Dean's Message
The life sciences at Tsinghua University have a long and distinguished history. Originating from the Department of Biology, which was founded in 1926 as one of China’s earliest centers for modern biological education and research, the program has cultivated generations of outstanding biologists and medical professionals. These alumni have contributed significantly to the nation’s scientific and economic development. Following the nationwide restructuring of higher education in 1952, the department was merged into other institutions. After 32 years, the Department of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology was reestablished in 1984, eventually evolving into the School of Life Sciences in 2009.
Over nearly a century of development, and particularly in the 42 years since its reestablishment, the School of Life Sciences has steadfastly pursued the goal of building a world-class discipline. Supported by major national initiatives and drawing on Tsinghua’s comprehensive strengths, the School is guided by a spirit of being pioneering, pursuing excellence, remaining open and inclusive, and striving for pragmatic innovation. By deepening reforms, recruiting top global talent, and actively engaging in high-level international cooperation, the School has achieved notable progress in faculty development, talent cultivation, disciplinary advancement, research innovation, and platform building. Today, the School stands as one of China’s most distinctive and influential centers for life sciences education and scientific innovation.
The School is authorized to confer doctoral degrees in the first-level discipline of Biology. Notably, Biophysics and Structural Biology, along with Cell and Developmental Biology, have been selected for the National First-Class Discipline Excellence Initiative. Meanwhile, fields such as Neuroscience, Synthetic and Systems Biology, Plant Biology, and Physiology and Molecular Medicine are advancing rapidly, shaping a dynamic academic landscape characterized by distinctive strengths and multidimensional breakthroughs.
As the first pilot unit for personnel reform at Tsinghua University, the School has actively explored internationally aligned models for faculty recruitment and management. Guided by a balanced approach to attracting, nurturing, and utilizing talent, it has built a high-caliber faculty with a well-structured disciplinary composition, a balanced age profile, and outstanding teaching and research capabilities. As of the end of 2025, the School has over 660 faculty and staff members. This includes 91 core faculty members (67 in the teaching and research track, 5 in the teaching track, and 19 in the research track), alongside 215 postdoctoral researchers.
Guided by the fundamental mission of fostering virtue through education, the School currently enrolls 407 undergraduate and 1,095 graduate students. In recent years, it has continually deepened educational reform, refined admission and selection mechanisms, and explored innovative models for high-quality talent development. By strengthening the full-cycle training and management of graduate students and cultivating a vibrant, inclusive academic ecosystem, the School has steadily enhanced the quality of its talent cultivation, producing a steady stream of outstanding students and distinguished alumni.
Regarding research platform development, the School has established numerous high-impact research institutions and shared facilities. These include the Tsinghua–Peking Center for Life Sciences (a national-level center), the Beijing Frontier Research Center for Biological Structure, the Tsinghua–IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, the Center for Synthetic and Systems Biology, the Center for Plant Biology, and various university-level platforms spanning multiple life sciences domains. In 2025, the School launched the Center for Life Sciences and Artificial Intelligence to advance the deep integration of life sciences with cutting-edge information technologies. This initiative injects new momentum into disciplinary development and helps cultivate new quality productive forces.
In 2026, the life sciences at Tsinghua University will celebrate its centennial—a century marked by perseverance, achievement, and an enduring commitment to education and discovery. Standing at this new historical juncture, the School will continue to pursue a strategy of maintaining its strengths, achieving key breakthroughs, fostering disciplinary synergy, and realizing comprehensive advancement. Driven by a commitment to high-quality, sustainable development, we will deepen interdisciplinary integration and strive for pioneering breakthroughs in both fundamental frontiers and major applied research, accelerating our progress to rank among the world’s top life sciences institutions. Simultaneously, the School is dedicated to building a premier academic hub that attracts and nurtures outstanding young scientists from around the world. By fostering globally influential platforms for exchange and collaboration, we aim to contribute Tsinghua’s wisdom and strength to the worldwide advancement of life sciences and biotechnology.
We warmly invite outstanding scholars and aspiring students from across the globe to join us in shaping a remarkable new century for the life sciences at Tsinghua!
Song-Hai Shi, Ph.D.
Professor and Dean