What type of engineer should those studying industrial automation pursue?

One can apply to become a Certified Automation Systems Engineer. 1 ASE Certification Categories The certification for Automation Systems Engineers is divided into three categories: (1) Assistant Automation Systems Engineer, abbreviated as Assistant ASE； 　　(2) Automation System Engineer, abbreviated as: ASE ； 　　(3) Certified Automation Systems Engineer, abbreviated as: Certified ASE ； 　　2 Those applying for one of the above three types of engineer certification must abide by the Constitution of the People’s Republic of China and **other laws, support the Party’s basic line, love their work, strive to improve their professional skills, adhere to principles, seek truth from facts, and possess good professional ethics and a strong sense of dedication. 　　3 Basic requirements for education and experience 　　(1) Assistant Engineer in Automation Systems (Assistant ASE) 　　Those with a university degree in fields such as automatic control theory and applications, automation engineering, computer technology and applications, communication engineering, mechatronics, or similar fields may apply for the position of Assistant Engineer in Automation Systems if they meet one of the following conditions: 　　① Those who have graduated from university and have been working in related technical fields for at least one year ； 　　② Those who have graduated from a junior college and have been engaged in the aforementioned professional technical work for more than two years ； 　　③ Those who have graduated from a secondary vocational school and have been engaged in the aforementioned professional technical work for more than three years ； 　　④ Those who have graduated from high school and have been engaged in the aforementioned professional technical work for more than four years ； 　　⑤ Having engaged in the above-mentioned professional technical work for more than five years, and having obtained an **recognized equivalent level of education ； 　　⑵ Automation Systems Engineer (ASE): Those with a degree in fields such as automatic control theory and applications, automation engineering, computer technology and applications, communication engineering, mechatronics, or similar disciplines, who meet one of the following conditions, may apply for the Automation Systems Engineer (ASE) certification: ① Those who have obtained a doctoral degree ； 　　② Those who have obtained a master’s degree, have held the position of assistant engineer for more than 2 years, or have been engaged in professional work related to automation systems for more than 2 years ； 　　③ Those who have obtained a dual bachelor’s degree or graduated from a graduate program, have held the position of assistant engineer for more than 3 years, or have been engaged in professional work related to automation systems for more than 3 years (relevant certification from their employer is required) ； 　　④ Those with a bachelor’s degree or an associate’s degree, who have held the position of assistant engineer for more than 4 years or have been working in professional technical fields related to automation systems for over 4 years (relevant certification from their employer is required) ； 　　⑤ Those who have graduated from high school or a technical secondary school, have been working in a professional technical field for over 10 years, have subsequently obtained recognized self-study qualifications through relevant specialized courses, achieved an associate degree or higher, and have continued to work in that professional technical field for another 4 years or more (relevant certification from their employer is required). 　　⑶ Registered Automation Systems Engineer (ASE): Those with degrees in fields such as Automatic Control Theory and Applications, Automation Engineering, Computer Technology and Applications, Communication Engineering, Mechatronics, or similar disciplines, who meet the following conditions, may apply for the qualification of Registered Automation Systems Engineer (Registered ASE): ① Hold a doctoral degree, have already obtained the qualification of Automation Systems Engineer, and have at least 1 year of work experience ； 　　a) Those who have obtained a master’s degree and have worked as an automation systems engineer for more than 3 years ； 　　③ Undergraduate graduates from majors such as Automatic Control Theory and Applications, Automation Engineering, Computer Technology and Applications, Communication Engineering, Mechatronics, etc. (including related majors), who have been working for at least five years ； 　　④ Those with an equivalent professional qualification as mentioned above, and who have worked for more than seven years in positions related to automation systems in the construction of various engineering projects (design, construction) (relevant proof documents must be provided). 　　4 Specific Criteria 　　(I) Those applying for the position of Assistant Automation Systems Engineer (Assistant ASE) 　　⑴ Professional theoretical knowledge 　　① Mastery of the basic theories and specialized technical knowledge essential to this field ； 　　② Take the theoretical examination for the junior professional qualification of \"Automation System Engineer\" organized by this certification office and obtain a passing certificate (refer to the examination reference materials provided by this certification office) ； 　　⑵ Work experience and skills or performance 　　① During the period of employment, was able to carry out corresponding responsibilities and strive to complete work tasks ； 　　② Have participated in or are currently participating in (technology, design, management, construction, operation, and training) projects or engineering tasks ； 　　③ As a participant, has published one or more academic papers in **reputable journals or academic conferences** ； 　　⑶ Foreign Language Proficiency: One of the following conditions must be met: ① Possession of a certificate indicating successful completion of the level-4 foreign language exam specified by the **Ministry of Education (English, Russian, Japanese, German, or French; any one of these languages may be chosen), issued within 5 years prior to the date of application ； 　　② Take the exam at the appropriate level organized by this certification office and obtain a passing certificate ； 　　③ I have personally translated academic articles of over 10,000 words, which have been published in authoritative journals in this field. 　　(II) Applicants for Automation Systems Engineer (ASE) 　　⑴ Professional theoretical knowledge 　　① Have a relatively comprehensive grasp of the basic theories and specialized technical knowledge essential to this field (refer to the examination reference materials provided by the certification authority) ； 　　② Understand the current situation and development level of this field both domestically and internationally ； 　　③ Ability to guide assistant engineers working on automation systems ； 　　⑵ Work experience and skills/achievements 　① During my tenure as an automation system engineer, I was able to fulfill the responsibilities of an engineer and complete tasks with a high standard of quality ； 　　② Have participated in one medium-sized or larger project or undertaking in (technology, design, management, construction, operation, and training) ； 　　③ Having published two or more academic papers in **reputable journals or academic conferences (events organized by other first-level societies of the China Association for Science and Technology, or by academic organizations at the second level or above of the Chinese Society of Automation), or having at least one paper published in a core journal – papers or translations that are recognized by peers as having certain academic value ； Or indexed in SCI, EI, ISTP ； 　　④ The engineering projects completed as key members have won awards at or above the third prize for scientific and technological achievements at the provincial or ministerial level ； 　　⑤ Recognized and awarded by units at the provincial (ministerial) level or above for outstanding work ； 　　⑥ Has published specialized works, or is the main author of design plans for medium-scale engineering projects in enterprises and institutions, as well as technical summary reports, feasibility analysis reports, and reports on project initiation for industrialization ； 　　⑶ For foreign language proficiency, one of the following conditions must be met: ① Possession of a certificate showing successful completion of the **Ministry of Education’s designated level-4 foreign language exam (any one of English, Russian, Japanese, German, or French) within 2 years prior to the application date ； And have a basic knowledge of another foreign language, enabling them to use it in everyday conversations ； 　　② Take the exam at the appropriate level organized by this certification office and obtain a passing certificate ； 　　③ Studying (or visiting) abroad for more than a year ； 　　④ I have personally translated and published professional books (over 100,000 words; if there are two or more translators, I must be the primary translator). 　　⑤ Or the individual has two or more foreign-language papers indexed by the four major citation databases such as SCI. 　　(III) Applicants for the Certified Automation Systems Engineer (Certified ASE) 　　⑴ Professional theoretical knowledge 　　① A thorough grasp of the basic theories and specialized technical knowledge essential for this field (refer to the examination reference materials provided by the certification authority) ； 　　② Be familiar with the current situation and development level of this field both domestically and internationally ； 　　③ Ability to lead automation system engineers in their work ； 　　⑵ Work experience and skills/achievements 　① During my tenure as a senior engineer in automation systems, I was able to fulfill the responsibilities of such a role and complete tasks with high quality ； 　　② Have participated in one large-scale (or two medium-scale) or larger project or initiative in the fields of technology, design, management, construction, operation, and training ； 　　③ Have published three or more academic papers in **reputable journals or academic conferences (large-scale academic events organized by other first-level societies of the China Association for Science and Technology or by the Chinese Association of Automation—annual academic conferences or international academic conferences)—with at least one of those papers indexed in SCI, EI, or ISTP ； Or papers or translations recognized by peers as having high academic value (or supported by outstanding papers) ； 　　④ The engineering projects completed as key members have won the **Third Prize for Scientific and Technological Progress**, or have received a second prize or higher in scientific and technological achievement awards at the provincial or ministerial level ； 　　⑤ Due to outstanding performance at work, was awarded the “Outstanding Contribution Award” or received recognition and awards from provincial (ministerial) or higher-level authorities on more than two occasions ； 　　⑥ Has published renowned monographs or translations in this field, or has served as the lead author in preparing design plans for large-scale projects in enterprises and institutions, as well as technical summary reports, engineering feasibility studies, and reports related to the industrialization of automation projects ； 　　⑶ For foreign language proficiency, one of the following conditions must be met: ① Hold a certificate of passing the **six-level foreign language exam specified by the Ministry of Education (any one of English, Russian, Japanese, German, or French is acceptable), obtained within 2 years prior to the application date, and have mastery of another foreign language, enabling fluent oral communication ； 　　② Take the exam at the appropriate level organized by this certification office and obtain a passing certificate ； 　　③ Studying (or visiting) abroad for more than two years ； 　　④ I have personally translated and published professional books, as well as technical plans and feasibility reports (over 100,000 words), always in the role of the primary translator. 　　⑤ Have published academic papers at international conferences (such as IFAC, etc.) ； 　　⑥ Or an individual has three or more foreign-language papers indexed by the four major citation databases such as SCI