Introduction to the Research Center for Culture and Psychology, Tsinghua University
I. Center Overview
Established on April 23, 2025, the Research Center for Culture and Psychology is led by the Department of Psychological and Cognitive Sciences in collaboration with the School of Social Sciences, the School of Humanities, and the Department of Automation. Leveraging Tsinghua's strengths in interdisciplinary layouts, the center has formed a high-level research platform covering psychology, philosophy, humanities, and artificial intelligence.
The center is dedicated to:
·Building an independent Chinese cultural psychology system by extracting wisdom from excellent traditional Chinese culture and integrating it with modern psychological frameworks.
·Absorbing and transforming Western psychological achievements to create a theoretical and practical system that reflects Chinese characteristics while suiting the spirit of the times.
·Developing mental health service models that align with national cultural cognition and psychological needs.
·Promoting cultural psychological intervention methods through intelligent technology to enhance national mental health and social resilience.
The mission is to serve the Healthy China strategy and build an international academic center with Chinese characteristics and a global perspective.
II. Research Directions and Key Areas
1. Theoretical Exploration of "Chinese Cultural Psychology"
The center aims to develop a theoretical system with international discourse power, focusing on the "Dao-Mind-Action" (道—心—行) framework. Key research includes:
·The mechanisms of cultural values, character cultivation, and collective consciousness in individual psychological formation.
·The deep influence of these factors on cognition, emotion, and behavior.
·Constructing a knowledge base of Chinese culture and psychology based on Confucian, Buddhist, and Taoist classics alongside contemporary expressions.
2. Practical Application of "Chinese Cultural Psychology"
·Multimodal Database: Construction of a database covering multiple regions and ages, integrating brain imaging, behavior, language, and physiological data.
·Culture-AI Joint Laboratory: Exploring AI's modeling capabilities in cultural cognition, meaning construction, and emotional understanding to develop large-scale cultural psychology models.
3. Social Transformation of "Chinese Cultural Psychology"
·"Blooming Life" (心花人生) Program: Conducting individualized precision intervention research for depression supported by brain imaging and AI algorithms.
·Support Systems: Exploring paths for cultural healing, emotional education, and psychological resilience to create a digital platform and quantifiable mental health solutions.
III. Organizational Structure and Key Members
·Bin Yang: Vice Chairperson of the Tsinghua University Council; Director of the Center Management Committee.
·Dan Zhang: Deputy Head of the Department of Psychological and Cognitive Sciences; Deputy Director of the Center Management Committee.
·Chaogan Yan: Professor at the Department of Psychological and Cognitive Sciences; Member of the Management Committee and Director of the Center.
·Hong Li: Professor at the Department of Psychological and Cognitive Sciences; Member of the Management Committee and Deputy Director of the Center.
IV. Talent Cultivation and Platform Construction
The center is building a "Cultural Psychology + Cognitive Neuroscience + Artificial Intelligence" trinity interdisciplinary training system. This includes:
·Series courses, specialized workshops, and joint graduate training projects.
·Brand activities such as the "Chinese Cultural Psychology Young Scholars Forum" and "International Summer Schools" to foster academic exchange.
V. Academic Exchange and International Cooperation
The center has established exchange mechanisms with world-renowned universities, including University of Michigan, Stanford University, and Harvard University.
Notably, the center maintains close cooperation with Professor Shinobu Kitayama, a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and a leading figure in cultural psychology. This partnership involves deep collaboration on theoretical frontiers, academic visits, and research projects to introduce world-class resources and perspectives to the team.
