By Li Han
Staff Writer of the Tsinghua News Center
Tsinghua Week at Berkeley, a major communication event between Tsinghua University and the University of California in Berkeley, was held from April 5 to 7. It provided an opportunity for faculty members and students from that renowned American institution and Tsinghua University to meet and strengthen academic and cultural ties while promoting cooperation in various fields. "The richness of the programs of the Tsinghua Week at Berkeley would enhance the extensive ties that already are being developed by individual faculty members and academic units of the two partners," observed Professor Robert Birgeneau, the Chancellor of UC Berkeley, at the opening ceremony. "I believe this event will build up a platform for sustainable collaboration between our two universities," said President Gu of Tsinghua. "There is no doubt that the Tsinghua Week at Berkeley will be a landmark event in the history of bilateral relations of Tsinghua and Berkeley, not only owing to the size of the delegation, but also because of the highly productive and stimulating panel discussions."
Tsinghua Week at Berkeley featured keynote speeches delivered by famous scholars and a series of academic sessions jointly arranged by faculty members from the two universities. They covered a broad spectrum of subjects, including energy and environmental issues, higher education, literature and history, poverty alleviation, development of new technologies, business innovation and entrepreneurship, and other academic and administrative topics. Alongside these academic activities, a Tsinghua Photo Exhibition featuring the university's development and works from its Academy of Arts & Design was also held on the campus. The Tsinghua student representatives also had extensive interaction with their Berkeley peers. Besides the tour on campus, 44 members of the Student Art Troupe performed Chinese folk dancing and traditional music together with a renowned men's a capella octet from UC Berkeley. Speaking on behalf of the host institution, Executive Vice-Chancellor and Provost George Breslauer summarized the main activities, especially the academic panels, held during the Week at the closing ceremony: "It is an unprecedented event on this campus to host a full delegation of faculty members and students of a leading foreign university that is led by its senior academic leadership." Tsinghua Vice President YUAN Si commented that Tsinghua Week had been fruitful. The mutual understanding of both faculties and students has been increased, and the academic exchanges deepened. "It constructs a stronger basis for further collaboration between our two institutions," said Vice President Yuan.
