Rector of Leiden University Visits Tsinghua
As the strategic relationship between Tsinghua and Leiden continues to take giant leaps, a cooperation agreement to boost Tsinghua’s Center for Astrophysics lifts-off.
(May 2, 2017) A delegation led by Prof. Carel Stolker, the Rector of Leiden University visited Tsinghua University in early May and held meetings with the Vice President Prof. Shi Yigong and various departments of Tsinghua University.
Vice President Shi warmly welcomed Rector Stolker’s visit to Tsinghua, and expressed the hope of continued success in the collaboration between the two universities. Leiden and Tsinghua have an extensive history of cooperation, which, in recent years has evolved into a strategically important partnership.
An agreement between Tsinghua’s Center for Astrophysics and Leiden Observatory was signed, which will lead to greater student and staff mobility, research collaboration, and joint conferences, symposia and lectures. The world-renowned Leiden Observatory was established in 1633, contributing to the historical foundation of Astronomy. The observatory is dedicated to exploring the science of galaxies, exo-planets, forming stars and planets.
Professor Shi Yigong and professor Carel Stolker signed a university-wide student exchange agreement.
Other cooperation agreements signed during the visit will increase mobility of students at a university-level and expand department level cooperation between Tsinghua’s School of Law and Leiden Law School.
The delegation also paid visits to the School of Law and Tsinghua Science and Technology Park. The visit builds on the long standing ties between the university which were formalized with a historic university-level memorandum of understanding signed in 2016.
Vice Presdient Shi said "Leiden University is world renowned for its quality of research and is an important partner of Tsinghua University. The signing of these agreements will further promote our cooperation in a number of key areas and facilitate a greater level of exchange between our students and teachers".
"It is wonderful to see the collaboration between our schools develop so rapidly in areas ranging from Astronomy, Environmental studies and Biomedicine to Law and Linguistics”, said Rector Stolker.
Note about Carel Stolker
Carel Stolker became the Rector of Leiden University in 2013. He started his academic career in 1979 at the department of Civil Law at Leiden, where he taught property law. He also taught post-academic subjects to lawyers, notaries, judges and company lawyers. In 1991 he taught liability law at the University of California Hastings College of Law. A renowned professor of private law, Prof Stalker is the author of many titles including “Rethinking the law school. Education, research, outreach and governance.”
Note about Leiden University
Leiden University has been an international university from its founding in 1575 and is one of Europe’s leading research universities. Leiden has designated China a priority country with which it seeks to establish a partnership program of long-term teaching and research collaboration. 2017 has been designated Asia Year at Leiden. The university also houses the world-renowned Asia Library with special and rare Chinese collections. For more information visit www.universiteitleiden.nl/en
Contributors: John Paul Grima
Chang Zhidong
