Tsinghua University Celebrates 40 Years of Graduate School with Anniversary Symposium
On the afternoon of June 15, a symposium on the 40th anniversary of the establishment of Tsinghua University Graduate School was held in the reception hall of the main building. President Li Luming, Vice Presidents Yang Bin and Jiang Peixue, former Secretary of the Party Committee of the University Fang Huijian, former Executive Vice President Liang Youneng, former Vice Presidents Zheng Yankang, Hu Dongcheng, Gong Ke, former Secretary of the Party Committee of China Agricultural University and former President of the China Higher Education Society Qu Zhenyuan attended the meeting. Former President Gu Binglin, former Vice President Wang Jinsong, and former Dean of the Graduate School Yao Qiang delivered speeches via video. Former leaders of the Graduate School and the Research and Work Department, as well as representatives of in-service and retired faculty and staff attended the symposium to discuss the reform and development of the Graduate School. The symposium was hosted by Liang Qionglin, Dean of the Graduate School.
On behalf of the university, Li Luming congratulated the Graduate School on its 40th anniversary, expressed gratitude to the old leaders of the university, the previous leadership teams of the Graduate School and the faculty and staff who have made important contributions to the development of the university’s graduate education, and fully affirmed the work achievements of the Graduate School in promoting the continuous improvement of the quality of the university’s graduate education and the continuous enhancement of the ability to cultivate high-level talents independently. He introduced the latest progress in the university’s discipline construction and high-level talent training, and said that the Graduate School should deeply grasp the new requirements and new missions for graduate education in the new era, and deeply realize the importance of graduate education in Tsinghua. We must make great efforts to cope with the challenges faced by the current independent training of high-level talents, grasp the relationship between the quality and scale of graduate training, continuously explore and improve the institutional mechanisms for the classified development of academic degree and professional degree graduate education, further strengthen the construction of high-level faculty teams, and improve the level of training of top innovative talents. We must focus on strengthening the global vision training of graduate students, improve the internationalization level of students, continuously enhance the international competitiveness of graduate education, coordinate and promote the high-quality development of graduate education, and contribute Tsinghua’s strength to comprehensively improve the quality of independent talent training and accelerate the realization of national high-level scientific and technological self-reliance.
Gu Binglin reviewed the reform and exploration during his tenure as the Dean of the Graduate School, which aimed at improving the quality of graduate education in the 21st century in accordance with the “comprehensive, research-oriented, and open” school-running model. He hoped that the Graduate School would continue to maintain a high level of talent training and play a leading role in demonstration.
Wang Jinsong said that under the leadership of the university, the Graduate School adhered to the “three-in-one” education concept and actively promoted a series of reforms in graduate education and teaching. He hoped that the Graduate School would continue to improve, continuously improve the quality of independent talent training, and contribute new strength to the construction of an education power and the comprehensive promotion of Chinese-style modernization.
Yao Qiang said that Tsinghua University’s graduate education reform has played a leading role in the country, forming a spirit of reform and innovation that continuously analyzes, discusses and explores problems. He hopes that the school will gain more experience in cultivating innovative talents and cultivate more useful talents for the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.
Jiang Peixue reviewed the reform process of the Graduate School in various development stages since its establishment, introduced the concept and overall idea of graduate education reform and development, as well as reform measures, special work and important achievements in scale and structure adjustment, improvement of student quality, tutor team building, degree program construction, training of outstanding engineers, and ideological and political guidance. He also made an in-depth analysis of the problems and challenges currently facing graduate education.
During the free discussion session, Liang Youneng, Zheng Yankang, Hu Dongcheng, Gong Ke, Qu Zhenyuan and former vice presidents of the Graduate School Guo Zengyuan, Lin Gongshi, Chen Haoming, and Liu Ying, former member of the Standing Committee of the Party Committee of the University, former director of the Party Office, and former deputy director of the Graduate School Bai Yongyi, and former director of the Graduate Student Affairs Department of the Party Committee of the University Yan Jichang spoke in succession, reviewing the development characteristics of the school’s graduate education at different stages and its distinctive features of always keeping the overall situation in mind, cultivating morality, serving the country, and leading in disciplines. They summarized the Graduate School’s experience in reform and innovation, unity and progress, emphasis on research, and pursuit of quality, shared the important impact of the Graduate School’s training and exercise on personal growth, and wished the Graduate School greater results in degree and graduate education management and services, and continuously promoted the training of first-class universities to new heights.
Tsinghua University Graduate School was established in June 1984. It is one of the first 22 graduate schools in my country to be piloted after the restoration of the graduate education system. It ranked first in the first national graduate school evaluation in 1995. In 1994, the Party Committee Graduate Work Department was established on the basis of the former Graduate School Ideological Education Office. At present, the Graduate School also undertakes the secretariat of the Chinese Association for Academic Degrees and Graduate Education and the secretariat of the National Engineering Professional Degree Graduate Education Steering Committee.