The Department of Astronomy at Tsinghua University and the Canadian Institute for Theoretical Astrophysics (CITA) formally established and deepened their long-term strategic partnership by signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) via a virtual ceremony. It is noteworthy that the Tsinghua Department of Astronomy is the first university department in Mainland of China to sign an MoU with CITA, marking a significant step in our university's international cooperation and exchange in the field of astronomy.
The signing ceremony was completed by representatives from both sides: Professor Di Li, Chair of the Department of Astronomy at Tsinghua University, and Professor Shantanu Basu, Director of CITA. Despite the 12-hour time difference, scholars from both sides were closely connected by their shared thirst for knowledge about the universe.
In his speech, Director Shantanu Basu movingly stated: "Although we are meeting virtually across a 12-hour time difference, our communities have always operated on the shared timeline of the universe. We are united by the same fundamental questions about the cosmos." These words express a sincere wish to transcend geographical boundaries in the joint pursuit of scientific truth.
CITA is a Canadian national center of excellence affiliated with the University of Toronto and enjoys a high reputation in the global theoretical astrophysics community. The Institute is a core force driving progress in the field, particularly through its theoretical research and numerical simulations in frontier areas such as cosmology, star formation, galaxy evolution, and gravitational wave astrophysics.
The signing of this MoU fully affirms and elevates the fruitful scientific collaboration and research exchange that has existed between the Tsinghua Department of Astronomy and CITA for over a decade. Throughout the past ten-plus years, numerous faculty teams from both institutions have already formed close research collaborations and frequent academic interactions in multiple frontier fields. Several faculty members of the Tsinghua astronomy department have previously studied or worked at CITA. This signing will establish a stable framework for more systematic and in-depth cooperation in the future, including joint research projects, scholarly exchanges, and the cultivation of high-level young talent.
The signing ceremony was attended by Professor Xuening Bai and Professor Xinyu Li from Tsinghua University's Department of Astronomy, alongside Professor Ue-Li Pen, Professor Pratika Dayal, Professor Peter Martin, and Professor Norman Murray from CITA, among others.
As CITA's first departmental-level partner in Mainland of China, this agreement is another significant achievement for the Tsinghua University Department of Astronomy in actively promoting its global strategy and building a network of high-level academic cooperation. Both sides will continue to join hands in their shared journey of cosmic exploration, collaborating to tackle major scientific challenges and exchanging insights as they work to expand humanity’s understanding of the cosmos.
