2024 China Week ends with workshop on Chinese-Lower Saxony university cooperation

In his welcoming address, Prof. Hanschke paid tribute to the long-standing relationship between Germany and China, in particular the partnership between Lower Saxony and the Chinese province of Anhui, which began in 1984 with a friendship agreement. He emphasized that cooperation in areas such as artificial intelligence, quantum technology and autonomous driving is crucial for global scientific progress. He also referred to the German government's China strategy, chapter 3.6, according to which China is "of great importance for German universities and scientific organizations in international scientific cooperation", referring to challenges such as export controls and the use of technologies for military purposes.

The first lecture was given by Prof. Dr. Dietmar Möller from the Simulation Science Center of the Universities of Clausthal and Göttingen. Under the title "Make Circular Economy by Cybersecure", he presented innovative approaches to integrating digital technologies into sustainable economic systems. Prof. Möller emphasized that cybersecurity plays a crucial role in the circular economy, as data integrity and security must be guaranteed throughout the entire life cycle of a product. He suggested integrating these concepts into engineering courses in order to train future specialists for interdisciplinary challenges.

Prof. Dr. Hendrik Lackner from Osnabrück University of Applied Sciences then presented the almost 40-year partnership between his university and Hefei University in China. He explained how Hefei University has adopted the German university of applied sciences model in order to train practice-oriented specialists. Prof. Lackner highlighted joint projects in the areas of digitalization, sustainability and intercultural skills. A short video clip was used to present the annual summer school, which offers students from both countries a platform for cultural exchange and promotes friendships. Prof. Hanschke expressed his thanks for the presentation, which "showed who we are actually doing these German-Chinese relations for - it's the students".

Following on from this, Dr. Hue San Do, consultant for knowledge transfer and networking at the China Education Network in Berlin, explained the interfaces between schools and universities in the development of China expertise. She presented funding programs that support schools and universities in long-term partnerships. Dr. Do emphasized the importance of intercultural competence and reported on successes in promoting young talent.

Finally, Prof. Dr. Michael H. Breitner from Leibniz Universität Hannover spoke about "Artificial Intelligence - Ethical Perspectives in Research". He compared the Chinese and European AI strategies and highlighted differences in the areas of data protection, ethical standards and social applications. Prof. Breitner called for global cooperation and a common ethical framework to make AI sustainable and responsible.

In his lecture, Prof. Dr. Michael Z. Hou presented TU Clausthal's activities in China over the past two years, focusing not only on current German-Chinese projects, but also on various exchange formats and activities. For example, he presented the joint Bachelor's degree program in Electrical Engineering, which was developed with Sichuan University and has already attracted around 240 students, as well as the Summer School at SCU and Clausthal University of Technology. He emphasized that the exchange of students and researchers as well as joint projects with the various partner universities strengthen the scientific and cultural dialogue and make an important contribution to the cooperation between the two countries. A highlight of the last two years were the receptions hosted by alumnus Prof. Dr. WAN Gang in Beijing in 2023 and 2024, which will remain a lasting memory for everyone involved.

In this context, Andrea Langhorst, Alumni Manager at TU Clausthal, illustrated how important contact with former students of TU Clausthal is and the importance of alumni for German-Chinese cooperation. She emphasized the success of Clausthal University of Technology in maintaining relationships with former Chinese students and stressed that alumni are not only ambassadors for the university, but also driving forces for science and culture. Ms. Langhorst recalled the contribution of Chinese alumni such as Prof. WAN Gang, who had a lasting impact on German-Chinese cooperation and is still closely connected to his alma mater and in regular contact.

The last lecture of the day was given by Prof. Dr. Tao Zhang from the University of Göttingen on the topic of "Chinese as a foreign language: global and regional perspectives". She emphasized the growing importance of Chinese as a bridge between cultures and the need for innovative approaches in language teaching. Prof. Zhang suggested using digital tools and social media to promote language learning and deepen intercultural understanding.

The workshop ended with lively discussions and a broad consensus on the need for increased cooperation between German and Chinese universities. The participants agreed that education and research play a key role in tackling global challenges and that innovative, eye-to-eye partnerships are crucial for the future.