The Beijing-based prestigious Tsinghua University (TU) will commemorate its 100th anniversary of founding together with its counterpart in Taiwan April 24, 2011, said visiting TU President Gu Binglin in an interview with Xinhua here Saturday.

Tsinghua University, located in the northwestern suburbs of Beijing, was established in 1911. In 1956, some renowned scholars and faculty from Tsinghua announced to reinstall a "Tsing Hua University" in Hsinchu of Taiwan.

Both Tsinghua University in Beijing and its counterpart in Hsinchu have come from the same root, said Gu, who explained the reason behind hosting the centenary anniversary of the two universities together.

"Not only are the two universities' regulations the same, but also our university have much in common with our counterpart in Taiwan in terms of the concepts for operating a college of higher learning, ways to teach students, as well as cultural atmosphere," said Gu,"Badges of the two universities are almost the same."

Close exchange and cooperation between the two universities have been going on since many years back. For instance, there have been a student exchange program since 2001, with 20 students being recruited for each year.

According to Gu, activities for celebrating the 100th anniversary of the two universities will include publishing of serial academic books, sponsoring of 100 symposiums, and organizing students from both universities to carry out welfare services in poverty ridden areas on the mainland and flood-hit areas in Taiwan.

"We hope to improve cooperation and exchange between the two universities by summing up experience of the past 100 years and to work together to achieve top-class achievements internationally," Gu added.

(From Xinhuanet http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/china/2010-03/21/c_13218853.htm)