On the afternoon of August 25, the opening ceremony for class of 2024 was held by Qiuzhen College, Tsinghua University at the Mong Man Wai Concert Hall of Tsinghua University. Bin Yang, Vice President of Tsinghua University; Shing-Tung Yau, Dean of Qiuzhen College; and Tao Zhang, Department Chair of Automation at Tsinghua University were among the distinguished speakers. Other attendants included Zhengwei Liu, Executive Vice President of Beijing Institute of Mathematical Sciences and Applications (BIMSA); Rongling Wu and Yi Zhu, Vice Presidents of BIMSA; Zuoqiang Shi, Xiaokui Yang and Fan Yang, Deputy Directors of Yau Mathematical Sciences Center (YMSC), Tsinghua University; Yihang Zhu, Professor of YMSC; Xiaofang Wang, Yong Lin, Zhijie Chen and Yitwah Cheung, Associate Deans of Qiuzhen College, Leaders of the Group for Student Work and the Group for Graduate Student Work, head teachers of the classes of the freshmen of 2024, representatives of the undergraduate mentors were also invited to attend the ceremony. Yi Li, a student representative from the Tsinghua University 2022 YAU Mathematical Sciences Leaders Program at Qiuzhen College, hosted the ceremony.
Scene of the opening ceremony
In his speech, Shing-TungYau remarked that mathematics is not a simple subject. Instead, it lays the foundation of all basic sciences. Our students shall live up to the expectations of the nation and shoulder vital responsibilities. Accordingly, they should strive to learn mathematics well and set lofty goals to become world-class scholars. In addition, they shall be broad-minded and have the grand vision and capabilities of integrating basic sciences including chemistry and biology with applied sciences. Yau sincerely hopes that Qiuzhen College will lead China’s basic sciences into a new era and make significant contributions to the history of human science. He is full of confidence in the students of the Qiuzhen College, and he is convinced that these young talents are absolutely capable of leading China’s science forward.
Shing-Tung Yau delivered a speech
On behalf of Tsinghua University, Bin Yang delivered a speech. He remarked that the establishment of Qiuzhen College is a proactive exploration of innovating the talent training model and improving the quality of talent training in the new era. This is of great significance for the university to shoulder the fundamental tasks of establishing morality and cultivating people as well as facilitating high-quality development in the global scientific frontier. He believes under the leadership of Mr. Shing-Tung Yau, Qiuzhen College has consistently attracted top scholars in the international arena to join the faculty team, providing valuable learning resources and development platforms for the students of the College while also enlightening the education and academic innovation of Tsinghua University overall. He hopes that the freshmen students will cherish the opportunities, aim high for gaining wisdom and seeking truth and achieve all-round development, and strive to become scholars that serve the society and benefit the people.
Bin Yang delivered a speech
Tao Zhang first congratulated every new student on joining Qiuzhen College. From his perspective, the College will not only cultivate leading scholars in the international mathematics circle in the future, but also cultivate top talents in multiple interdisciplinary fields including artificial intelligence (AI). AI is of great significance to the development of human society. The Department of Automation has conducted in-depth research and developed plans for AI advancements, such as smart robots, autonomous driving, smart factories and smart health, and breakthroughs in these fields must be supported by the foundation of mathematical sciences. Under the guidance of Mr. Shing-Tung Yau, Qiuzhen College and the Department of Automation have jointly established the ‘Mathematics and AI Experimental Class,’ which today welcomes its first batch of students. He hopes that the students of the experimental class can become pioneers through hard work and practice so as to embrace the success of this innovative cross-talent training model.
Tao Zhang delivered a speech
Yihang Zhu delivered a speech as a representative of the doctoral supervisor of the Qiuzhen College. From his perspective, Qiuzhen College is one of the best academies around the world to learn mathematics, and in addition to first-class students, there are also world-class academic masters as well as lively and promising young talents. Top teachers and top students are equally important while engaging in academic practice.
Yihang Zhu delivered a speech
Lingyun Qiu, assistant professor of YMSC at Tsinghua University and teacher of Class 41 of the Qiuzhen College, remarked that as a part of Tsinghua University, the College shoulders a vital task, that is, to cultivate leading talents with broad vision, profound learning and innovative spirit.
Lingyun Qiu delivered a speech
Student representatives also delivered speeches, including: Yuheng Hao, a student of the first cohort of Yau Mathematical Sciences Leaders Program ; Chenyi Zhu, the representative of the 2024 undergraduate freshmen; Mo Chen, the representative of senior doctoral students; and Yuwen Sun, the representative of the new graduate students. In their eyes, as they become members of Qiuzhen College, they should not only seek progress merely in the academic field, but also pursue the improvement and perfection of their own personality. They suggest that new students should start an academic journey full of challenges and opportunities with a realistic and pragmatic attitude, and grow and thrive together in the big family of Qiuzhen College.
Student representatives each delivered a speech
At the opening ceremony, Dean Yau issued letters of appointment to the five headteachers of the freshman class of 2024 in Qiuzhen College. In addition, Qiuzhen College held a scholarship award ceremony for new students to encourage them to constantly work hard and achieve greater progress in the College.
Letters of appointment were issued to the headteachers
Scholarships for new students were awarded
Finally, all the teachers and students sang the song Ode to Truth-Seeking and wore the emblem of Qiuzhen College, which symbolizes the identity and mission of members of the College.
All teachers and students sang the song Ode to Truth-Seeking of the College
Students read the text in memory of Confucius
The opening ceremony was successfully concluded, and it is wished that all students would be able to achieve greater progress in their studies in the Qiuzhen College!
Group photo of new undergraduate students of the Class of 2024 at Qiuzhen College
Group photo of new graduate students of the Class of 2024 at Qiuzhen College
