Our Goal: A People’s University

　　Phurbu Tsering (China)

　　Tibet University is a comprehensive university in Tibet Autonomous Region. For all those years since its establishment, it has been focused on improving its students’ both physical and academic performances and has made remarkable achievement in education.

　　Tibet University has witnessed a significant improvement in its overall strength thanks to its strategy of developing courses with uniqueness.

　　Since the founding of the university, we have been striving to build it into a high-level university to match the central government’s strategy of “great development of the nation’s western regions” and the “plan to revitalize the higher-learning institutions in central and western regions. We have been making every effort to cultivate more useful and competent personnel to serve Tibet and to popularize Tibetan culture. In June 2001, Tibet University was designated as a regional key higher learning institution; it became a jointly developed university by the regional government and the Ministry of Education; it was listed as one of the national-level “211” key universities in September 2004; it was taken into the plan to revitalize the higher-learning institutions in central and western region in May 2013, and was accredited as a university to provide doctoral education. It has also made additional achievements in higher learning and it serves as a model for universities established in ethnic minority communities.

　　Tibet University has enjoyed increasing core competitiveness.

　　Subject construction is the basis and platform for college teaching, scientific innovation and training of human resources. The subject strength is an important barometer to measure a university’s overall strength, academic status and social reputation. In recent years, we have been following the guidelines of “strengthen ethnic culture and plateau technology, develop basic and applied subjects, and create inter-related new subjects.” We have taken into consideration of the national and regional economic and social development when devising our own curriculum. We have coordinated the development of different subjects and the use of various scientific resources to achieve new breakthroughs. Our achievements are listed as follows:

　　First, we have strengthened subject construction with uniqueness.

　　Guided by the principles of “supported the good, the unique and the needed,” we have established a number of national, regional and university-level key subjects which are conducive to Tibetan economic and social development. We have also established several subjects which we are accredited with the right to grant MA and PhD degrees. Currently, Tibet University has 50 subjects with bachelor’s degree, covering economy, law, education, literature, history, math, technology, medical science, management and art; 10 first-class disciplines and 42 second-class disciplines with master’s degree; three first-class disciplines and 12 second-class disciplines with doctor’s degree. Among them, Chinese ethnic language and literature (Tibetan language) is a national-level key subject; plateau ecology is a national-level key subject under cultivation; 14 are regional-level subjects.

　　We have an increasing number of faculty who are dedicated to teaching and researching.

　　For a university, its faculty plays a key role in lifting the university’s comprehensive competitiveness. During years of practice, we have spare no efforts in bringing in a large number of teachers who have their respective strengths in certain subjects. In the meantime, we break the boundaries by inviting experienced teachers to the university. In our Lhasa campus, we have 773 teachers, accounting for 73.5 percent of all faculty; the number of teachers with associate professor title is 333, which accounts for 43 percent of all faculty from a mere 14.8 percent in 2005; the number of teachers with a PhD degree is 90, three times more than that of 2005; the number of teachers with a master’s degree is 433, a proportion of 56 percent from 19.8 percent in 2005. Our distinguished professors include one academician with the Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE), one Cheung Kong Scholars Chair professor; one of our teachers has won the funding from “the national science foundation for outstanding youth;” two are selected as national-level personnel by the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security; three are chosen to become “new century foundation plan for outstanding youth” of Ministry of Education; two are shortlisted for academician with the CAE in 2011; and a number of our faculty enjoy special allowance of the State Council.

　　We have made remarkable progress in scientific research.

　　Scientific research is one of the key responsibilities of a university. It is of vital importance to social and economic development and is of critical significance in determining the performance of a university. Recently, we have been grasping opportunities presented by the central and local government to improve our scientific research abilities so as to better serve the need of society. During the “12th Five-Year Plan” period, we have taken responsibility for more than 500 above provincial-level scientific research projects: 68 of which were Natural Science Foundation of China projects; 55 of which were National Social Science Fund projects; 168 were ministry-level projects; 227 were regional-level projects; 19 international cooperation projects. We have been granted a total of 160.5 million yuan worth of research fund. We have published more than 2,000 papers, and over 40 were included in SCI and EI journals; 130 in CSSCI journals. We have had 190-odd books and translated books published, and 20-plus research results won provincial-level awards. One of our projects won the second prize in the National Prize for Progress in Science and Technology.

　　Our research platforms have been strengthened with improving scientific research environment.

　　Research platforms are vital for a university’s team work construction and teaching improvement. In recent years, we have attracted a large number of experienced and skillful teachers who have made enormous contribution to the teaching quality of our school. We have formed eight scientific research and innovation teams focused respectively on Tibetan language information processing, Tibetan bio-diversity and sustainable development, Tibetan economy and management, ethnic arts, plateau medical science, history and literature, Tibetan language and literature and cosmic radiation. In 2009, our computer and Tibetan language information technology team won the title of a “national-level faculty team.” In 2010, Tibetan language information processing team was selected as an innovative team of “the Cheugn Kong Scholar and innovative team development plan” by the Ministry of Education; in 2012, our team on bio-diversity and molecular evolution was selected as “innovative team development plan” by the Ministry of Education.

　　We have conducted more communication with both domestic and international schools and have enjoyed a rising reputation.

　　We must conduct more communication with the outside world so as to improve our own teaching ability. We have cooperated with Peking University, Southwest Jiaotong University, Sichuan University, and Higher Education in terms of subject construction, scientific research and faculty and student exchanges. To strengthen our international cooperation, we established ties with Japan’s University of Tokyo, Norway’s University of Oslo, University of Bergen, the U.S. University of Virginia, Germany’s University of Marburg, etc. The cosmic radiation observatory in Yangpachen is a demonstration of such effort.

　　We continue to carry out reform to optimize internal management.

　　Since the third plenary session of the 18th CPC Central Committee, we have been striving to build Tibet University into a more dynamic and vibrant university to serve the social and economic development. First, we will continue to coordinate the relations between the school, faculty and the student. Second, we will establish a number of subjects which will contribute to the country’s economic and social development. Third, we will innovate ways to better equip our students and faculty. Fourth, we will mobilize all faculty so that they will be able to bring their talent into full play.

　　With eyes on the horizon, all students and faculty in Tibet University will against all odds train more people to match the social and economic progress in China as part of our efforts to realize the great Chinese dream!

　　(Phurbu Tsering, President of Tibet University)