Rooted in PKU, Prosper in Yale

Peking University, Beijing, Oct. 30, 2009: On the afternoon of Oct 24^th, PKU President Zhou Qifeng, CPC PKU Committee Vice Secretary Zhang Yan, PKU Health Science Center CPC Committee Secretary Ao Yingfang, China Agricultural University President and alumnus of PKU Ke Bingsheng visited the energy saving building Kroon Hall of School of Forest and Environment in Yale University to attend the get-together meeting for PKU alumni in Yale. The meeting was organized by Prof. Deng Xingwang and other members of Association of PKU Alumni in Yale, sponsored by Yale-PKU Botanical Molecular Genetics and Agribiology technology Institute, and supported by about one hundred PKU alumni in Yale.

The meeting began with a movie Symphony of Light and Shadow. Leaders of PKU and professors and students of Yale watched the movie, which was about the history and environment of PKU, and the movie brought back the unforgettable memory of PKU to all the alumni.

PKU President Zhou Qifeng and PKU alumni in Yale University

Zhang Xin presented a frame to PKU President Zhou Qifeng on behalf of Alumni Association

The discussion was host by Zhao Yong and Zhang Wanting, alumni from Yuanpei Collage. Yale professors Zhou Huibin, Su Bin, Guan Yongtao and Zhong Weimin, who were all alumni of PKU, delivered speeches and gave a warm welcome to the PKU leaders. They expressed their gratitude to PKU and intention of academic communication between Yale and PKU. After that, Li Jigang and some other alumni of PKU, who were in different majors of Yale, made presentations about their life here, their achievements, and the communication between their collages and PKU. They also showed their determination to work hard in Yale.

President Zhou Qifeng first made congratulations on the students achievements. Then he talked about his own experiences about studying in America and showed his understand and support to the PKU alumni who were overcoming all difficulties and working hard here. He hoped that the students would work under the guidance of Discipline, diligence, truth-seeking and creativity , lay a good foundation of knowledge and make contribution to our nation in the future.

Later, hosted by Cheng Jinhua, alumni of PKU Law School, leaders of PKU made interactive communications with Yale professors and students, alumni of PKU, which put the meeting to a climax. PKU leaders made appropriate answers to the questions raised by all students, which was helpful to everyone. When they came to the comparison between education of PKU and Yale, President Zhou said that Yale had a history of more than 300 years, and PKU had a lot to learn from Yale. During the conference in Yale, leaders of Yale and principals of different universities in China mainly discussed about the idea of Liberal Arts Education. PKU has been applying this idea in Yuanpei Collage, and will implement further plans to provide Liberal Arts Education to more students.

President Zhou said, Besides the pattern of Liberal Arts Education, PKU will also put education about leadership and comprehensive quality into the plan, and keeping a good academic atmosphere is even more important. CPC PKU Committee Vice Secretary Zhang Yan said, The education plans of PKU are changing with time. Whether to choose liberal arts education or specialty education is decided by different periods, majors and individuals. PKU s education pattern will develop with the improvement of the environment and its teaching group.

PKU Health Science Center CPC Committee Secretary Ao Yingfang noted that Health Science Center mainly focused on specialty education in the past years, and now they were strengthen the communication between Health Science Center and other schools of PKU in order to provide more choices on courses for the students and broaden their horizons. When they came to students questions about choosing jobs, President of China Agricultural University Ke Bingsheng took his own experience as an example to encourage the students to do what interests them most and what is needed by society, which was approved by the students.

At the end of the meeting, President Zhou stressed the importance of the work of alumni, spoke highly of the Association of PKU Alumni in Yale University and hoped that all the alumni would reach more achievements and add glory to PKU.

At last, Zhang Xin, President of Yale University Chinese Students and Scholars Association, presented PKU a souvenir frame on behalf of all the PKU alumni in Yale. In the frame was a photo of leaders of PKU and PKU alumni in Yale, titled Rooted in PKU, Prosper in Yale , which contained the alumni s sincere love for PKU.

Edited by: Xiang Yunke

Translated by: Qin Yixiao

Source: PKU News (Chinese)