Weixian College is Tsinghua University's first college focused on cultivating world-class engineering innovation talent. Eestablished in 2022, Weixian College is based on Tsinghua's years of successful exploration and practice in nurturing outstanding innovative talent. The name of Weixian College is derived from Tsinghua University's school anthem, "qi shi wei xian, wen yi qi cong" (which means "One's character and insight come first, while knowledge and skills follow"). This phrase fully reflects the importance Tsinghua places on "value shaping" within its "three-in-one" educational philosophy, and is highly consistent with Tsinghua's educational principles of "being both red in heart and specialized in knowledge, and developing in a comprehensive manner." The college aims to select outstanding students with strong sense of national responsibility, passion for academics, and remarkable innovation potential, providing high-quality faculty and educational resources. It implements personalized education and fulfill Tsinghua's undergraduate educational orientation of "general education as the foundation, integrating general education with professional education." The college seeks to innovate the undergraduate education model, training future technological leaders with solid foundations in science and engineering, excellent humanities literacy, and outstanding leadership skills.
The establishment of Weixian College is both a continuation and development of Tsinghua University's ongoing efforts to deepen educational reforms and represents a new and solid step forward in cultivating world-class talent and serving national strategic needs.
Leveraging on Tsinghua University's strengths in engineering, Weixian College has meticulously designed integrated curriculum system combining "General Education Modules / Scientific and Engineering Foundations + Major/Field-specific Modules + Innovation Practice." Building on Tsinghua's established strengths in scientific and engineering fundamentals, the college has developed a structured general education curriculum specifically designed to enhance students' leadership development and humanistic literacy. For instance, the initiative collaborates with Schwarzman College to deliver global leadership programs, partners with Tsinghua University's Academy of Arts & Design to develop creative design curricula, and has extended its reach through the China-Italy Design Innovation Hub as an overseas practicum platform. Additionally, several departments/schools co-build and share a student research and open innovation platforms with Weixian College, offering students ample hands-on opportunities.
Weixian College has carefully designed its academic program to allow for flexibility and autonomy in student development. The program strictly controls the total number of required credits to intentionally leave space for self-directed learning. Breaking away from traditional disciplinary constraints, Weixian College adopts a "Major + Track" model. In addition to traditional majors such as Measurement Control Technology and Instruments; Materials Science and Engineering; and Biomedical Engineering, the college offers interdisciplinary tracks aligned with cutting-edge fields—such as Information Technology, Intelligent Engineering, Low-carbon Energy, and Life and Health—allowing students to freely choose their academic pathways.
The college encourages students to explore their own interests and pursue individual development goals. After completing the required general education and foundational courses, students are supported by faculty mentors in selecting advanced courses and engaging in research training within their chosen areas of interest, thereby deepening their academic experience. Based on this foundation, students may also explore extended academic pathways such as five-year combined Bachelor's-Master's programs or early admission to doctoral studies.
Through creating an open and flexible growth environment, students are empowered to choose the most suitable courses and define their academic direction—demonstrating their capabilities in the process. The undergraduate specialized courses align directly with students' future graduate research focus, which mirrors cutting-edge technological frontiers or emerging industry trends.
One of Tsinghua University's most successful experiences and core traditions in engineering education is its emphasis on hands-on, real-world engineering training. Weixian College places particular importance on cultivating students' practical engineering abilities. In addition to offering a range of practical courses and extracurricular training, the college has established a dedicated 6-8-month Engineering Innovation Practice Program. Through this program, students are placed in R&D departments of leading enterprises or top academic and research institutions, both domestically and internationally, to engage in immersive engineering practice. This experience strengthens students’ understanding of large-scale, real-world engineering scenarios and enhances their practical engineering skills.
Scientific research is key to developing students’ innovative thinking and capabilities. Aimed at cultivating future leaders in science and technology innovation, Weixian College provides a variety of avenues to foster students’ passion for exploring the frontiers of science, develop their research competencies, and enhance their innovative mindset and practical problem-solving abilities. These initiatives include one-on-one academic mentorship with leading scholars actively engaged in cutting-edge research, a four-year "Technology Innovation and Challenge" (TIC) program module, incorporating frontier research topics into innovation projects, and enabling students to join top research laboratories at an early stage. These forward-looking initiatives go beyond conventional training models to identify and inspire students' research potential and systematically enhance their academic abilities.
Tsinghua University's former president and renowned educator, Mr. Mei Yiqi, once said: “A school is like water, teachers and students are like fish; swimming is like their interaction. Big fish lead, small fish follow—this is called cong you (learning by following). When one follows for a long time, the influence and inspiration happen naturally, without deliberate effort.”This philosophy reflects one of Tsinghua’s most enduring traditions in cultivating high-quality talent.
“Weixian College deeply integrates the educational philosophy of "cong you", which emphasizes learning through close interaction between teachers and students, into its teaching practices and community culture.”From the first year of undergraduate study, every student is paired with an academic advisor selected from top scholars actively engaged in research frontline. Adopting a “drip-irrigation” style of development, the college fosters one-on-one mentor-student relationships to provide personalized guidance on academic planning and future graduate pathways.
Mentors help students navigate cutting-edge fields, explore hands-on opportunities, awaken academic interests, and prove their abilities. Based on this strong foundation of mentor-mentee companionship, Weixian College encourages students and advisors to grow into collaborative academic partners, working together from undergraduate through doctoral stages in a coherent and continuous developmental pathway.
