Mei Yiqi

Mei Yiqi (梅貽琦, also romanized as Mei Yi-chi; December 29, 1889 – May 19, 1962) was a prominent Chinese physicist and educator. He is best known for his long and impactful tenure as the President of Tsinghua University, initially in mainland China and later in Taiwan after the Chinese Civil War.

Born in Tianjin, Mei Yiqi graduated from Tsinghua University's predecessor, Tsinghua College, and later studied at Worcester Polytechnic Institute in the United States, earning a degree in electrical engineering. He returned to China and joined the faculty of Tsinghua College, eventually becoming its president in 1931.

During his presidency, Mei Yiqi fostered a culture of academic excellence and intellectual freedom at Tsinghua University. He is credited with attracting many of China's leading scholars to the university. Under his leadership, Tsinghua University became one of the most prestigious and respected institutions of higher learning in China.

During the Second Sino-Japanese War, Mei Yiqi played a crucial role in safeguarding China's intellectual resources. He oversaw the relocation of Tsinghua University, Peking University, and Nankai University to Kunming, where they were merged to form the National Southwestern Associated University (Lianda). Mei Yiqi served as one of the three members of the Standing Committee of Lianda, effectively sharing leadership responsibilities with Jiang Menglin (President of Peking University) and Zhang Boling (President of Nankai University).

After the end of World War II, Mei Yiqi returned to Beijing to rebuild Tsinghua University. However, with the impending victory of the Communist forces in the Chinese Civil War, he made the difficult decision to evacuate a portion of the university's faculty, students, and resources to Taiwan in 1948.

In Taiwan, Mei Yiqi oversaw the re-establishment of Tsinghua University in 1956 as the National Tsing Hua University (NTHU) in Hsinchu. He continued to serve as its president until his death in 1962.

Mei Yiqi is remembered as a visionary leader who dedicated his life to the advancement of education in China. His contributions to Tsinghua University, both on the mainland and in Taiwan, have had a lasting impact on Chinese higher education. He is often quoted for his philosophy of university administration, emphasizing the importance of faculty and academic freedom, which has influenced generations of educators.