By Li Han

Staff Writer of the Tsinghua News Center

Professor Susan Hockfield, President of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology （MIT), was awarded Tsinghua University Honorary Doctorate January 15.

The awarding ceremony of the doctorate was held in the main building. Tsinghua President Gu Binglin awarded the diploma to President Susan Hockfield. Tsinghua Vice President Xie Weihe hosted the ceremony.

After the ceremony, Professor Hockfield delivered a speech titled “The University in the Global Age.” During her speech, Professor Hockfield noted that universities all over the world face great challenges and just like businesses and governments, universities must also meet the need of a new, global age. She said that as research institutions, universities seek to advance knowledge for the benefit of society and as teaching institutions, universities seek to educate the leaders of the next generation.

 “The most successful universities are--and will continue to be--those that integrate these two enterprises,-teaching and research, most closely,” said Professor Hockfield.

She also talked about how universities can contribute to knowledge-based economics by innovation, the importance of collaboration, and how universities can educate the leaders that the world needs.

Professor Hockfield answered several questions from students after the speech.

Tsinghua President Gu Binglin met and had a talk with Professor Hockfield, exchanging ideas on cooperation between the two universities.

Susan Hockfield is the sixteenth president of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.