China's Tsinghua University, one of the country's premiere institutions of higher learning, celebrated its centennial anniversary on Sunday.

President Hu Jintao, top legislator Wu Bangguo, Premier Wen Jiabao, top political advisor Jia Qinglin, Vice President Xi Jinping and Vice Premier Li Keqiang joined over 8,000 guests at the celebration at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.

Hu extended congratulations and greetings to Tsinghua's students, faculty and alumni during his speech during the celebration.

Hu called on the youth to be ambitious and diligent and to make unremitting efforts to build a brilliant future for the nation. He said the country's building of socialist modernization is providing Chinese youth with great opportunities to explore and display their talent.

Hu spoke highly of the university's fine cultural tradition and its glorious history in making contributions to the nation. He also appreciated the university's continuous efforts to improve the quality of its education.

"The overall quality of the entire country's higher education should also be promoted, as education is a fundamental element for the sound and rapid development of China's economy and society," Hu said.

Also, efforts should be made in fostering students' all-round development as well as in enhancing the capability of research and innovation, he said.

"I hope that young students in China could strive to develop both their academic and moral excellence, their innovative minds and hands-on experiences, and to combine their all-round development with their individual specialties," Hu said.

Tsinghua President Gu Binglin, as well as representatives of the university's faculty and students, gave speeches at the celebration.

Additionally, Peking University President Zhou Qifeng and Yale University President Richard C. Levin presented congratulations as representatives from domestic and foreign universities.

A delegation from the Tsinghua University in Taiwan's Hsinchu also attended the celebration in Beijing.

Originally founded in 1911 as a training school for students seeking to study abroad, the university is known for training large numbers of scientists and engineers.

Tsinghua's alumni include President Hu Jintao, Wu Bangguo, chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, Vice President Xi Jinping, and former premier Zhu Rongji. Three Nobel Prize winners, Lee Tsung-dao, Yang Chen-ning and Lee Yuan-tseh were also graduates from Tsinghua University.

Also on Sunday, a celebration for the centenary was held simultaneously at Tsinghua University in Taiwan's Hsinchu. Leaders of Taiwan Ma Ying-joeu, Wu Den-yih and Wang Jin-pyng attended the celebration for congratulation.

Dr. Chen Lih-jun, president of Tsinghua University in Hsinchu, told Xinhua that the two universities should hold hands together when facing a common challenge of global talent competition in the 21st century.

Chen hoped that the two Tsinghua universities, which share the same root in history, could jointly endeavor to be ranked in the top 50 universities worldwide.

Tsinghua University in Hsinchu was established in 1956 by Mei Yiqi who was former president of Tsinghua in Beijing. The two universities shared the same motto, same anthem and same alumni communities.

According to a global university ranking published by the Times newspaper in London in 2010, Tsinghua Universities in Beijing and Hsinchu were ranked 58 and 107 respectively.

(Xinhua News Agency April 24, 2011)