At the Conference
On September 19, the 2nd Cong You Festival of Zhishan College, Tsinghua University was held on campus. Themed around “Cong You” (learning in companionship), the event featured guest speeches, faculty-student sharing, project displays, and open exchange, highlighting the research and innovations of the Global Deep Dive course. Attendees included Liu Li, Representative of Fieldwork Hosts and Vice Chairman and Chief Expert of the Sichuan Lecheng Research Center for Coordinated Urban-Rural Reform and Development; Su Peng, Director of Management Center for Colleges; Tang Ke, Dean of Zhishan College; Jin Jun, Vice Dean of Zhishan College; leaders from partner departments; head teachers and students from Global Deep Dive teams; and students from Tsinghua University High School Innovation College. The event was hosted by Sun Yuchen, Assistant to the Dean of Zhishan College.
In her remarks, Su Peng said that Global Deep Dive is the most important distinctive component of talent cultivation at Zhishan College. She noted that with AI advancing rapidly and society undergoing profound change, fieldwork is a vital method for understanding and analyzing society, and a key step for students to step out of the ivory tower and achieve personal growth. She thanked faculty from various departments and fieldwork hosts for their continued commitment, and encouraged students to cherish the opportunity, sharpen their listening and communication skills in the field, learn sociological research methods, and strive to become leaders of the digital intelligence society.
Liu Li, drawing on two years of involvement in Chengdu fieldwork, noted that “Cong You” emphasizes teachers and students learning together and benefiting from each other, while fieldwork is a key way to understand real society and translate social science research into impact. He suggested building a stable pool of practice mentors and diversifying how results are presented, and encouraged students to use intensive fieldwork as a starting point for sustained in-depth research.
Yuan Mengqi, representative of the teachers who led the student teams, shared her experience leading students to Ningjin, Hebei. She said students learned to observe, listen, and ask questions, and came to understand that uncertainty is the biggest difference between fieldwork and classroom learning. Through repeated discussion and revision, they developed a deeper understanding of society.
Xiao Lei, representative of teaching assistants, spoke under the title “Aftershocks” about the companionship and reflection involved in his work. He said fieldwork exposes students to the complexity of the real world and cultivates patience and judgment amid uncertainty.
Tang Ke presents awards to representatives of the award-winning teams
During the open exchange session, faculty and students interacted around research outputs and innovation resources on display. Teams then shared photos, and awards were given for Outstanding Team, Outstanding Poster, and Outstanding Photo Sharing.
In his closing remarks, Tang Ke thanked the university, fieldwork hosts, team leaders, and teaching assistants for their strong support of Global Deep Dive. He praised students’ practical spirit and research ability, and encouraged them to keep a questioning mindset, combine social science perspectives with digital intelligence methods, embody the spirit of “striving for the highest good,” and continue producing high-quality research as well received as the 2025 Global Deep Dive Casebook.
At the Conference
The festival concluded successfully. Zhishan College will continue to use Global Deep Dive as a platform to expand student growth and cultivate leaders for the digital intelligence society.
