清華早期為留美預備學校，學生畢業後公費留美。1925年創設大學部後，在培養人才上才逐漸擺脫以留洋為目的，但無論是北京政府時期，還是南京政府時期；無論是相對和平時期，還是外患內憂時期，清華均堅持派遣和資助留學生。在“科技救國、實業救國”的理念引導下，這些留學生中，約有80%選擇學習工程技術和農業、生物、物理、化學等基礎科學，其餘20%則多在法律、政治、財經、教育等領域深造。這一代遠涉重洋的理工學者，在國難當頭之日，肩負富國強兵的重任，遠赴歐美等國接受現代教育體制的訓練，獲得碩士、博士學位後，回國執教，迅速在各自的學科領域建立起與世界接軌的現代科學教育體系。甲午慘敗所暴露出的傳統士大夫的知識結構在新的歷史環境中的嚴重局限性，終於逐漸得到改觀，新型的技術性人才開始在社會各個行業發揮重要作用。他們在引領中國科技創新並走向世界舞臺中的作用，無疑是巨大的。

Tsinghua University first started as Tsinghua School, whose aim was to prepare its graudate for study in the United States with scholarships provided by the Boxer Indemnity Scholarship Programme. After its establishment as a university in 1925, Tsinghua focused on nurturing local as well, in China, which it did during the Beijing and Nanjing Governments. During those periods, eighty percent of the students who studied abroad focused on engineering and the sciences, including agriculture, biology, physics, chemistry, while the other twenty percent studied law, politics, finance, economics, and education. These choices reflected the beliefs of “Science and Technology for the National Salvation” and “Industry for the National Salvation.” The students’ mission was to return after having obtained their modern education abroad, and to use their knowledge to enrich their country and its military force. The crushing defeat of China in the First Sino-Japanese War of 1894 had dramatically revealed the weaknesses of traditional education, which thereafter slowly expanded to include areas of technical knowledge, which could assist Chinese industries. The students returning home with their new degrees played an important role in the creation of a modern system of science research and education, leading to China’s own scientific discoveries and entrance onto the world stage.