The first ever Xinya Colloquium took place in Lecture Hall B226 at  South Campus Activity Center on the morning of March 15, 2026. The event, which sought to open wider channels of communication between faculty and students, consisted of a series of keynote speeches, lightning talks, and exhibitions. Among the nearly 300 people who attended the event were Vice President Peng Gang, university officials, the Xinya Administration and Teaching Committee, class mentors, counselors, local and visiting undergraduates, and high school students and parents attending Campus Open Day.

The history of academic gatherings as an important opportunity for discourse and knowledge exchange dates back to antiquity and such events as the Zhu-Zhang Colloquium and the Meeting at Goose Lake. From ancient academic traditions to lightning talks seeking to spark intellectual engagement, forms may change though the essence behind the ideas does not. Dean Mei Ciqi extended a warm welcome to the guests and opened the session with a three-minute lightning talk titled "Colloquium is Reflection." Hearkening to the slow meditation of cattle chewing the cud, Dean Mei urged students to maintain freedom of choice in an era of rapid technological change by always seeking to reflect thoroughly as they process the information thrown at them in such large quantities.

In the first half of the keynote session, Tang Jiankai, a graduate of Xinya College’s CDIE 2019, doctoral student in the Department of Computer Science and Technology, and Science and Innovation Counselor at Xinya College, delivered a 20-minute presentation titled "Interdisciplinary Paths: Finding Questions Worth Pursuing for a Lifetime Between Breadth and Depth." During the presentation, Tang spoke of the confusion and anxiety exploring the many interdisciplinary paths at Tsinghua had caused him and the way continuous trial and error had finally brought him to his destination. He also noted the importance of courage as one steps out to find new possibilities through trial and error and the benefits of embracing a wide range of options rather than immediately seeking the optimal solution.

The second keynote speech was delivered by Luo Zijing, a representative of the Xinya Baking Club, who delivered a presentation titled "Baking at Xinya." Luo shared how the establishment of the Baking Workshop and the tradition of baking pastries from different countries on Thursdays served as the perfect opportunity to bridge Xinya's diverse cultures and allay the homesickness international students commonly experience. On Thursday afternoons, the College Common Room would heat up with delicious aromas and discussions as students from diverse backgrounds shared personal stories and made emotional connections to ultimately find a sense of belonging.

25 Xinya College students of different levels and specializations took to the stage during the 3-minute lightning talk sessions. The 25 three-minute talks covered a range of topics, from in-depth experiences in building the college community to rural reform issues concerning the national economy and people's livelihood, legal philosophy exploring the boundaries of human thought, and cognitive science decoding the mysteries of consciousness. Intense as the presentations were, they did not seek to merely bombard the listeners with information but rather to ignite the boundless possibilities of imagination.

The exhibition area set up at the event displayed a total of 33 thematic posters. Presentations were followed by interaction that sought to give the audience a deeper understanding of the underlying research and practices.

The event wrapped up with the announcement of the results of voting and an award ceremony. The two keynote speakers received trophies, with certificates awarded to the participants of the lightning talks and content displays. Five speakers—Chen Yunyi (Xinya 2024, Computer Science and Technology), Lei Danchen (Xinya 2023, MBM), Liu Jixiao (Xinya 2024, Weixian College), Wang Zhiang (Xinya 2024, MBM), and Zhang Jianyi (Xinya 2022, PPE)—were voted Most Popular by the audience.

Mei Ciqi drew the Colloquium to a close by thanking the students for making the college a better place with their stories of personal growth. Mei remarked that the point of college education is to create an environment where one can grow freely and noted that for him as a teacher, the greatest honor was to witness such growth. Finally, he wished the students continued success and fulfillment within their future growth environments.