On the morning of April 23, the Conference Commemorating the 90th Anniversary of the Establishment of the Department of Electrical Engineering of Tsinghua University was held at the New Tsinghua Lecture Hall. Guests including Li Meng, former vice chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference and an alumnus admitted to the Department of Electrical Engineering in 1995, Qiu Yong, secretary of the Party Committee of Tsinghua University and academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shu Yinbiao, chairman of the Chinese Society of Electrical Engineering, chairman of Huaneng Group, chairman of the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), and academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering , Sun Changji, honorary chairman of China Electrotechnical Society and former Vice Minister of Machinery, Zeng Rong, Vice President of Tsinghua University, Bi Tianshu, a representative of domestic brother universities and colleges and vice president of North China Electric Power University, attended the conference.

At the Conference

More than 200 alumni from the Department of Electrical Engineering attended the commemorative conference, including: He Meiying (admitted in 1956), former secretary of the Party Committee of Tsinghua University, Hu Zhaoguang (admitted in 1958), former Deputy Mayor of Beijing; academician representatives: Gu Guobiao (admitted in 1953), Lu Qiang (admitted in 1954), Li Yanda (admitted in 1954), Wu Cheng (admitted in 1957), Zhou Xiaoxin (admitted in 1959); industry and corporate alumni representatives: Zheng Fangneng (admitted in 1980), second-level inspector of the Major Project Department of the Ministry of Science and Technology, Wu Yansheng, chairman of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (admitted in 1981), Zhang Zhigang (admitted in 1982), General Manager of State Grid Corporation of China, Chen Guoping (admitted in 1982), Deputy General Manager of State Grid Corporation, Huang Xuenong (admitted in 1982), Supervisory Director of the National Energy Administration, Qian Sujin (admitted in 1982), Chairman of Hengshi Technology, and Chen Sheng ( admitted in 1986), Chairman of 21Vianet Group; representatives of old teachers of the Department of Electrical Engineering: Wu Weihan (admitted in 1950), Zhou Mingbao (admitted in 1952), Wang Xiangheng (admitted in 1958), Zhou Shuangxi (admitted in 1960), Lu Wenjuan (admitted in 1964), and Wang Zanji (admitted in 1965). Chen Shiyou (admitted in 1951), a friend of the same age as the Department of Electrical Engineering and born in 1932, was also invited to the conference.

The conference was presided over by Yu Xinjie, Secretary of the Party Committee of the Department of Electrical Engineering. The commemorative conference was also simultaneously broadcast live online through the Tsinghua University video account, with more than 100,000 online viewers.

Qiu Yong delivered a speech

On behalf of the school, Qiu Yong first extended warm congratulations to all teachers, students, staff and alumni of the Department of Electrical Engineering. Qiu Yong mentioned that when General Secretary Xi Jinping visited the school on April 19 last year, he pointed out that Tsinghua University has been adhering to the university motto of self-discipline and social commitment, deepening reform and accelerating innovation, and various undertakings are thriving. Qiu Yong said that the prosperity of Tsinghua University is inseparable from the contributions of the faculty, students and alumni of the Department of Electrical Engineering, which embodies the wisdom and sweat of the faculty, students and alumni of the Department of Electrical Engineering. As the “old hen department” of Tsinghua University, the Department of Electrical Engineering has successively bred the Department of Electronics, the Department of Computer, the Department of Automation and the Department of Biomedicine, and has made outstanding contributions to the university’s disciplinary development and the construction of a first-class university. Qiu Yong pointed out that the Department of Electrical Engineering, as one of the earliest engineering departments established in 1932, has been placing the cultivation of talents in the most important position over the past 90 years, taking serving the country as the highest pursuit, and has cultivated a group of academic masters, talents in business development, and pillars of national governance. Qiu Yong emphasized that in the new journey towards the second centenary goal, the development of the party and the country has a more urgent need for higher education, scientific knowledge and outstanding talents than ever before. The revolution is giving birth to new opportunities. He hoped that the Department of Electrical Engineering can base itself on two overall situations, all people of the Department of Electrical Engineering can be “the one who has a big heart for the country”, carry forward the fine traditions, adhere to the original mission of educating people for the party and cultivating talents for the country, promote the development of the energy and power industry, actively serve the national dual-carbon strategy, and show greater achievements in the process of Tsinghua University becoming a world-class university.

Shu Yinbiao delivered a speech

In his speech, Shu Yinbiao pointed out that over the past 90 years, the Department of Electrical Engineering of Tsinghua University has not forgotten its original intention but been adhering to the university running philosophy of “being strict in learning, and being upright as a person”, and ing the responsibility to go with the development of China’s electric power industry. Shu Yinbiao expressed the hope that the Department of Electrical Engineering can undertake the major mission of self-reliance and self-improvement in science and technology, cultivate leading talents who can be worthy of the great responsibility of the times, achieve innovation and leadership, and work with the Chinese Society of Electrical Engineering to build a world power in science and technology, a power in energy, and achieve the goal of carbon peaking and carbon neutrality, and make outstanding contributions in the course of history.

Saifur Rahman delivered a video speech

Afterwards, Saifur Rahman, President-elect of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), expressed his congratulations on the 90th anniversary of the Department of Electrical Engineering on behalf of IEEE through video. He said that over the past 90 years, the Department of Electrical Engineering has cultivated a large number of talents dedicated to the education of electrical engineering and the development of the power industry. Their footprints have spread all over the world, and they have become the pillars of the development of global electrical engineering. As one of the world’s leading electrical engineering education and research centers, this department has taken a critical role in promoting internationalization of the scientific research in electrical engineering. But we are still faced with many critical challenges including climate change and energy crisis. The key to solving these problems is the development of innovative technologies, which requires the cooperation between universities and technical professionals all over the world. IEEE hopes to work with our professional colleagues in the Department of Electrical Engineering at Tsinghua University and jointly contribute to global technological breakthroughs.

Jim McDonald delivered a video speech

In his video speech, Sir Jim MacDonald, President of the Royal Academy of Engineering in the United Kingdom and Principal and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Strathclyde, fully affirmed the excellent educational and scientific research level and the strategic success of the Department of Electrical Engineering of Tsinghua University. He pointed out that China and the UK have been emphasizing the requirements of low-carbon energy transition and are committed to building a smarter and cleaner world, and the Department of Electrical Engineering of Tsinghua University has made important and special contributions to this process, and has contributed to this process in academic research and industrial application with wide international recognition. The carbon peaking and carbon neutrality goal proposed by China is a balance between development and conservation, which is crucial for the world.

Bi Tianshu delivered a speech

Bi Tianshu said in her speech that the friendship between North China Electric Power University, Tsinghua University and the Department of Electrical Engineering of Tsinghua University has a long history. They support each other, cooperate and seek common development in many fields. She hoped that North China Electric Power University and the Department of Electrical Engineering of Tsinghua University will always bear in mind the original intention of “born with electricity”, the perseverance of “succeeding with electricity”, and the confidence of “being proud of electricity”. North China Electric Power University also sincerely looks forward to further expanding exchanges and cooperation with Tsinghua University and the Department of Electrical Engineering of Tsinghua, and jointly making new and greater contributions to the development of disciplines, the prosperity of the industry, and the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

Nigel Brandon delivered a video speech

In his video speech, Nigel Brandon, a representative of foreign universities and Dean of the Faculty of Engineering at Imperial College London, pointed out that There has been a long history of collaboration between the two universities. And in March 2019, a Tsinghua delegation visited the Imperial College to witness the launch of the Imperial Tsinghua Joint Research Centre on Intelligent Power and Energy Systems. During the past 3 years, the Joint Research Centre has been going very well indeed. He certainly believes that mutual understanding and corporation is the only solution to the challenges we face whether this is combating China’s climate change or establishing a smarter power system towards that ambition. So this is exactly where the Imperial Tsinghua Research Centre on Intelligent Power and Energy Systems works. He sincerely expects the cooperation is not only limited to education and research but also attuned to ensure the translation of the research into industry and into practice.

Kang Chongqing gave a work report

At the conference, Kang Chongqing, Dean of the Department of Electrical Engineering and Applied Electronics of Tsinghua University, made a report on the work of the Department of Electrical Engineering entitled “A Ninety-Year-Old Department Facing the Opportunities in a New Century”. He first reviewed the 90-year turbulent development of the Department of Electrical Engineering, and paid high tribute to Gu Yuxiu, Zhang Mingtao, and Gao Jingde, the three “great teachers” for their rigorous scholarship and innovative spirit, and mentioned that in the 90-year history, the Department of Electrical Engineering has cultivated academic masters, talented entrepreneurs and great nation administrators such as Zhu Rongji, former Premier of the State Council, Huang Ju, former Vice Premier, Li Meng, former Vice Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, Jin Yilian, winner of the National Highest Science and Technology Award, Ma Weiming, winner of the August 1st Medal, and Zhao Xizheng, the first general manager of State Grid Corporation of China, and national model workers such as Li Mingjie, Wang Xiaohai, Lin Yunzhi, Xia Deming and Xie Bangpeng, who are all outstanding students of the Department of Electrical Engineering. Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the teachers and students of the Department of Electrical Engineering have solidly understood the important instructions of the central government on education, scientific research and electric energy, and have achieved gratifying achievements in discipline construction, personnel training, scientific research, party building, and international exchanges. Facing the future, we will take the 90th anniversary as an opportunity to clearly understand the current opportunities and challenges, know the status quo and gaps, learn in an open mind, be down-to-earth, and pioneer and innovate. The Department of Electrical Engineering will take serving the country as the highest pursuit, start from the national needs such as building a new power system and serving the dual-carbon strategic goals, fully implement the university’s 2030 development strategy, take morality setting-up and people cultivating as the fundamental task, help realize the national goals and promote Tsinghua to be a world top university in the second century.

Gu Guobiao, Lin Yunzhi, Lu Wenjuan, Liang Xidong and Tang Mingrui delivered speeches

Gu Guobiao, the representative of alumni, Lin Yunzhi, chief engineer of China Railway Electrification Bureau and an alumnus admitted 1998, Lu Wenjuan, representative of retired teachers, Liang Xidong, representative of in-service teachers, and Tang Mingrui, representative of students admitted in 2019, shared their growth in the Department of Electrical Engineering of Tsinghua University in their speeches.

Unveiling ceremony of Mr. Gao Jingde’s memorial sculpture

Launching ceremony of the journal “iEnergy”

At the conference it played a video celebrating the 90th anniversary of the Department of Electrical Engineering, held the unveiling ceremony of Mr. Gao Jingde’s memorial sculpture, which was unveiled by Li Meng, Sun Changji, Qiu Yong, and Lu Qiang, to commemorate the 100th birthday of Academician Gao Jingde, the former president of Tsinghua University, and it also held the inauguration ceremony of the English international academic journal “iEnergy” founded by Tsinghua University, for which Zeng Rong, Gu Guobiao, Zhou Xiaoxin, Huang Xuenong, Zheng Fangneng, Zong Junfeng, president of Tsinghua University Press, and Professor He Jinliang, editor-in-chief of “iEnergy” pressed down the launcher.

Mao Yugui’s video

Near the end of the conference, an interview video touched everyone present. Mao Yugui (admitted in 1952), who is the same age as the Department of Electrical Engineering and was born in 1932, has been dedicated to the Northwest China for decades, bringing light to every family in Dingbian County, Shaanxi Province. We will not forget ordinary workers like him who are rooted in the front line of the motherland. The new generation of students of the Department of Electrical Engineering will also inherit the spirit of fearless hardship and selfless dedication, and contribute to the construction of the country.

“Students are brought here from far distance like rain is brought by spring breeze, and they improve themselves for days and nights like trees grow up for years and decades.” The conference ended with the melodious university song. The people of the Department of Electrical Engineering of Tsinghua University will further upholding the department motto of “being strict in learning and being upright as a person”, forging ahead, and dedicating to the motherland, and light up the development of the national power and energy industry on the journey towards the centenary of the Department of Electrical Engineering.