By Li Han
Staff Writer of the Tsinghua News Center
Tsinghua University’s support for and academic exchanges with Qinghai University broke new frontiers recently with the founding on May 28 of the Department of Computer Technology and Application at Qinghai University.
Two Tsinghua Professors joined the administration of the newly established department. Renowned scholar of information science Zhou Lizhu, Director of the Academic Affairs Committee of Tsinghua’s Department of Computer Science and Technology, became the first Dean of the Department of Computer Technology and Application at Qinghai University. The Executive Vice Dean is Associate Professor Huang Weitong from Tsinghua’s Department of Computer Science and Technology.
Mr. Jidimajia, Vice Governor of Qinghai Province, Professor Chen Xi, Chairman of the Tsinghua University Council, Tsinghua Vice President Cen Zhangzhi, academician Sun Jiaguang, Dean of Tsinghua’s School of Information Science and Technology, academician Zhang Bo, professor of Tsinghua’s Department of Computer Science and Technology, and Professor Sun Maosong, Dean of Tsinghua’s Department of Computer Science and Technology, attended the inauguration ceremony.
Most of the new Department’s professional courses will be given by Tsinghua professors. Meanwhile, by using advanced modern educational technology, Qinghai University students can take some courses together with Tsinghua students through a distance learning system.
As planned, the new department will enroll a total of 40 undergraduate students in 2007. Some outstanding graduates will have the chance to do master degree studies in Tsinghua in the future.
As an important part of Tsinghua’s coordinated support for Qinghai University, the establishment of the Department of Computer Technology and Application, Qinghai University, received broad joint support from Ministry of Education, Qinghai Province, and Tsinghua University.
Tsinghua University will support Qinghai University in such areas as development planning, discipline and faculty development, and laboratory construction. Meanwhile, Qinghai University will cultivate student talents in information technology and application independently over the next three to five years to help meet the needs for computer science professionals especially in China’s western areas.
