In the afternoon of Dec 11,2006, experts appraising the undergraduate teaching & learning quality from the Ministry of Education of China visited the Information Building of RUC and visited the Ministry of Education’s key laboratory of data and knowledge engineering with the accompany of Deans of SIRM and School of Information of RUC. Du Xiaoyong, dean of School of Information of RUC gave an introduction to the experts on the Ministry of Education’s key laboratory of data and knowledge engineering.

Mr. Du introduced the key lab’s history and main characters, aims, organizations, major research directions, research teams, main research group leaders, the projects under researching, the construction steps of the lab and especially illustrated the important functions of the key lab in the education of undergraduates.

The Ministry of Education’s key laboratory of data and knowledge engineering is a unit of Renmin University of China, a high-tech academic institution concerned with education, research, applications and development in the database field. The lab is at the forefront of the discipline, making formative contributions to Chinese database technology by following the advances in international technology, undertaking major national research projects, and actively launching external exchanges and co-operations. The lab is constructed by SIRM and SI together.
The important functions of the key lab in the education of undergraduates are as following:

• Invite undergraduates to take part in professors’ project research, introduce scientific research into the process of undergraduate teaching;
• Consistently invite famous experts at home and abroad to give lectures; regularly hold academic activities; open students’ eye shots; provide important research and training platform for undergraduate education;

All the professors and researchers in the lab should give lessons to the undergraduates; transform multiple research achievements to the undergraduate education resource and create essential conditions for high level undergraduate education.

By Ye Han