By Li Han, Tsinghua News Center

The 16th Annual Meeting of the Association of East Asian Research Universities (AEARU) was held at Tsinghua University on October 28th. Presidents or vice presidents from all 17 member universities gathered to discuss and share ideas on future research and educational issues.

AEARU is a regional organization founded in January 1996 with the goals of providing a forum for the presidents of leading research-oriented universities in East Asia and of carrying out mutual exchanges between the major universities in the region. Currently, the members include Tsinghua University - Bejing, Peking University, Fudan University, Nanjing University, University of Science and Technology of China, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Taiwan University, Tsing Hua University - Hsinchu, the University of Tokyo, Kyoto University, Osaka University, Tohoku University, Tokyo Institute of Technology, University of Tsukuba, Seoul National University, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, and Pohang University of Science and Technology.

Tsinghua University President Gu Binglin delivered a welcoming speech in which he outlined Tsinghua's recent development.

The university leaders discussed AEARU issues and exchanged ideas on future research topics and ways of enhancing undergraduate education.

The 27th Board of Directors Meeting was held in the afternoon. The representatives also visited the Network Research Center of Tsinghua University and Tsinghua Science Park.

A Tsinghua University exhibition was held on the same day, showing Tsinghua's history and new developments in teaching, research, the faculty, student activities, and international cooperation.

This is the first time for AEARU annual meeting was held in Beijing. It is also one of the series of activities at Tsinghua leading up to the celebration of its 100th anniversary in 2011.

(Photo  by Guo Haijun)