National Tsing Hua University

Coordinates: 24°47′37″N 120°59′34″E / 24.79361°N 120.99278°E / 24.79361; 120.99278

National Tsing Hua University
國立清華大學
Former name
 Tsinghua College (清華學堂)
Motto 自強不息 厚德載物[1]
Motto in English
 Constantly strengthen and cultivate ourselves[2]
Type Public
Established March 30, 1911 in Beijing; 1956 in Hsinchu City, Taiwan
Parent institution
 Ministry of Education (Republic of China)
Endowment NTD 5,534,751,612.00
President Hong Hocheng
Academic staff
 1090
Undergraduates 9006
Postgraduates 7541
Location Hsinchu City, Taiwan
Campus Urban, 1.06 square kilometres (260 acres)
Language Chinese, English
Flower Redbud and Chinese plum blossom
Affiliations AEARU
University System of Taiwan
Mascot Giant panda
Website www.nthu.edu.tw
National Tsing Hua University
Traditional Chinese 國立清華大學
Simplified Chinese 国立清华大学

National Tsing Hua University (NTHU; Chinese: 國立清華大學) is a research university located in Hsinchu City, Republic of China (Taiwan). Although the university was first founded in Beijing, after the Kuomintang fled to Taiwan in 1949 following defeat by the Communist Party of China in the Chinese Civil War, NTHU was re-established in Hsinchu City in 1956. Today, there are 7 colleges, 17 departments and 22 independent graduate institutes in the university.

Overview

In 1955, the President of Tsinghua University in Beijing, Mei Yi-Chi (梅貽琦) left and re-established the National Tsing Hua Institute of Nuclear Technology in Hsinchu city, and later based on the foundation of the original institute, National Tsing Hua University was founded in Taiwan.

The two Tsinghua universities both claim to be successors of the original Tsinghua University. As a result of this dispute, the universities claimed to be the rightful recipient of the funds from the Boxer Rebellion indemnity that was used to start Tsinghua University. This indemnity was transferred to the university in Taiwan after the Nationalist government (Kuomintang) retreated to Taiwan.

Today, both Tsinghua universities have deep mutual cooperation, including an establishment of Tsinghua Strait Research Institute, dual degree program, MOOC program, and academic exchange program.

History

Replica of the Old Gate in Beijing, symbol of Tsinghua University

Since American Secretary of State John Hay suggested that the US$30 million plus Boxer Rebellion indemnity money paid to the United States was excessive, in 1909, President Roosevelt then obtained congress approval to reduce the Qing Dynasty indemnity payment by $10.8 million USD, on the condition that the said fund was to be used as scholarship for Chinese students to study in the United States. Using this fund, the Tsinghua College (清華學堂 Qīnghuá Xuétáng) was established in Beijing, China, on 22 April 1911 on the site of a former royal garden belonging to a prince.[3] 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. In 1925, the school established its College Department and started its research institute on Chinese Study.

In 1928, the authority officially changed its name to National Tsing Hua University (NTHU). During the Second World War in 1937, Tsinghua University with Peking University and Nankai University, merged to form Changsha Temporary University in Changsha, and later National Southwestern Associated University in Kunming of Yunnan province. After the war, Tsinghua moved back to Beijing and resumed its operation.

During the Sino-Japanese War, the library lost 200,000 of a total of 350,000 volumes.[4]

In 1956, National Tsing Hua University (NTHU) was reinstalled on its current campus in Hsinchu, Taiwan.Since its reinstallation, NTHU has developed from an institute focusing on Nuclear Science and Technology to that of a comprehensive research university offering degrees programs ranging from baccalaureate to doctorate in science, technology, engineering, humanities and social sciences, as well as management. NTHU has been consistently ranked as one of the premier universities in Taiwan and is widely recognized as the best incubator for future leaders in industries as well as academics. Such stellar records are particularly exemplified by the outstanding achievements of alumni, including two Nobel laureates in physics Dr. Chen-Ning Yang and Tsung-Dao Lee, one Nobel laureate in chemistry Dr. Yuan-Tseh Lee and one Wolf Prize winner in mathematics Dr. Shiing-Shen Chern.

In recent decades, the National Tsing Hua University in Taiwan has had increasingly close ties with the Tsinghua University in People's Republic of China (China). Of all universities on Taiwan, the NTHU has arguably one of the strongest cooperations with universities in mainland China in academic research, projects, and with the creation of programs such as the "Center for Contemporary China."[5]

Tradition

Meichu Tournament

Meichu Tournament, held in March annually, is a sport competition between National Tsing Hua University and National Chiao Tung University. Since its establishment in 1969, Meichu Games has become a tradition, and is considered as one of the most important activities between these two prestigious universities in Taiwan.

The history of the Meichu Games goes back to the 1960s. After the end of the Chinese Civil War in 1949, National Tsing Hua University and National Chiao Tung University were both relocated in Hsin Chu, Taiwan and became neighbors. The geographic and academic closeness prompted many intellectual and social exchanges between two universities.

In 1966, an informal tournament was held. The arrangement of the formal event, however, was not institutionalized until 1968, when Mr. Chian Feng, an executive officer of NTHU student activity center, received the permission from the university authority to plan sport events for NTHU and NCTU students modeling after the Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race.

While both side agreed on the plan to hold such an annual event, there was a disagreement on the naming of the Game. At last, Prof. Zhang Zhi-Yi solved this problem by proposing the conventional coin tossing. “If the head-side is up, the game would be called Mei-Chu; otherwise, the game would be called Chu-Mei.” As the head-side of the coin went up, the tournament was thereby named Meichu to commemorate the two founding presidents of NTHU and NCTU, Dr. Mei Yi-Chi and Dr. Ling Chu-Ming.

Campus life

Student clubs

There are more than one hundred student clubs serving diverse interests. Club activities range from community services, music and sports, cinema and theater, dancing and martial arts, religion and philosophy as well as scientific and academic interests. While their interests vary, these clubs are all organized and run by and for students. When it comes to sports you can find all the common sports such as soccer, tennis, basketball, volleyball, swimming and more. There is also a variety of martial arts selections such as:Hapkido, jujitsu, kickboxing and Kendo. Some other sports can be: hiking, horse riding, scuba diving and rock climbing.

If you are not that into sports there are also clubs dedicated to learn how to make drinks, classic dancing, modern dancing, street dancing, classic music, drama club, to direct events, to DJ, to become a PR of the university, to build up robots or simply practice your English.

Housing

There are eighteen dormitories on campus accommodating about 5000 students. Freshman, sophomore and most of the graduate students are allowed to lodge at dorms without drawing lots. The majority of NTHU faculty members are also living on campus.

Scholarships, fellowships, and financial aid

Scholarships and fellowships are awarded on a meritorious basis. Annually more than six hundred undergraduates and one hundred graduate students receive such supports. In addition, around four thousand graduate students are supported with teaching or research assistantships from academic units. For students with financial difficulties, the university provides student loans and emergency funds.

Health care and counseling services

A University Clinic,[6] affiliated with Hsinchu Mackay Memorial Hospital, is conveniently located on campus where first aid and general medical services are provided by a team of physicians and health care specialists at a very reasonable cost.

The NTHU offers counseling service[7] to students, faculty and staff members at the University Counseling Center. The clinic and the center not only provide services when needed and organize and present educational programs for all students.

Academics

Presidents

Rankings

University rankings
Global
ARWU[8] 301-400
Times[9] 251-300
QS[10] 151
Asia
QS[11] 31

NTHU is generally considered to be one of the best universities in Taiwan.

In 2012, ranking of world universities by Times Higher Education[12] put National Tsing Hua University on the rank of 226-250 in the world. 2010 also saw QS World University Rankings[13] put National Tsing Hua University 196th overall. The individual subject rankings from QS rankings were: 238th in Arts & Humanities, 67th in Engineering & IT, 197th in Life Sciences & Biomedicine, 171st in Natural Sciences, and 256th in Social Sciences.[14] Nature Publishing Index gives NTHU the 3rd rank in Taiwan.[15]

Notable alumni

Humanities and Social Sciences

Science

Electrical Engineering and Computer Science

Biotechnology

See also

References

  1. ↑ "校訓". National Tsing Hua University. Retrieved June 24, 2014.
  2. ↑ "Message from the President". National Tsing Hua University. Retrieved June 24, 2014.
  3. ↑ Su-Yan Pan (2009). University autonomy, the state, and social change in China. Hong Kong University Press. p. 68. ISBN 978-962-209-936-4.
  4. ↑ LOST MEMORY - LIBRARIES AND ARCHIVES DESTROYED IN THE TWENTIETH CENTURY (Archived August 30, 2011, at WebCite)
  5. ↑ Official website for National Tsing Hua University's "Center for Contemporary China"
  6. ↑ http://140.114.42.17/www/page1_1-E.html
  7. ↑ http://counsel4.mac.nthu.edu.tw/
  8. ↑ "Academic Ranking of World Universities 2017". Institute of Higher Education, Shanghai Jiao Tong University. 2017. Retrieved August 17, 2017.
  9. ↑ "World University Rankings 2016-2017". Times Higher Education. 2016. Retrieved October 22, 2016.
  10. ↑ "QS World University Rankings 2018". Quacquarelli Symonds Limited. 2017. Retrieved June 21, 2017.
  11. ↑ "QS University Rankings: Asia 2016". Quacquarelli Symonds Limited. 2016. Retrieved July 11, 2016.
  12. ↑ "Times Higher Education World University Rankings".
  13. ↑ "QS World University Rankings 2010 Results".
  14. ↑ http://www.topuniversities.com/university/443/nationaltsinghuauniversity
  15. ↑ "Nature Publishing Index (2013)".
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