I. Development History

The Department of Psychology of Tsinghua University was established in the autumn of 1926. It was one of the earliest psychology departments founded at a Chinese university, and one of the first 17 academic departments set up by Tsinghua University. Initially, Tsinghua University established an Educational Psychology Department, with Junyi Zhu serving as the department head. Considering that pedagogy typically falls within the domain of normal schools, and in order to better reflect Tsinghua's nature as a comprehensive university combining arts and sciences, the Educational Psychology Department was changed to the Department of Psychology in 1928.

The first head of the Department of Psychology was Yue Tang. Starting from 1930, Guohua Sun and Xiangeng Zhou alternately served as department heads. Influenced by the modern school of experimental psychology from the United States, the Department of Psychology emphasized teaching and research in the fundamental theories of psychology, with courses focused on natural sciences. The department also established General Psychology and Experimental Psychology laboratories, focusing on fundamental research in psychology. In 1932, a Psychology Research Institute (later changed to a Research Division) was established, and the department began enrolling graduate students. By the 1934 departmental restructuring, the Department of Psychology was one of the six departments in the School of Science of Tsinghua University.

During the period of China's National Southwestern Associated University, Tsinghua's Department of Psychology was merged into the Department of Philosophy and Psychology in the School of Liberal Arts and renamed Psychology Group, while still remaining under the leadership of Tsinghua's School of Science. Following the nationwide university restructuring in 1952, the Department of Psychology was merged into Peking University along with the School of Science.

The Department of Psychology of Tsinghua University held a brilliant history, nurturing many leading figures in the field of psychology in China. Famous scholars who taught in the Department of Psychology during that period included Yue Tang, Guohua Sun, Xiangeng Zhou, Lü Shen, and Li Chen, who were all key contributors to the development of psychology in China. Despite challenges, the department also produced prominent scientists, such as Piliu Zheng, a pioneer and promoter of livestock artificial insemination technology, who was part of the class of 1931; Minjue Zhang, the father of modern in vitro fertilization and a member of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, from the class of 1933; and Richang Cao, a famous psychologist from the class of 1935, who was one of the earliest advocates of applying dialectical materialism to psychology research. These individuals made significant contributions to the establishment and development of psychology in China, spreading the Tsinghua spirit around the world and setting a shining example for future generations.

In October 1979, Tsinghua University established the Educational Research Office (later renamed the Institute of Education), which included an Applied Psychology Research Office. In 1987, Tsinghua University established China’s first university-based student psychological counseling center to provide professional psychological services to students. It also offered courses such as Youth Psychology, Social Psychology, Health Psychology, Cognitive Psychology, and Counseling Psychology, playing an essential role in guiding students' mental health and improving their overall quality. In 2000, the Institute of Education established a Psychology Research Office. By 2003, Tsinghua had launched a master's program in Applied Psychology and gradually trained over 40 psychology graduate students. In April 2006, the School of Humanities and Social Sciences of Tsinghua University approved the establishment of the Center for Psychological and Cognitive Science Research, providing an excellent platform for conducting cutting-edge theoretical research in psychology.

II. Re-establishment of the Department of Psychology

In December 2007, Tsinghua University formed a preparatory committee for the re-establishment of the Department of Psychology, with Vice President Weihe Xie as the chair, and members including Qiang Li, Yingyi Qian, and Kaiping Peng. In May 2008, after years of effort, the Department of Psychology of Tsinghua University was finally re-established.

To further expand the international perspective of the newly re-established Department of Psychology, promote Tsinghua University's international cooperation in the field of psychology, fully utilize external resources, and conduct interdisciplinary cutting-edge research, Tsinghua University established the Tsinghua University-Berkeley Center for Psychological Studies in May 2008, with a focus on strengthening collaboration between the Department of Psychology and the University of California, Berkeley, during the re-establishment process.

The newly re-established Department of Psychology upholds Tsinghua University's excellent traditions, leveraging its multidisciplinary advantages, actively pioneering new models of cross-departmental collaborative research and talent cultivation, continuously improving teaching and research standards in psychology, and strengthening international cooperation and exchanges. The goal is to build the department into a top domestic base for training innovative psychology talent and a high-level academic research center.

III. Establishment of the Department of Psychological and Cognitive Sciences

On April 10, 2024, Tsinghua University established the Department of Psychological and Cognitive Sciences. The newly formed department’s academic positioning focuses on "Psychology as the foundation, promoting the integration of arts and sciences; Cognition as the distinctive feature, strengthening the combination of science and engineering." The department is structured around two major research directions: Cognition and Intelligence, and Society and Health. The Cognition and Intelligence direction combines science and engineering to address fundamental psychological questions, such as the origin of consciousness and the nature of intelligence. The Society and Health direction focuses on the integration of arts and sciences, aiming to create a psychological health theory system with unique Chinese cultural characteristics and contributions. It also seeks to develop intelligent diagnosis and intervention solutions for psychological disorders based on brain cognitive technologies.