Shandong University (SDU) held a conference at the central campus on July 11 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the establishment of its archaeology discipline.

Li Qun, director of the National Cultural Heritage Administration, Deng Yunfeng, vice-governor of Shandong, Guo Xinli, Party secretary of SDU, and Li Shucai, president of SDU and academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, attended the conference.

Li said that SDU's archaeology discipline has become a key force in the utilization and protection of revolutionary cultural relics in China.

"SDU should always adhere to righteousness and innovation, take solid steps in boosting Chinese modern civilization and make greater contributions to constructing an archaeological discipline with Chinese characteristics," Li added.

Deng hopes that SDU will continue to strengthen the development of its discipline, serve national strategies and regional development, and create a new highland for talent training, scientific research and international academic exchange in the field of archaeology.

Guo said that SDU will be looking to enhance the training quality of high-level talents in archaeology and develop archaeology with local characteristics and world-class standards.

During the conference, Li presented the appointment letter of SDU to Yale University professor Anne P. Underhill who thanked SDU for its continuous support. She also expressed her willingness to promote exchanges and cooperation between the two universities.

Li Shucai, president of SDU, presents the appointment letter of SDU to Yale University professor Anne P. Underhill. [Photo/sdu.edu.cn]

Wu Zhen, vice-president of SDU, presided over the conference and unveiled the Wu Jinding Class, which is a top-notch base for archaeology named after archaeologist Wu Jinding.