As an integral part of the Chinese efforts to build first-rate universities, the Center for Life Sciences (CLS) was established in 2011 at Tsinghua and Peking Universities. It is supported by the central government through the Ministry of Education (MOE), the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) and the Ministry of Finance (MOF). The mission of the center is to reform education and research, to attract excellent scientists interested in education, to conduct cutting edge research, and to nurture future generations of innovative scientists and educators.
Cooperation in education will be highly encouraged between the two universities. Both undergraduate and graduate students can choose courses, advisors and laboratories from either university. Students will be able to design individualized curriculum with the diversified background and strength of faculty members in the two universities.
Collaboration in research will be highly encouraged among scientists from the two universities. At each university, the center will anchor faculty members distributed in multiple schools and departments, ranging from biology, chemistry, physics, engineering, to psychology and medicine, nurturing interdisciplinary interactions. The center expects its independent laboratories led by principal investigators to pursue important scientific questions.
MOE will support the center to reform the education system, integrating education and research to foster the students’ creativity. MOF will provide a basic operating budget. MOST supports PIs from the center to apply for competitive grants.
The center values academic excellence in its faculty and students, and inspires them to contribute knowledge of lasting significance to the human society.