According to the information released by Hubei Provincial Education Department, the school of automotive engineers of HUAT was approved to be one of the fourth batch of college reform pilots of Hubei Universities. It is reported that there are 16 colleges have got approved this time.

College reform pilots are regarded as a special trial area for colleges or schools with specific programs to try reform in education and teaching, as well as a comprehensive reform that centers around advancing system reform of talents training, takes the path of development with integration of college resources and social innovation and is carried out on the basis of individual colleges. The trial period will last four years with a flexible system, which means that colleges with outstanding results will become models while those with slow progress and less will drop out.