Delegation from Southwest Jiaotong University visits TU Claustahl

The main reason for the visit, which is the first since the coronavirus pandemic, is to establish and expand cooperation with German universities in the areas of study and science. It felt like meeting "old friends" at the joint lunch with TU Clausthal's China representative, Prof. Dr. Michael Z. Hou, and the team from the China Competence Center. The atmosphere was one of trust and humor and there was much laughter over traditional Chinese food.

Afterwards, the delegation met with the Vice President for Studies and Teaching and the Head of Computer Science, Prof. Dr. Sven Hartmann, for an official welcome and an initial discussion on possible cooperation with the President's Office. After the obligatory exchange of small gifts, Prof. Dr. Michael Z. Hou showed the guests around the city of Clausthal before heading to the hotel for dinner and an overnight stay.

The next morning, a tour of the Oberharzer Wasserregale was on the agenda, after which the delegation was invited to the Institute of Computer Science for a further discussion. Three virtual meetings have already taken place during the coronavirus pandemic, during which a common interest was discovered and the collaboration is now set to be intensified. Further details will be discussed during the visit by Prof. Dr. XING Huanlai, Assistant Dean of the School of Computer and Artificial Intelligence, and the responsible TUC colleagues, which will take place from June 11 to 14. In particular, the focus is on the model study plan for a joint Bachelor's degree program in computer science with a double degree for interested students from both universities. SWJTU is well prepared and was very generous in terms of supporting the program with resources (both personnel and financial). Clausthal University of Technology, with around 3,000 students, is "small and fine" compared to Southwest Jiaotong University with 47,000 students or other German universities.

The last item on the agenda for the afternoon was a visit to the China Competence Center and the EST in Goslar. In addition to the team from the China Competence Center, the former president and representative for university cooperation between Lower Saxony and China, Prof. Dr. Thomas Hanschke, was also present. Here, too, common interests and opportunities for cooperation were quickly identified - because, according to Prof. Dr. Thomas Hanschke, "you don't need a China strategy" for cooperation based on years of experience. In this regard, cooperation within the framework of the doctoral college or also in the exchange of personnel for further training, as Prof. Dr. Michael Z. Hou has been offering since 2012, was discussed. The details are to be clarified during the return visit in September 2023.