On September 15, 2018, Tsinghua University held the Global Forum on the Discipline of Computer Science in the Information Science and Technology Building. Chen Xu, Director of the School Affairs Committee of Tsinghua University, and Andrew Chi-Chih Yao, winner of the Turing Award and Dean of the Institute for Interdisciplinary Information Sciences, Tsinghua University,  attended the opening ceremony and delivered speeches. The forum was presided over by Wu Jianping, Director of the Department of Computer Science and Technology, Tsinghua University, and Wang Jianmin, dean of the School of Software, Tsinghua University. The forum was organized under the theme of "exploring the nature of computer science and promoting the development of computer science". The directors of computer departments or deans of computer schools from 19 well-known overseas universities, including Massachusetts Institute of Technology, University of California, Los Angeles, Oxford University, Imperial College London, National University of Singapore, University of Tokyo, and 16 high-level domestic universities including Peking University and Zhejiang University attended the forum.

Group photo of all participants of the forum

Chen Xu pointed out that computer science is of global impact, and the development of computer science requires global consensus in his speech. It was hoped that, through this forum, ideas  could be fully exchanged, awareness could be enhanced, and a more global and forward-looking  plan for the development of computer discipline could be made.

Andrew Chi-Chih Yao pointed out that the year 2018 coincided with the 60th anniversary of the establishment of the Department of Computer Science and Technology, Tsinghua University, and the development of the computer discipline of Tsinghua University has made some achievements and experiences. And in the new era and the new situation, we also encountered a lot of challenges and confusion, a majority of which were faced by the globe and needed to be addressed jointly by colleagues engaged in computer teaching and scientific research. He also shared his understanding of the theme of the forum from his experience in computer teaching research and as Dean of the Institute for Interdisciplinary Information Sciences, Tsinghua University.

At the conference held in the morning, the directors of computer departments or deans of computer schools from MIT, the University of Oxford, the National University of Singapore, the University of Tokyo, and the former President of the Association for Computing Machinery and other experts and scholars gave keynote speeches on the topics of computer curriculum system construction, computer-related interdisciplinary challenges and opportunities, respectively. In the group discussion in the afternoon, the participants were divided into two groups to carry out in-depth discussions on the topics of "curriculum construction and personnel training" and "frontiers and directions of discipline development", and exchanged views and reported on the subsequent general meeting. Participants reached a consensus that the discussion results of this forum would be summarized and reported to the global computer academia and industry in an appropriate form.

The Global Forum on the Discipline of Computer Science is a high-level international forum on discipline development held by Tsinghua University. The forum seeks to promote exchanges among international computer schools and departments, jointly discuss major issues in the development of computer discipline construction, scientific innovation, and talent training, jointly plan the development path of computer discipline in the new era and make positive contributions to global computer discipline development. This forum coincides with the 60th anniversary of the establishment of the Department of Computer Science and Technology, Tsinghua University, and is also a measure for Tsinghua University to actively implement the strategic suggestions of the Advisory Committee on Computer Discipline on promoting interdisciplinary research and improving the international training environment.