The term “chuang ke” in Chinese originates from the English word “Maker,” referring to those who, out of interest and hobby, strive to turn various creative ideas into reality. The maker spirit embodies originality and initiative, collaboration and sharing. The maker community is a group that values entrepreneurship and teamwork, emphasizing the transformation of dreams into reality. Since 2014, Tsinghua University has designated the last Saturday of November each year as the festival for Tsinghua Makers — “Tsinghua Maker Day.” Through the display of maker-characteristic courses and activities, sharing of experiences and the latest research achievements in creative innovation and entrepreneurship education, it promotes the educational and teaching reform of Tsinghua and provides support for the cultivation of innovative talents in China’s higher education.
Makers in Tsinghua: The Official Launch of Tsinghua Maker Day (2014 Tsinghua Maker Day)
On November 29, 2014, the launching ceremony of “Tsinghua Maker Day” and the First International Maker and Education Forum were held at Tsinghua University. The theme of the first Tsinghua Maker Day was “Innovative Education Shaping the Future of Universities,” aiming to explore how maker practices can be integrated into university educational practices. Yang Bin, vice president of Tsinghua, attended the event and announced the official launch of “Tsinghua Maker Day.”
At the launching ceremony, Mitch Altman, the founder of the global Maker Space Movement, stated that Maker activities can introduce significant, even revolutionary changes to education. As an inclusive and innovative initiative that encourages everyone to turn ideas into actions, Maker projects address the shortcomings of traditional education by overlooking students’ interests and hands-on skills. They enable independent exploration, spark interest in innovation, and foster creative abilities.
Integrating Maker Culture into the Talent Cultivation System (2015 Tsinghua Maker Day)
On November 28, 2015, the series of activities of the second “Tsinghua Maker Day” kicked off. The 2015 “Tsinghua Maker Day,” with the theme of “Integrating Maker Culture into the Talent Cultivation System,” attracted representative maker figures from the United States, the Netherlands, Brazil and other countries, as well as more than 160 teachers and students from dozens of domestic colleges and universities. A total of 23 student works were exhibited on the Maker Day site, 16 teams participated in the Maker Challenge, and more than 10 enterprises participated in the high-end forum.
On May 4, 2015, during the Youth Day, the student makers of Tsinghua University received a special gift — a reply letter from then Premier Li Keqiang. In the letter, the Premier highly praised the pioneering spirit of university makers in breaking conventions to pursue innovation and entrepreneurship. He encouraged them to maintain a diligent approach to academic research, learning not only from books but also from practice. He also urged them to continuously enrich Maker culture and spread its seeds on a broader scale.
Integration of Maker Education and Industrial Development (2016 Tsinghua Maker Day)
On November 26, 2016, the 2016 “Tsinghua Maker Day” was held in the Lee Shau Kee Science and Technology Building. Centering on the goals of “exploring the connotation of Makers, enriching the maker culture, spreading the maker spirit, and leading maker education,” activities such as the press conference and academic committee meeting of the Research Fund Project on Innovation and Entrepreneurship Education in Chinese Universities, the Achievement Exhibition of Maker Education in Tsinghua, and the International Summit Forum on Maker Education were carried out.
Xue Qikun, vice president of Tsinghua University; Wu Aihua, director of the Science and Engineering Division of the Higher Education Department at the Ministry of Education; Song Yonghua, chairman of the Academic Committee of the Research Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship Education in Chinese Universities and executive vice president of Zhejiang University; members of the Academic Committee of the Research Center; and prominent maker representatives from both China and abroad attended the opening ceremony.
Sharing Economy, Technological and Cultural Creativity, Service Sharing, and Integrated Innovation (2017 Tsinghua Maker Day)
On November 25, 2017, the 2017 “Tsinghua Maker Day” was held in the Tsinghua University Fundamental Industry Training Center. Wu Yunxin, deputy director of the Academic Affairs Office of Tsinghua, Li Xiaodong from the High-tech Division of the Beijing Municipal Development and Reform Commission, and Wang Tao, minister of the Science and Technology Activity Department of the Student Activity Management Center of the Beijing Municipal Education Commission, attended the opening ceremony. More than 500 experts and teachers from more than 40 universities around the world participated in various activities of the Maker Day.
On the event, the “Maker Plan Challenge” in Beijing kicked off. About 50 top high school makers from twelve districts jointly participated in a grand and challenging competition. After 36 hours of continuous competition, the contestants finally realized their creativity in terms of product design, function realization, and appearance construction.
Innovation-Driven Development, Makers Leading Innovation (2018 Tsinghua Maker Day)
From November 24 to 25, 2018, the 2018 “Tsinghua Maker Day” and the “Innovate China” Tsinghua University Station activities were successfully held. Nearly 400 people, including well-known makers and maker educators from the United States, Singapore, Italy, Hong Kong, and the Chinese mainland, as well as Tsinghua teachers and students Makers, participated in activities such as the opening ceremony, the International Summit Forum on Maker Education, the Student Maker Achievement Exhibition, the Engineering Culture Education Forum, and the “Maker Plan Challenge” in Beijing.
Maker Education Shaping Future Talents, Maker Movement Boosting Industrial Revolution (2019 Tsinghua Maker Day)
From November 30 to December 1, 2019, the series of activities of the 2019 “Tsinghua Maker Day” were held. More than 1,100 people, including scholars from the United Kingdom, Germany, the United States, Switzerland and Chinese universities, well-known makers and maker educators from all sectors of society, and representatives of Tsinghua teachers and students, participated in this year’s Maker Day activities. This is the sixth time that Tsinghua Maker Day has been held and the largest one in history.
During the day, the final of the First Tsinghua University SDG Open Innovation Marathon was held in the Weilun Building International Lecture Hall. This is the first time that a domestic university has held a competition on this theme. In the 24-hour challenge starting at noon on November 30, 519 contestants of different majors and age groups from Tsinghua, the University of Geneva and other domestic and foreign universities, as well as Tsinghua University High School and other middle schools, proposed more than 100 innovative solutions around 17 sustainable development goals in 13 sub-venues.
Innovation and Entrepreneurship Education in the Post-Epidemic Era (2020 Tsinghua Maker Day)
From November 28 to 29, 2020, the series of activities of the 2020 “Tsinghua Maker Day” were successfully held in the Lee Shau Kee Science and Technology Building. More than 200 people, including scholars from China, Switzerland, France and other universities, well-known makers and maker educators from all sectors of society, and representatives of Tsinghua teachers and students, participated in this year’s Maker Day activities through online and offline methods.
Towards Innovation, Towards the Future (2021 Tsinghua Maker Day)
From November 27 to 28, 2021, the series of activities of the 2021 Tsinghua Maker Day were held in the Lee Shau Kee Science and Technology Building. Wang Xiqin, executive vice president and secretary-general, and Yang Bin, vice president and provost, attended the opening ceremony and delivered speeches. More than 200 people, including scholars from universities both domestic and abroad, well-known makers and maker educators from various sectors of society, and representatives of teachers and students from Tsinghua University’s various innovation and entrepreneurship platforms and student associations, participated in the activities both online and offline. The online live broadcast reached over 100,000 viewers.
Gathering Strength for Creation, Building Momentum for Innovation (2022 Tsinghua Maker Day)
From November 26 to 27, 2022, the 2022 “Tsinghua Maker Day” activities, themed “Gathering Strength for Creation, Building Momentum for Innovation,” were held online. Representatives of Tsinghua teams winning awards in various scientific and technological innovation competitions, representatives of teachers and students from various innovation and entrepreneurship platforms and student associations of Tsinghua University, scholars from many domestic and foreign universities, and well-known makers and maker educators from all sectors of society participated in the activities. The online synchronous live broadcast viewing volume exceeded 120,000. The participating teachers, students and guests shared the latest teaching and research achievements in the activities and further explored the cultivation model of top-notch innovative talents in the new era.
Over the past decade, Tsinghua Maker Day has become a festival for Tsinghua people themselves.
Maker activities in the school, across the country and around the world are booming, and makers are influencing the future at an increasingly fast pace.
In 2023 Tsinghua Maker Day, after ten years of Maker development, we are waiting for you to move forward together towards innovation.
