Professor Chen Lai entered the Department of Philosophy at Peking University in 1978 as a graduate student in Chinese Philosophy. In 1981 he received a Master's degree; in 1985 he received a Doctorate in Philosophy. In 1986, he became Associate Professor in the Department of Philosophy at Pekjing University and for the next two years, as a Visiting Scholar supported by The Henry Luce Foundation, carried on research at Harvard University. He has been full Professor in Peking University since 1990.Currently.He is now a professor of philosophy department at Tsinghua University and Dean of Academy of Chinese Learning [Guoxue 國學] at Tsinghua University. Professor Chen has made important contributions to research in Confucian philosophy, especially Song-Ming Ru (Confucian) thought. His most famous writings include: Zhu Xi Zhexue Yanjiu (Research in the Philosophy of Zhu Xi) (1988), Zhu Zi Shu Xin Biannian Kaozheng (A Chronological Record of Zhu Xi's Books and Letters: Textual Investigation and Verification) (1989), You Wu Zhi Jing: Wang Yangming Zhexue de Jingshen (Here and Beyond: The Spirit of Wang Yangming's Philosophy) (1991), and Song-Ming Lixue (Song-Ming Lixue) (1992), as well as numerous essays and articles. Prof. Chen is an honorary professor at eleven universities and is a member of the editorial boards of sixteen academic journals.