By Li Han

Staff Writer of the Tsinghua News Center

A meeting was held April 29 in the main building to mark the 80th anniversary of the Department of Chemistry.

Professor Chen Xi, Chairman of the University Council, extended congratulations to the Department of Chemistry and said he hoped they would continue to pursue excellence and make even greater progress in the future.

Also attending the event were Professor Wang Dazhong, honorary Chairman of the University Council, Former Vice President Teng Teng, and Vice President Wang Jinsong.   

The Department of Chemistry was founded in 1926. By 1949, the department had become one of the best in the field in China due to its strong teaching/research faculty.  In 1952, as part of the nationwide restructuring of institutes of higher education, the Chemistry Department was dissolved and most of its faculty members and students joined Peking University. For about 28 years, there remained only a teaching group for chemistry courses at Tsinghua.

In 1985, the Department of Chemistry of Tsinghua University was officially reestablished. Since then, the department has made steady, comprehensive progress and has become an important base in the nation for scientific research and student training.