Tsinghua University, one of China's foremost higher learning institutions, is celebrating the 100th anniversary of its founding. The university is experiencing reform and progress as it aspires to become one of the highest ranked universities in the world.

Chinese President Hu Jintao addresses a convention marking the centennial anniversary of the founding of Tsinghua University in Beijing, capital of China, April 24, 2011. [Xinhua]

A celebration is taking place at Beijing's Great Hall of the People with China's top leaders and Tsinghua alumni attending.

Over the past hundred years, Tsinghua has grown from a small preparatory school for students to study abroad, to China's top university that boasts a first-class education and world-leading facilities.

It has also produced many of the country's renowned scientists, business leaders as well as senior party and government officials.

President Hu Jintao, a former student of Tsinghua, was at the event. He called for students to combine their knowledge with morals, develop creativity, and strive for character under a new world background.

President Hu Jintao said, "Currently, the world is in the middle of a time with grand development, reform and adjustment. The multi-polarization and economic globalization is deepening, the international economy structure is changing with the competition between comprehensive national strength more fierce. Innovation becomes the main driving force of economic social development, and intellectual innovation becomes the core factor of national competitiveness. Under such circumstances, each country take a strategy of further explore human resources to realize the innovative development, and hence grasp the initiative of the global competition."

Gu Binglin, President of Tsinghua University, said, "Now, the human civilization is developing and achieve progress, at the same time it facing problems including environmental pollution, climate change. China is now at the key stage of reform and development. The whole country is striving for establishing an innovative country and realizing the national rejuvenation. This give a new and stricter demand for higher education. "