Peking University, Dec. 22, 2010: The First Peking University Endowment for the Humanities Giving Ceremony was held in Yingjie Overseas Exchange Center on December 20. The endowment was donated by Kwang-Hua Education Foundation. 

PKU President Zhou Qifeng expressed his congratulations to the award-winning teachers on behalf of the university. He spoke highly of Kwang-Hua Education Foundation's contribution to education in both Taiwan and mainland. He also showed sincere thanks to Mr.Yin Yanliang, General Director of Kwang-Hua Education Foundation, for his unswerving attention and support for PKU. President Zhou said that humanities at PKU should undertake more responsibilities in a time when globalization penetrates into every field in society, and every award-winner was expected to make progress and be innovative in their respective academic fields, inherit and rich national culture, and improve human civilization.  

Liu Bo, Head of PKU Department of Human Resources, introduced the implementation and evaluation of Kwang-Hua Education Foundation. Five teachers were appointed as chair professors, forty-eight gained awards of outstanding young scholars. The foundation provided funds to 14 visiting scholars as well.

Prof. Tu Weiming, deputy of the chair professors, Dean of PKU Institute for Advanced Humanistic Studies, delivered a speech, expressing his thanks and briefing research work of the institute. He indicated that cultural globalization was keeping pace with its localization. How to take root in Chinese culture and open to the world at the same time and how to disseminate local knowledge with global meanings were major challenges for humanistic studies, according to Prof.Tu. He hoped to collaborate with his colleges to promote new understanding and development of traditional culture and its essence.

                                  Mr. Yin Yanliang, Prof. Tu Weiming and PKU President Zhou Qifeng

Prof. Du Xiaoqin from Chinese Department spoke on behalf of outstanding young, saying that he would take the award as a chance, follow the examples of the scholars and teachers at present, and continue working on his research field and try to make more contribution.

At last, Mr. Yin Yanliang made the concluding speech in which he showed that he was much honored to attend the ceremony, and regarded it as a beginning rather than an end. He also cherished the opportunity to cooperate with PKU, highlighting the importance of humanities to China and the world.

Early this year, Mr.Yin Yanliang signed a cooperative contract with PKU in the name of Kwang-Hua Education Foundation, donating 60 million RMB to set up PKU Endowment for the Humanities. The endowment aims at supporting the development of humanities departments, appointing chair professors, awarding outstanding young scholars and providing financial aids to academic exchanges.

Translated by: Li Nuoya
Edited by: Chen Miaojuan
Source: PKU News (Chinese)