Tsinghua University in Beijing is one of China's leading universities. It has a much stronger reputation in engineering than in science — but that is about to change. In the 1950s, Chinese universities were forced to specialize, following the model of the former Soviet Union. As a result, Tsinghua lost its five science departments to neighbouring Peking University. Now, however, a new science building will open shortly on Tsinghua's huge campus of 50,000 faculty members, their families, students and support staff.

In the new building is a Centre for Advanced Study modelled on the Princeton Institute for Advanced Study in the United States. The centre will focus on theoretical studies of basic sciences, and be led by Hwa Tung Nieh, who has recently returned to China from the State University of New York at Stony Brook. There will be a core of seven or eight professors who will be “very, very carefully selected”, says Nieh. Twelve associate professors will be hired on five-year contracts. “In principle” they will have to leave after five years, although they will probably get positions elsewhere in the university. Bin-lin Gu, a vice-director of the centre and dean of science, hopes the centre will become an “incubator” of high-quality scientists in the university.

There will be 20 postdoctoral positions in mathematics, theoretical physics, chemistry and possibly biology. Nieh expects to get many recruits from overseas, in particular Europe, as well as from local universities. The centre's faculty members will receive supplements to double their salaries compared with other university staff, and housing will be provided. “In five years, we should have a reasonable centre,” says Nieh. “In 10 or 20 years, as China's economy grows, we hope to become a great centre.”