How Baidu Apollo’s Autonomous Vehicles Are Boosting AI Research at Top Chinese Universities

Recently, Baidu Apollo’s autonomous driving cars entered the "dual walls" of Shanghai by arriving at Fudan University and Tongji University, helping these top schools advance research, education, talent cultivation, and industry integration in autonomous driving.

On October 22, at the 32nd China Society of Automotive Engineers annual meeting’s "Vehicle Engineering Fund Project Innovation Results Forum," Baidu Apollo donated ten L4‑level pre‑installed production autonomous vehicles to Tongji University’s School of Transportation to support deep industry‑academia collaboration.

These vehicles will serve as competition cars for the third OnSite Autonomous Driving Algorithm Challenge, a nationally recognized event organized by the National Natural Science Foundation’s Engineering and Materials Science Division and the China Society of Automotive Engineers, co‑hosted by Tongji University and the National Intelligent Connected Vehicle Innovation Center.

According to Tongji University’s College of Automotive Engineering dean Xiong Lu, the donation provides valuable testing equipment for the OnSite competition, demonstrating Baidu’s technical commitment and social responsibility while enhancing experimental conditions for university research teams.

A Baidu representative explained that the ten donated vehicles, equipped with the latest Apollo perception, decision, and control technologies, will act as mobile laboratories for students and faculty, enabling hands‑on exploration of technical details and rapid validation of research innovations.

Su Feifei, senior product manager of Baidu’s Intelligent Driving Group, highlighted the Apollo open platform’s emphasis on university collaboration and the goal of attracting top talent through competition scenarios, stressing the importance of open‑source contributions and community feedback.

Earlier, Baidu Apollo also donated L4‑level autonomous vehicles and a complete driving suite to Fudan University’s School of Computer Science and Technology on October 18, coinciding with the university’s 120th anniversary and the 50th anniversary of its computer department, providing essential hardware and software for education and research.

Fudan’s liaison office expressed gratitude for Baidu’s comprehensive cooperation and welcomed further collaborations to support discipline development.

Autonomous driving, as a key breakthrough in artificial intelligence, is driving growth across sensor manufacturing, algorithm development, and system integration, creating new professions and fostering industry synergy.

Through its "Starfire" initiative, Baidu Apollo has expanded its ecosystem, delivering donated vehicles to multiple universities and establishing a robust autonomous driving education framework that combines simulation, real‑vehicle testing, and professional curriculum to cultivate interdisciplinary talent.

Looking ahead, Baidu Apollo plans to continue partnering with educational institutions, research entities, and ecosystem partners to build a collaborative, thriving autonomous driving ecosystem.