(Tsinghua News Center) A ceremony to mark the naming of the multi-million yuan Meng Minwei Science Building -- a symbol of Tsinghua’s development vision -- was held May 11 in the main building.

Special guests were Dr. Meng Minwei, the chairman of Xinxing Group, and Nobel Laureate and Tsinghua professor Yang Zhenning. President Gu Binglin addressed the gathering.

The 15,000-square-meter Meng Minwei Science Building, designed by Dean of the Architecture School Guan Zhaoye, is located in the western part of campus. In operation since 1999, it has garnered worldwide praise for its striking design.

Total cost of the facility was 43 million RMB, which includes a 20 million RMB donation from Dr. Meng.

In his address, Dr. Meng said that he was honored to attend the event at his alma mater, where he entered as a freshman in 1946. Describing himself as public-spirited, he said he has always followed the principle that “what you earn from the society you should return to society”.

Dr. Meng established Xinxing Group, Hong Kong in 1953. In 1994, he started the Xinxing Education and Charity Foundation to support education development. He has founded various institutes and funded scholarships in many colleges and universities.

Emphasizing Tsinghua’s proud history, Dr. Meng recalled numerous outstanding alumni such as mathematician Hua Luogeng, Nobel prize winner Yang Zhenning, and world-renowned architect Liang Sicheng.

President Gu thanked Dr. Meng and his Xinxing Group for their continuous support of Tsinghua, and he praised Dr. Meng’s long and successful career in business.

Vice President Zhang Fengchang presided over the ceremony.

Reported by Wei Wei

Photoed by Guohaijun