By Li Han

Staff Writer of the Tsinghua News Center

An opening ceremony attended by over 100 guests from both France and China marked the launch of the Joint International Post-Master and Master Programs in Energy System Management and Environmental Management at Tsinghua on February 25 in the Main Building. After the ceremony, the participants started their second four months of study and research at Tsinghua.

Early in 2001, Tsinghua University and the French Ministry of Education along with a French consortium of higher education establishments, research institutes and public organizations signed a protocol for the French-Chinese Center for Environment and Energy in Tsinghua (CEFCEET).These two programs were initiated under the framework of CEFCEET with the purpose of carrying out educational, scientific and technological cooperation in environment and energy research. Starting from 2003, Tsinghua University，the École des Mines de Paris (EMP), and the Institut National des Sciences Appliquées de Lyon (INSA de Lyon) have been working closely to prepare for the International Post-Master and Master programs in Environmental Management and Energy Systems Management. The programs were officially launched in 2007.

The 14-month program is jointly designed by the Chinese and French sponsors. It includes an eight month academic curriculum of intensive seminars in France and China and six months of applied practical experience in an industrial context. The first group of students includes twelve students from Tsinghua and seven international students from France, Finland and other EU countries.

Tsinghua University President Gu Binglin exchanged ideas on energy and environmental development and education and discussed future cooperation  with the French guests prior to the opening ceremony. “I think the joint program will further promote cooperation between Tsinghua and French universities,” President Gu remarked.

Tsinghua Vice President Xie Weihe attended the ceremony. “The purpose of these two programs is to nurture high-level international management professionals in the fields of energy system management and environmental management who will be qualified to work in Chinese and French companies and government agencies and institutions. These two programs offer the opportunity to mix students from various cultural backgrounds and give them a high-level management approach with an international vision, provide in-depth knowledge in the interdisciplinary field of environmental and energy systems management, and teach them the skills, tools, and methodologies to support a global approach for managing complex systems,” VP Xie said in his remarks to the audience at the opening ceremony.

Professor Benoît Legait，Director of École des Mines de Paris, Professor Alain Storck, Director of INSA de Lyon, Ms. Donatienne Issard，Vice Counsellor of the French Embassy’s Office for Culture and Education, Ms.Chandrika Casali, Councillor associated DREIC-DEF2TP, General Secretariat, French Ministry of National Education, and Mr Rudie Filon, Head of Sector Development & Co-operation of the European Commission, all spoke at the ceremony as well. “The program enables us to learn a lot from  experts from renowned Chinese and French universities and broadens our horizon,” said Xin Yan, a Tsinghua female student who is one of the participants in the program majoring in environmental science and engineering.

(Photo by Guo Haijun)