Beijing University and Tsinghua University Beijing

Beijing University and Tsinghua University Beijing

Peking University is a comprehensive and National key university. The campus, known as "Yan Yuan"-- the gardens of Yan, is situated at the northeast of the Haidian District at the western suburbs of Beijing. It stands near the Yuan Ming Gardens and the Summer Palace.

The University consists of 30 colleges and 12 departments, with 93 specialties for undergraduates,2 specialties for the second Bachelor's degree, 199 specialties for Master candidates and 173 specialties for Doctoral candidates. While still laying stress on basic sciences, the university has paid special attention to the development of applied sciences.

At present, Peking university has 216 research institutes and research centres, and there are 2 national engineering research centres, 81 key national disciplines, 12 national key laboratories.

The university has made an effective combination of the research on important scientific issues with the training of personnel with high level specialized knowledge and professional skill as demanded by the country's socialist modernization. It strives not only for the simultaneous improvements in teaching and research work, but also for the promotion of interaction and mutual promotion among various subjects.

Thus Peking University has become a center for teaching and research and a university of the new type, consisting of diverse branches of learning such as pure and applied sciences, social sciences and the humanities, and sciences of management and education. Its aim is to rank among the world's best universities at the beginning of the next century.

Tsinghua University, located in the northwestern suburbs of Beijing, was established in 1911 on the site of "Qing Hua Yuan" - a former royal garden of the Qing Dynasty. Funded with part of the "Boxer Indemnity," it was at first a preparatory school called "Tsinghua Xuetang" for those students who were sent by the government to study in the United States.

On April 29, 1911, Tsinghua Xuetang began its first term, and from then on the last Sunday of April was set as the school's anniversary. The name was changed to "Tsinghua School" after the 1911 Revolution.

In 1925, a university section was established, offering a four－year program for students. In 1928, its name was changed to "National Tsinghua University，" and in the autumn of 1929 a graduate school was set up.

Following the outbreak of the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression in 1937, Tsinghua University, Peking University and Nankai University merged to form the Southwest Associated University in Kunming. After the war, Tsinghua University moved back to the original campus in Beijing and resumed operation at its present location.

Three years after the founding of the People's Republic of China, a nationwide restructuring of institutes of higher education was initiated, and in 1952, Tsinghua University became a multidisciplinary polytechnic university with an emphasis on training engineers. In November of that year, the Ministry of Education appointed Jiang Nanxiang as President.

Since 1978, during the period of reform and opening to the rest of the world, Tsinghua University has gradually restored such disciplines as science, economic management, humanities and law. In 1999, Tsinghua opened the School of Arts and Design by merging with the Central Academy of Arts and Design. Tsinghua has become a leading comprehensive university with engineering as its focus, while concurrently offering degrees in science, liberal arts, management and law.

At the end of 2000, Tsinghua University had eight colleges and 43 departments, 44 research institutes, nine engineering research centers, and 163 laboratories, including 15 national key laboratories. The university offers 37 bachelor's degree programs, 107 master's degree programs and 64 Ph.D. programs.

In less than 100 years, Tsinghua University has witnessed and shared the hardships and glories of the nation. The university's motto of "Self-discipline and Social Commitment" has inspired many generations of Tsinghua teachers and students to struggle for the prosperity of China. Now, striving to build Tsinghua University into a world-class university by its 100th anniversary in 2011 has become the objective of each member of the teaching staff and the student body.