It means that an excellent university lies in its outstanding teachers, rather than its luxurious buildings. That is, it mainly depends on software rather than hardware.

In 1931, Mei Yiqi took office President of Tsinghua University.

On December 2, 1931, Mei Yiqi made the famous assertion in his inaugural speech that "the so-called great scholar does not mean a building, but a master."

President Mei said: "What makes a university a university depends entirely on whether it has good professors." Mencius said: The so-called motherland does not mean that it has trees, but that it has ministers. I can now follow suit and say: The so-called great scholar does not mean a building, but a master."