Factory of Nation's Leaders

• Source: The Global Times
• [01:22 April 27 2009]
• Comments

‘Politically sound and professionally competent’

“Tsinghua University is not just a cradle for ‘red’ engineers, but for all sorts of successors. Leaders of the Party and the State are among you in the future.”

These encouraging words from Jiang Nanxiang, then president of Tsinghua University, have come true today.

Many alumni said they were strongly motivated by Jiang’s words at a time when intellectuals were not well respected. To be “red” and “expert” – both politically sound and professionally competent – was a requirement for all students at Tsinghua University.

Within the six years of college life, they received strict academic training including two years of general courses, two years of professional courses, factory interning and graduate design.

The strong academic background was only one part of the story. Their political pursuit took them further as all strongly believed in serving the country and serving the people with their knowledge.

“The six years at Tsinghua University were the happiest and most unforgettable time in our life. The political atmosphere of being red and expert, the precise and pragmatic attitudes towards learning, and the tradition of hard work have guided us well through the later journey of life,” said Jiang Yongyou, an alumnus of the radio department.

Almost all alumni described their group as positive, energetic and close-knit. “Considering this, it is not hard to understand at all that we have many influential people in the political and scientific fields,” said Wu Tingli, an alumnus of the architecture department.