The founding anniversary of Tsing Hua is celebrated on April 29^th this year. April 29^th was the exact date when Tsing Hua Academy started to operate in 1911, Beijing. Traditionally, NTHU has adopted a policy to celebrate her founding anniversary on the last Sunday of April so that it would not interfere with academic activities. President Lih J. Chen indicated that using 28 years as a cycle; it would take 7 years, on the average, to have the 29^th of April to coincide with a Sunday. Thus, April 29^th of 2012 is actually the 100^th anniversary of Tsing Hua.

President Chen indicated in his address that this year also marks the 50^th anniversary of the passing of the late President Mei Yi-chi who served as the President of Tsing Hua in Beijing as well as the first President of NTHU when it was re-established in Taiwan in l956. During his 24 years of service as the President of Tsing Hua in Beijing and NTHU in Hsinchu, Dr. Mei laid a solid foundation for both institutes and led both of them to develop and become the elite institutions on both sides of the Taiwan Strait. All three Nobel laureates that Tsing Hua had cultivated, Dr. Yung-Tseh Lee, Dr. Chen-Ning Yang and Dr. Tsung-Dao Lee were studying on Tsing Hua campus when President Mei was the presiding president. Furthermore, it was during Dr. Mei's term as the Dean of Academic Affairs that the world famous Academy of Chinese Studies was established. Dr. Mei was instrumental in recruiting many grandmasters to join the Academy and made the Academy a key research institution specialized in the studies of Chinese literature, history of thought and philosophy.

After reflecting on the glorious history, President Chen turned his attention to the recent accomplishments that NTHU has accumulated. NTHU has not only been ascending in the world rankings; our faculty members have also received numerous national and international awards recognizing their research accomplishments. Many of their research results were published in the most prestigious scientific journals such as Science, Nature and Cell. President Chen believes that while we have just witnessed the highest number of research articles published, by NTHU faculty members, in the most prestigious outlets this year, this trend will continue and increase in the years to come.

Mr. T. J. Tseng, Chairman of the Unimicron Technology Corp. and a member of NTHU Alumnus Association, indicated that the growth of his alma mater over the last year is phenomenal and astounding. Faculty members' researches are well-recognized world-wide and more importantly students are brighter than ever as exemplified in all kinds of national and international competitions that they have excelled.

Chairman Tseng also reported on the progress of the Alumni Gymnasium. Funded with the donations coming from alumni in Taiwan and abroad, this multi-functional gym will soon be completed in six months. It will be another beautiful landmark on our campus and a great symbol of the loyalty and devotion of all alumni toward NTHU.

On behalf of the class which graduated 40 years ago, President Way Kuo of City University of Hong Kong took the podium and shared some of his memories of the fashion and dining facilities on campus when he was a student here at NTHU. He indicated that these memories proved that even though technology and society are changing rapidly, the basic principles of an excellent university remain the same. These are the emphasis on the quality and an attitude to deal with issues directly and righteously. President Kuo also emphasized that in the minds of all graduates of NTHU, their love and devotion toward their alma mater will not only remain the same but will increase and deepen as time goes by.

During the ceremony, NTHU also awarded three of her alumni with the 13^th Distinguished Alumni Awards to Dr. Tien-Yien Li, Dr. Zhong-Ping Sun and Chairman Robert Tsai celebrating their outstanding achievements in their respective fields.

Last but not the least, a NTHU World Expo was organized and hosted by all international students who are currently studying on campus. Twenty-nine nations were represented in the expo featuring music, dance and theaters aiming at showcasing beautiful aspects of their home cultures.