By Li Han

Staff Writer of the Tsinghua News Center

The newly re-named Peking Union Medical College, Tsinghua University was officially introduced to the press and the public at the Great Hall of the People on September 5th. 

The government of China in recent years has pursued aggressively a policy to develop world class universities through cooperation and collaboration agreements. In order to build universities in China into world-class universities and to transform education and promote the innovative use of technology, the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health in September of 2002 gave their support to the establishment of close cooperation between Tsinghua University and Peking Union Medical College.

According to the agreement, Peking Union Medical College will be renamed Peking Union Medical College，Tsinghua University. Peking Union will maintain its own administration, assets, and management of funds. It will operate under the co-lead of the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health while maintaining its legal person status. 

Attending the ceremony were Mr. Wu Jieping, Former Vice Chairman of the NPC Standing Committee, Mr. Zhou Ji, Minister of Education, Mr. Gao Qiang, Minister of Health, Mr. Zhu Shanlu, Member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Beijing Committee and the secretary of Municipal Educational and Working Committee,  Tsinghua President Gu Binglin, Tsinghua University Council Chairman Chen Xi, Professor Liu Depei, President of Peking Union Medical College, and Professor Liu Qian, Party Secretary of the Peking Union Medical College. Mr. Jiang Zuojun, Vice Minister of Health, hosted the ceremony.

The clinical medicine students will have the benefit of joint status at both the sponsoring institutions.