On the morning of October 20th, the founding ceremony of Tsinghua University’s School of Humanities was held in the auditorium. Prof. Chen Jining, President of Tsinghua University, Prof. Hu Heping, the Party Secretary, and Profs. Xie Weihe and Jiang Shengyao, vice-presidents of the university, attended the ceremony.

Prof. Hu Heping announced the official decision of establishing Tsinghua University’s School of Humanities and the new appointments. Prof. Wan Junren was appointed as Dean of the School of Humanities, and Profs. Zhou Maolin, Liu Shisheng, Liu Shi, and Peng Gang as associate deans.

Prof. Chen Jining made a speech at the ceremony. On behalf of Tsinghua University, he expressed his congratulations on the establishment of the School of Humanities. He pointed out the establishment of the School was an important measure to strengthen the humanities and step up reform, and marked a new phase for Tsinghua University’s arts and humanities.

Prof. Chen Jining raised three expectations for the future of the School of Humanities: first, to continue to empower the faculty; second, to pay greater attention to cultivating new talents; third, to make better use of the interdisciplinary advantages.

Profs. Chen Jining, Hu Heping, Li Xueqin, Zhang Qizhi, Wan Junren, and Luo Gang unveiled the nameplate together for the new school.

Prof. Wan Junren, on behalf of all the faculty and students in the School of Humanities, said that the faculty and students in the School would closely abide by Tsinghua University’s school motto—“Self-discipline and Social Commitment,” and inherit the excellent academic traditions of “integrating the ancient and the modern, establishing the connection between China and the West, giving considerations to both natural science and the humanities, and being comprehensive and creative.” The faculty and students would forge ahead, consolidate the fundamental things and do more creative works, and strengthen the discipline construction comprehensively and effectively, in order to continue to write a new chapter for the humanities at Tsinghua.

More than nine hundred people attended the ceremony, including many experts and scholars from other universities, such as Peking University, Renmin University of China, Beijing Normal University, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Party School of the CPC Central Committee, Minzu University of China, China University of Political Science and Law, Central South University, Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, and related departments and bureaus. The ceremony was chaired by Prof. Luo Gang.