McDonnell Academy Global Energy and Environment Partnership
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Situated on several former royal gardens of the Qing Dynasty, surrounded by a few historical sites in northwest Beijing, is the campus of Tsinghua University. The garden-like landscape, with the Wanquan River meandering through, has inspired and motivated generations of students.

Tsinghua University was established in 1911 originally as "Tsinghua Xuetang," a preparatory school for students who would be sent by the government to study in universities in the United States. The school was renamed "Tsinghua School" in 1912. The university section was instituted in 1925 and undergraduate students were then enrolled. The name "National Tsinghua University" was adopted in 1928, and in 1929 the Research Institute was set up.

Although Western culture was pervasive in the early history of the university, Chinese culture were also cherished and widely studied. The faculty greatly valued the interaction between the Chinese and Western cultures, the sciences and humanities, the ancient and modern. 

After the founding of the People's Republic of China, the university was molded into a polytechnic institution focusing on engineering in the nationwide restructuring of universities and colleges undertaken in 1952. In November 1952, Jiang Nanxiang became the president of the university. He sought to best way to promote Chinese higher education and made significant contributions in redirecting Tsinghua to become the national center for training engineers and scientists with both professional proficiency and personal integrity.

Tsinghua has flourished since 1978, with the re-establishment of the departments in sciences, economics and management, and the humanities. The Tsinghua graduate school has been recognized nationally, ranking first in the National Evaluation of Graduate Schools.  Tsinghua is developing into a comprehensive university at a breathtaking pace.

The educational philosophy of Tsinghua is to "train students with integrity." With strong support from the nation and in the face of unprecedented opportunities, Tsinghua University is poised to become a world-class university in the 21st century. With the inspiring motto "Self-discipline and Social Commitment," Tsinghua is dedicated to the well being of Chinese society.

The Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering (DESE), Tsinghua University (THU) is aiming at the development of technical and sustainable solutions that minimize the impact of society on the environment. Research and teaching are conducted in water supply, wastewater, air, solid waste, environmental chemistry, microbiology, hydrology, ecology, energy and resources, environmental simulation, environmental management and policy, etc.

DESE is China’s preeminent center of environmental education and research with a focus on sciences and technology that fulfills the needs of society. The department offers courses and programs in all traditional and modern environmental sciences and engineering fields.

Washington University in St. Louis                                                                                                                                                   MAGEEP Director:  Dr. Pratim Biswas
McDonnell International Scholars Academy