A key multidisciplinary university directly under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Education, Nankai University is also the alma mater of our beloved late Premier Zhou Enlai. It has long been given much attention by the central government. Chinese top leaders from Chairman Mao Zedong, Premier Zhou Enlai to President Jiang Zemin all were at Nankai University for inspection. Chairman Mao wrote the name for Nankai University while President Jiang Zemin inscribed the following remarks:"A glorious tradition to promote patriotism, dedication, creativity, love of the community, all to build a first-rate socialist university."

The Center for Combinatorics (CFC) at Nankai University is one of the leading national academic institutions for mathematical research. The CFC takes as its main tasks: organizing high-leveled academic activities, doing world first-class original innovative research, and training young mathematics talents. Its goal is to establish a research center of first class in the world. The CFC is devoted to the advancement of knowledge and education of students in areas that contribute to or prosper from an environment of discrete mathematics and computer science in China.

Tianjin, one of the four municipalities directly under the Central Government in China, is located in the northeast of the North China Plain and is the closest seaport to Beijing. The city is one of the biggest industrial and port cities in China and it is also known as "the diamond of the Bohai Gulf". Tianjin covers an area of 11,000 square kilometers (4,200 square miles) and has a population in excess of 10 million people.

Tianjin has a long and illustrious history, from an ordinary fishing village to the most important trade center in Northern China. Tianjin was considered to be one of China's most important military fortresses in the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368) due to its particular geographic location as access point to Beijing, the national capital. Its name "Tianjin" was graciously bestowed by the Emperor Zhudi in the early years of the Ming Dynasty (1368 - 1644). Tianjin means "the place where the emperor crossed the river". In 1860, after the First Opium War, Tianjin was further expanded to become the second largest business and communications center in the country. By the end of the 19th century, it had grown into a bustling center for international commerce.

Location The People Republic of China is situated in eastern Asia on the western shore of the Pacific Ocean, with an area of 9.6 million square kilometers. China's continental coastline extends for about 18,000 kilometers, and its vast sea surface is studded with more than 5,000 islands, of which Taiwan and Hainan are the largest.

Land Formation and Rivers China's land drops off in escarpments eastward to the ocean, letting in humid air current and leading many rivers eastward. Among the rivers totaling 220,000 kilometers in length in China, the Changjiang (Yangtze) and the Huanghe (Yellow) are world known.

China has beautiful scenery, with mountains and ranges, highlands, plains, basins, and hills. The highlands and hill regions account for 65 percent of the country's total land mass, and there are more than 2,000 lakes. The highest mountain peak is Qomolangma (Everest), the highest in the world, 8,848 meters above sea level; the lowest point is the Turpan Basin, 154 meters below sea level.

The giant pandas, extremely rare wild animals, lived in the deep mountain valleys at the edge east of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. They are reputed as the "living fossil" of fauna in the world. As early as 1961, the World Wildlife Fund was set up with the Giant Panda as the emblem on its badge and banner. The giant pandas enjoy great popularity among the people all over the world not only with a gentle disposition and a lovely shape but also as a symbol of auspiciousness, friendship and a messenger of peace.

Da xiong mao, The Chinese name for the Giant Panda means "great bear cat". Chinese books, written over 3,000 years ago, talk of the Giant Panda. Even then, it was believed to be endowed with mystical powers capable of warding off natural disaster and evil spirits. The scientific name for Giant Pandas is Ailuropoda melanoleuca David, simply means black and white bear. Giant Pandas are classed as bears by most scientists. Unlike other bears, they vocalize by bleating rather than roaring. Until recently, Giant Pandas were grouped with raccoons and lesser pandas.This decision was based primarily on physiological evidence. In the late 1980's, DNA serological studies clearly established that Giant Pandas are clearly more bear than raccoon. Some scientists want to place Giant Panda in their own grouping; but for most bear researchers, this does not seen warranted.