On the afternoon of May 29, Vice President Peng Gang visited the Institute for International and Area Studies for research and discussed with the leadership team and representatives of young scholars. Meng Yanchun, Deputy Director of the Department of Liberal Arts, accompanied him.

After listening to the work reports of Dean Yang Guang and Deputy Deans Zhang Jing and Zhao Jinsong, Mr. Peng affirmed the development of IIAS in recent years,and pointed out that area studies should serve the national strategic development. It is important for IIAS to give full play to Tsinghua’s comprehensive discipline advantages, pay attention to the multi-disciplinary sources of students and customize the curriculum of students. It is also necessary to persist in cultivating students’ “sense of presence” in the local areas, emphasize fundamental research, value long-term research with a sense of historical depth, and strive to shape a distinctive research school of area studies. Mr. Peng also gave guidance on the formulation of the 14th Five-Year Plan of IIAS.