On November 25^th, 2016, President Xie Heping of SCU was invited to attend the Sino-German Forum for Higher Education and Sci-tech Innovation (Destsch-Chinesisches Forum für Hochschule, Wissenschaft und Innovation) held in the Freie Universität Berlin. On the sideline of the Forum, Mr. Xie, on behalf of three Chinese universities, delivered a speech about the challenges and opportunities amid the cooperation of universities from both countries, and answered questions put forward by the participants.

The Destsch-Chinesisches Forum für Hochschule, Wissenschaft und Innovation is one of important activities during Vice Premier Liu Yandong's state visit to Germany. When addressing the forum, she underlined the need of further promoting the cultural exchanges, deepening the cooperation on education, sci-tech, culture, sports, health, and supporting the cooperation of youth in innovation and entrepreneurship. She also encouraged the universities and research institutions of both countries to join hands to tackle the climate changes and other global challenges, and enhance the prevention and control of major and epidemic diseases, food safety, resource conservation, and environmental protection while implementing the innovation blueprint drawn up on the G20 Summit. Finally, she hoped that the universities, research institutions and enterprises of both sides could collaborate closely and make new contributions to the innovation cooperation and Sino-German comprehensive strategic partnership.

President Xie stated that, since 2004, SCU has been developing an extensive and in-depth partnership with Technische Universität Clausthal( TUC) focusing on joint cultivation of talents and Sino-German energy research, based on Sino-German strategic demands and the characteristics of SCU. On April 10^th, 2016, both sides signed the Sino-German "Clean Energy" entrepreneurial platform in the presence of Mr. Wan Gang, the science and technology minister of the P.R. China, and Mr. Schuette, the vice minister of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research. In order to underpin existing teaching and research cooperation, and realize essentially the mutual exchange of higher education between both countries as well as the combination of teaching and scientific research innovation, SCU and TUC signed a memorandum of cooperation to build the "Sino-German International College" on November 24^th, 2016. This College, consisting of two campuses, namely iTUCSCU and iSCUTUC, will become a high-level international research college covering the programs of the undergraduates, postgraduates and doctoral students and featuring its unique strength in the field of engineering education by making utmost use of their advantages, applying the advanced educational concepts and teaching methods, and employing outstanding teachers from the world, especially Germany.

Totally over 60 presidents of the universities from China and Germany, including Universität München, Freie Universität Berlin and Georg-August-University of Göttingen, attended the Forum. During the meeting, the presidents of the two countries conducted fruitful exchanges on how to facilitate the mutual exchanges and cooperation and how to build a world-class university.Vice President of SCU Yan Shijing and relevant leaders of SCU International Office attended this event.