Tsinghua University

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Coordinates: 40°00′00″N, 116°19′36″E

Tsinghua University
Motto 自強不息,厚德載物 (Self-discipline and Social Commitment)
Established 1911
Type Public
Faculty 7,700
Undergraduates 14,000
Postgraduates 19,000
Location Beijing, China
Campus urban
Colors Purple and White
Website (zh)
(eng)
See also: Qinghuayuan

Tsinghua University, (Simplified Chinese: 清华大学; Traditional Chinese: 清華大學; pinyin: Qīnghuá Dàxué) is a university in Beijing, China. It is regarded as one of the most prestigious and selective universities in China. Established in 1911 as a preparatory school for Chinese graduates pursuing further studies at American universities, the school expanded and offered four-year undergraduate and post-graduate programs in 1925. The preparatory program continued until 1949.

Contents

[edit] History

Tsinghua University was established in Beijing in 1911 on the site of a former royal garden belonging to a prince, and was funded by an indemnity which China paid the United States after the Boxer Rebellion. It was first a preparatory school for students later sent by the government to study in the United States. The faculty members for sciences were recruited by the YMCA from the United States and its graduates transferred directly to American schools as juniors upon graduation.

During the Second World War in 1937, Tsinghua University along with Peking University and Nankai University, merged to form Changsha Temporary University in Changsha, and later National Southwestern United University in Kunming of Yunnan province. After the war, Tsinghua moved back to Beijing and resumed its operation.

After the Chinese Civil War which led to a divided country, Tsinghua University was taken over by the communist government. Some professors followed the president Mei Yi-Qi to Taiwan where they recreated National Tsing Hua University in 1955 (it was first named as National Tsing Hua Institute of Nuclear Technology).

The Tsinghua Bell
The Tsinghua Bell

In 1952, the government regrouped the country's higher education institutions in an attempt to build a Soviet style system. Tsinghua University lost its law school, school of agriculture, school of sciences and humanities and became a polytechnic university. In many years following this regroup, the school was often referred to as the "MIT of China"[1][2][3]. But since the 1980's, the university began to incorporate a multidisciplinary system. As a result, a lot of schools were built and rebuilt. These included the School of Science, School of Economics and Management, School of Humanities and Social Sciences, School of Law, School of Public Administration, and the School of Art. Only two colleges charge tuition to its graduate students; the law school and the Academy of Arts and Design.

During the Cultural Revolution from 1966 to 1976, the school became a battlefield between different sects of Mao's Red Guards (China) and a stronghold of the radicals. It did not resume its normal operation until 1977 when the Cultural Revolution was officially put to an end.

Since 1977, the school has enjoyed rich government funding and policy support which greatly improved its facilities.

[edit] Present

Built in 1917, The Grand Auditorium is the centerpiece of the old campus
Built in 1917, The Grand Auditorium is the centerpiece of the old campus

Most Chinese university rankings place Tsinghua first in China. It is usually considered the best university in China for science and engineering. Peking Union Medical College, Tsinghua University [4] is the best medical school in China. Its longtime rival Peking University is more known for law and arts.

Admission to Tsinghua is highly competitive. The majority of selected students are national scholars and among the brightest high school graduates in the country.

Many of China's top scientists, engineers, politicians and business leaders are among Tsinghua alumni.The current Chinese president, Hu Jintao was also a former Tsinghua student graduating with a degree in hydraulic engineering in 1964.

There are voices of critique that nowadays, the school's top graduates are more likely to enroll at prestigious US schools and research institutions.

As of 2003, Tsinghua University had 12 colleges and 48 departments, 41 research institutes, 35 research centers, and 167 laboratories, including 15 national key laboratories. In September of 2006, Peking Union Medical College was renamed to Peking Union Medical College, Tsinghua University[5]. The university offers 51 bachelor's degree programs, 139 master's degree programs and 107 Ph.D. programs. Recently, Tsinghua has become the first Chinese university to offer a Master of Laws program in American law, through a cooperative venture with the Temple University Beasley School of Law. The university is a member of LAOTSE, an international network of leading universities in Europe and Asia. Each year, the University celebrates the Intellectual Property Summer Institute in cooperation with Franklin Pierce Law Center of Concord, New Hampshire.

[edit] School Traditions

The Old Gate is a symbol of Tsinghua University
The Old Gate is a symbol of Tsinghua University

Tsinghua stands out for its strong and unique school traditions originated from its early days as a school to prepare its students for American universities. Traces of American influence can be seen in Tsinghua's school culture. Sports play a big role on campus life.

[edit] Alma mater

The early school anthem was composed by an American instructor Miss Katherine E. Seelye:

Tsing Hua College Song

O come and join our hearty song,
As proudly here we stand;
For Tsing Hua College let us sing,
The best in all the land.
We'll spread her fame and win a name,
And put our foes to shame,
If you don't agree, come on and see,
And you will say the same, the same,
And you will say the same. 　
O Tsing Hua, fair Tsing Hua,our College bright!
May we be loyal to the Purple and the White.
O Tsing Hua, fair Tsing Hua, our College pure,
We are loyal, We're faithful, we stand for you.

In 1923, another version of the school's Alma Mater with lyrics in Chinese (by Prof. Wang Luan Xiang, a Chinese laguange professor of Tsinghua) was composed by Mrs. Zhang Hui Zhen and was well received by the students and faculty. The song was then adopted as the school's official Alma Mater.

[edit] Anniversary and Homecoming

The last Sunday of April is Tsinghua's anniversry and Homecoming (Xiao-Qing) Day.

[edit] School Colors

Purple and White

[edit] Tsinghua Fight Song

Cheer for old Tsinghua
Tsinghua must win.
Fight to the finish,
never give in.
You do your best, boys,
we'll do the rest, boys.
Fight for the victory, Rha, Rha, Rha!

The modern administrative building
The modern administrative building

The school cheer goes: Ri-ri-ri, Rah-rah-rah! Tsinghua , Tsinghua , Tsinghua ! Rah-rah-rah!

[edit] Campus

The campus of Tsinghua University is located in northwest Beijing, in the Haidian district which was designated for universities.

It is located on the former site of Qing Dynasty royal gardens and retains some Chinese-style landscaping as well as some traditional buildings, but many of its buildings are in a Western-style reflecting the American influence in its history. It is known throughout China for having one of the most beautiful campuses.

[edit] Miscellany

Tsinghua is the Chinese university where Vice President Al Gore lectured at in China in his documentary, An Inconvenient Truth. Viewers can see the university lecture hall, with its well-known purple seats, as well as a residence hall. The banner on the ceiling encourages students to study and have strong character.

[edit] Tsinghua People

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[edit] Famous Alumni

[edit] Famous Faculty

[edit] Global Partnership

  • Tsinghua University has signed agreements with ACCA (Association of Chartered Certified Accountants), the renowned international accountancy body that offers Chartered Certified Accountant qualification worldwide, to train the new generation of professional accountants in China. Under the agreement, Tsinghua will develop the programme that under ACCA's syllabus for enabling China's young accounting students to join the ACCA professional exam scheme at a higher level. Tsinghua will also recognise the Oxford Brookes University BSc Applied Accounting degree, which has been successfully developed in conjunction with ACCA and which enables students who have completed two parts of the ACCA qualification to apply for the Oxford Brookes degree.(Please click: [6])

[edit] Alumni Associations

Tsinghua Alumni Association in Beijing [7]

Tsinghua Alumni Association of Georgia (USA) [8]

The Nashville Tsinghua Club [9]

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