has helped cultivating exclusive technological and management talents that are welcomed to the society. In recent years, the demand of graduate students has exceeded their supply. The employment rate of its undergraduates in 2007 has reached 98.16% and that of its graduates 96.15%. Since its founding, the university has cultivated for the country over 160,000 graduates at all levels. A large number of school fellows have become technological mainstays, distinguished entrepreneurs or leading cadres. SCUT is named by the society as "a cradle of engineers" and "a cradle of entrepreneurs".