Tsinghua University yesterday opened its School of Journalism and Communication in an effort to play a positive role in China's media studies.

Officials from the Ministry of Education, the Information Office under the State Council, the All-China Journalists' Association and several major news organizations participated in the ceremony.

Four interdisciplinary research centers have been established at the school: international communication, film and television communication, new media communication and media management.

Through cooperations with other universities and news media, the school is expected to train students to become high-level news professionals with a solid background in international communications, said Fan Jingyi, the school dean.

Fan said Tsinghua's comprehensive discipline background will help the students master scientific technologies.

Tsinghua has built a reputation on its science and engineering departments and is poised to become a world-class university this century.

(China Daily April 22, 2002)