Inauguration of Prof. Jinpei Cheng, Academician of CAS as full-time professor in Tsinghua University, as well as the opening ceremony for Center of Basic Molecular Science (CBMS), was held at Chemistry Building, Tsinghua University on Dec. 29, 2012. The vice president of Tsinghua University, Prof. Yong Qiu, announced the establishment of CBMS and issued the letter of appointment to Prof. Jinpei Cheng. Prof. Cheng will join in Tsinghua University as a full-time professor and serve as the Director of CBMS. The chairman of the University Council, Prof. HepingHu, met Prof. Cheng and other scientists who had taken part in the activity afterwards.
Prof. Yong Qiu (right) issued the letter of appointment to Prof. Jinpei Cheng(left)
Prof. Yong Qiu gave a welcome speech to Prof. Cheng on behalf of Tsinghua University, and promised to provide Prof. Cheng strong support for the development of CBMS. Prof. Jinpei Cheng said he would leverage the talents and technology platform of Tsinghua to advance the fundamental research of molecular science as well as the education of young scientists. Dean of the Department of Chemistry, Prof. Xi Zhang, introduced the curriculum vitae of Prof. Cheng and the objectives of CBMS. The vice director of National Natural Science Foundation of China on Chemistry Division, Prof. Yongjun Chen, in his remark, appreciated the achievement of the Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, in recent years and congratulated the establishment of CBMS. He said he would continue paying high attention to the development of the Department of Chemistry as well as the research team of Prof. Cheng.
The opening ceremony composed of three scientific talks was held right after the inauguration. Besides the scientists and officers who gave remarks, Academician of CAS, Prof. Zhenhe Tong (Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, CAS), Prof. Zhenfeng Xi (Peking University), Academicians of CAS of Tsinghua University, Prof. Weiyang Fei, Prof. Dezhong Shen and Prof. Yadong Li, as well as about 100 teachers and students took part in the activity.Chairman of the University Council, Prof, Zhiwu Yu chaired the inauguration and the opening ceremony.
Center of Basic Molecular Science, Tsinghua University, will mainly focus on basic scientific issues in molecular science, especially in the field of physical organic chemistry and will emphasize the interdisciplinary research with organic molecular science, analytical science, material science and biology science. Through the quantitative research to enabling the deep understanding to the molecular structure and rationalizing the transformation of substance, CBMS will hopefully develop new methods and new theories for the creation and transformation of substance.
Prof. Jinpei Cheng is an organic chemist, the academician of CAS and Third World Academy of Sciences. He was born in 1948, and originated from Guanyun, Jiangsu Province. He got his doctor degree from Northwestern University, the United States in 1987. He worked as vice minister of Ministry of Science and Technology, P. R. China, during 2000 to 2008. Now he is the member of the Standing Committee of the Chinese People's Congress, deputy director of Education, Science, Culture and Public Health Committee of the Chinese People's Congress, vice chairman of central committee of China Zhi Gong Party. He worked for a long period in the field of physical organic chemistry. His main research areas include 1) chemical essences of biological functions of nitric oxide as a key bio-messenger molecule; 2) bionic molecular recognition and catalytic asymmetric synthesis of cyclic peptide;3) thermodynamics, kinetics and mechanism of NADH Coenzyme Models; 4) energy determination of various chemical bonds; 5) thermodynamic stabilities and structural effects of various organic reactive intermediates.
A group photo of the scientists and officers who had taken part in the ceromony
