On July 8th, the day of the 2018 UIP (University Immersion Program) launch at SCU, internationalization initiatives at Sichuan University took a new turn: SCU formally signed a cooperative agreement with Germany’s Clausthal University of Technology, paving the way for the two schools to establish a joint international college based in Germany. The agreement marks Sichuan University’s first venture into running a college outside the People’s Republic of China and on German soil. SCU President Li Yanrong and President of Clausthal University of Technology, Thomas Hanschke, signed the agreement on behalf of their respective schools.
Li Yanrong opened the meeting by welcoming the German visitors. Clausthal University of Technology, Li noted, is among Germany’s famous polytechnics and boasts a strong foundation in studies on energy, economics, and related fields. SCU attaches great importance to internationalization, particularly the task of training students in various aspects of global competitiveness. Over the past years of fruitful collaboration and exchange, Clausthal University of Technology has become an important cooperative partner for SCU. The joint establishment of an international college marks a significant event in the shared history of the two schools. President Li anticipates a closer working relationship in the areas of education and scientific collaboration. Li emphasized that establishing a joint college between Chinese and German higher education institutions represents an innovative move in Sino-foreign academic collaboration. Requiring the joint efforts of both schools and a willingness to chart new territory, the venture offers the unique opportunity to combine the academic distinctions of both sides. The founders will be establishing innovative courses of study focused on exploiting interdisciplinary strengths and the potential for international engagement. With a strong global outlook and plans to develop new engineering majors, the college also stands to offer significant contributions to socio-economic development in both countries.
President Thomas Hanschke thanked President Li for the generous reception at SCU, stating that his university deeply valued its cooperation with Chinese higher education institutions and attaches a great deal of importance to its cooperative partnership with Sichuan University in particular. Hanschke is certain that the signing of this agreement will serve to further advance the systematic cooperation between the two schools and that, with the efforts of both its German and Chinese initiators, the joint college is guaranteed to become a great success. In the presence of all attending faculty and staff members as witnesses of the event, Presidents Li and Hanschke together signed the cooperation agreement, outlining plans for the joint establishment of the Chinese-German International College, along with other items of consensus.
Vice President of Clauthal University of Technology Alfons Esderts and SCU Vice President Yan Shijing, as well as representatives of relevant schools and departments, joined the ceremony.
