China Week 2024 kicks off with a day for students

The German-Chinese Student Day is aimed at students who are interested in studying abroad as well as those who have already gained experience in China or Germany. Various presentations deal with topics such as intercultural communication and the relevance of international exchange, which is emphasized by personal experience reports. Around 40 people were present at the event, including 18 young lecturers from Kunming University of Science and Technology as well as a five-person delegation led by the Vice President for International Cooperation and a four-person delegation from Southwest Jiaotong University in Chengdu. In her welcoming address, Dr. Lara M. Gottfried, Managing Director of the China Competence Center at Clausthal University of Technology, emphasized that "students can promote dialogue and cooperation between nations and build the bridges that are necessary for a successful, peaceful and sustainable future".

In this context, Ole Engelhardt, head of the DAAD branch office in Beijing, presented various funding programs on the topic of "Going China" in order to show students opportunities and paths to China. Afterwards, the participants were able to benefit from the extensive China experience of Prof. Dr. Ole Döring from Hunan University in Changsha. He took the opportunity to congratulate China Week on its sixth birthday and welcomed the fact that "we have had the strength and courage to stand up for China competence in Germany under sometimes very difficult external conditions". In order to get more people interested in China, Prof. Dr. Harald Schneider from the Xishuangbanna Botanical Garden, who describes himself as a scientific globetrotter, showed impressive pictures from Xishuangbanna, including tropical rainforests, rare plants and breathtaking natural landscapes, which thrilled the audience. Dr. WANG Feiyu, who accompanied the delegation as Deputy Director of the International Office of Kunming University of Science and Technology, also emphasized the diversity of China in her presentation "Discover Yunnan with KUST", which she illustrated in an impressive way through video clips, interviews with international students at the university and depictions of the beautiful landscapes of Yunnan.

Afterwards, Thore Pohl, a former Master's student and now a doctoral student at Clausthal University of Technology, described his experiences during the international two-week University Immersion Program at SCU, which sparked interest in further exchange programs, especially among other students present. As a counterpart to this, Chinese students from SCU shared their experiences at the TUC. They not only described differences in lifestyle and culture between China and Germany, but also talked about their adaptation to German culture and their experiences studying at Clausthal University of Technology.

In addition to the academic and sometimes personal content, the Student Day also offers space for cultural encounters. Two workshops on the Chinese tea ceremony and calligraphy, led by Dr. CAI Lin from the Confucius Institute in Hanover, therefore formed the official conclusion of the event. Visitors were able to have a bookmark made with Chinese characters and taste different types of tea. As the diverse culinary delights of China were not to be neglected, there was also the opportunity to visit the newly established jiaozi factory in Goslar and taste the products.