Tsinghua University

Located on the site of "Qing Hua Yuan" in Haidian District, Beijing, Tsinghua University was founded in 1911, formerly known as a royal garden of Qing Dynasty. The campus is famous for its beautiful surroundings embraced by shady trees and time-honored architectural complexes with different features and styles, in which "Shui Mu Qing Hua" has a long history of reputation. It is listed as one of the 14 world's most beautiful college campuses by Forbes Magazine in 2010, the only one from Asia. 
Tsinghua University is one of the leading universities directly affiliated with the Ministry of Education of China. It is among the list of the Key Universities in both the National Projects 985 and 211, and also the prominent center for higher education and scientific research. The university holds the largest numbers of academicians affiliated with the Chinese Academy of Science and the Chinese Academy of Engineering, of the top disciplines on the whole, of the Key National Laboratories, of national awards in science and technology, of research funds, and also of articles indexed in SCI, EI and ISTP over the years. More than 70% of the top 10 students of sciences and 30% of the top 10 students of liberal arts from the provinces in the National College Entrance Examination in China have chosen Tsinghua University for their undergraduate study.

Tsinghua University has a long tradition of actively developing strategic partnerships and collaborations with prestigious universities, international organizations and enterprises throughout the world. The University sponsors high-level academic exchanges, joint programs, international conferences and other international activities. Student exchanges are encouraged to cultivate talented students with global vision. Tsinghua also plays an important role in global higher education organizations to promote multilateral cooperation and organizes many academic and cultural activities abroad to deepen mutual understanding between people from different countries and regions.

Most national and international university rankings place Tsinghua amongst the best universities in mainland China. Admission to Tsinghua is extremely competitive. Every year, many applicants scoring the highest in the National College Entrance Examination choose Tsinghua. According to a report in 2008, 215 out of 300 students who scored the top 10 in the 30 tested provinces and regions chose Tsinghua and 21 out of the 30 top scorers in each province and region chose the university. Admission to Tsinghua's graduate schools is also very competitive, with, for example, only about 16% of MBA applicants admitted each year.

Tsinghua alumni include the current General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party and Paramount Leader Xi Jinping, who graduated with a degree in chemical engineering in 1979, as well as the CPC General Secretary and former Paramount Leader Hu Jintao, who graduated with a degree in hydraulic engineering in 1964. Tsinghua has a reputation for hosting some of the most distinguished guest speakers of any university in the world, with international leaders such as Bill Clinton, Tony Blair, Henry Kissinger, Carlos Ghosn, Park Geun-hye, and Henry Paulson, all recently giving lectures to the university community.

As of 2003, Tsinghua University has 12 colleges and 48 departments, 41 research institutes, 35 research centers, and 167 laboratories, including 15 national key laboratories. In September 2006, Peking Union Medical College was renamed to Peking Union Medical College, Tsinghua University, although the Peking Union Medical College and Tsinghua University remain two separate institutions. The university offers 51 bachelor's degree programs, 139 master's degree programs and 107 PhD programs. Recently, Tsinghua has become the first Chinese university to offer a Master of Laws program in American law, through a cooperative venture with the Temple University Beasley School of Law. The university is a member of LAOTSE, an international network of leading universities in Europe and Asia. Each year, the University celebrates the Intellectual Property Summer Institute in cooperation with Franklin Pierce Law Center of Concord, New Hampshire. It has its own editorial, Tsinghua University Press.

Announced in 2013, the Schwarzman Scholars program will consist of 200 scholars to be chosen annually to work towards a one-year master's degree in Public Policy, International Relations, Engineering, Economics & Business. These scholars will live on the university campus at Schwarzman College, a residential college being built specifically for this program.