On May 28, 2018, the inauguration ceremony of the Institute of Yuanmingyuan in Tianjin University was held at the TJU School of Architecture. Yuan Yingjin, Vice President of TJU, and Sun Jingwen, the Vice Party Secretary of the Old Summer Palace Administrative Office signed the strategic framework cooperation agreement. Under the terms of the agreement, TJU and the Old Summer Palace Administrative Office will cooperate in fields such as scientific research programs, academic platform development, as well as information and resource sharing.

The School of Architecture, together with the School of Artificial Intelligence, the School of Civil Engineering, the School of Environmental Science and Engineering, the School of Precision Instruments and Optoelectronics Engineering and the Institute of Cultural Heritage Development, has achieved a lot in heritage protection. TJU was given approved to establish a variety of research institutes and centers and key national, ministerial and municipal laboratories, building an all-round heritage protection network. Since establishment over forty years ago, the Old Summer Palace Administrative Office has witnessed satisfying results. The establishment of Institute of Yuanmingyuan in Tianjin University will help the two sides fully cooperate on information collection and management, as well as heritage protection, display, utilization and monitoring, to further integrate and improve TJU’s related disciplinary advantages, stimulate research on heritage protection and offer students quality practical bases.

Yuan Yingjin said at the ceremony, “The establishment of the Institute of Yuanmingyuan in Tianjin University will move the protection, utilization and development of Old Summer Palace to a new level and provide a new platform for TJU’s teaching, and scientific research.” He Yan, Assistant to the Director of the Haidian District, Beijing, and Sun Jingwen hoped that the TJU Research Institute will enhance research on the Old Summer Palace, become an innovative platform for Chinese traditional culture and for national education.