在近代國學研究實踐中,清華國學院學者的學術視野和研究成果,絕對無愧於世界第一流的中國研究。他們之所以能夠領銜近百年來的國學研究,取得一系列令人矚目的成績,一個重要的原因就是國學院所秉持的路線始終是與世界的中國研究、漢學研究、東方學研究聯結在一起,站在世界學術的前沿。由王國維所實踐、由陳寅恪提出的“把地下的實物和紙上的遺文互相釋證”“外來的觀念和固有的材料相互參證”“異國的古書和吾國的古籍相互補正”三種方法,開闢了“清華學派”乃至整個近代國學研究的學術方法。而多種語言的修養、多個現代社會學科的訓練、中西融通的學術視野、“中學為體、西學為用”的文化自信、以及“獨立之精神,自由之思想”的學術人格,都成為促成這種國學研究成就其豐功偉績的重要因素。

For those who study traditional Chinese culture, the scholars of the Tsinghua Institute of Traditional Chinese Culture are internationally renowned both for their academic vision and their extensive publications. The Institute has maintained “kept the disciplines of Chinese Culture, Sinology, and Oriental Studies closely aligned, and has led global academic research in this field.” Indeed, the Institute has remained at the head of Chinese cultural studies over the last hundred years, achieving remarkable results. Initially, Chen Yinque introduced three new methods for the study of traditional Chinese culture, then put into practice by Wang Guowei; these not only became the guiding principles of the “Tsinghua School” but also the fundamental methods of study for all scholars in Modern China. Chen’s principles can be summarized as follows: “use archeological objects and surviving documents to mutually confirm each other”, “allow local materials and foreign ideas together to support the other’s veracity;” and “have foreign and native original writings support each other’s conclusions”. And, to achieve these goals, the scholars learned many languages, mastered different disciplines, merged Chinese and Western learning, and were dedicated to "free thought and independent spirit". Using their vast learning in the application of the three guiding principles, the Tsinghua scholars produced ground-breaking studies across the humanities and social sciences.