Vice President HE Lianzhen leads a delegation to visit Germany
From November 13 to 15, HE Lianzhen, Vice President of Zhejiang University, led a delegation on a tour to renowned academic institutions in Germany, including the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich (LMU), the Technical University of Munich (TUM), Technische Universität Berlin (TU Berlin), and Freie Universität Berlin (FU Berlin).The primary aim of the visit was to enhance communication and exchange initiatives with key partners.
At LMU, HE Lianzhen engaged in fruitful discussions with Francesca Biagini, Vice President for International Affairs and Diversity, and Hans Van Ess, Vice President for Research. Their discussions centered on the progress of strategic cooperation projects, particularly underscoring practices and achievements in sustainable development. Both sides expressed a firm commitment to deepening cooperation on sustainable development goals, promoting two-way personnel exchanges, implementing joint talent cultivation programs, and fostering groundbreaking studies.
The delegation proceeded to TUM, where they explored the possibility of deepening cooperation in fields such as agriculture, energy, and engineering.
During their stay in Berlin, HE Lianzhen led the delegation to TU Berlin, where a working meeting with First Vice-President Stephan Völker was held. Both sides lauded a diverse range of activities in personnel exchanges, talent cultivation, and research over the past 40 years. Their shared aspiration involved expanding cooperation in natural sciences, green technology, digital development to address global challenges in the new era.
At FU Berlin, the delegation met with Executive Vice President Verena Blechinger-Talcott. Both sides conducted a comprehensive review of the collaborative achievements over the past decade, and exchanged ideas and practices in sustainable development. HE Lianzhen and Verena Blechinger-Talcott signed a memorandum of understanding for a new round of student exchanges, stressing their joint commitment to promoting interactions among students and young scholars for practical cooperation for the future.
On November 14, Zhejiang University played host to the 3rd Sino-German Sustainable Development Forum in Berlin, Germany. The forum, co-organized by the Marie Curie Alumni Association, convened a galaxy of experts and scholars from 10-plus institutions in China and Germany, including Zhejiang University, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, the Charité — Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Technische Universität Dresden, Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg, the German Federal Environment Agency, and the Project Management Agency at the German Aerospace Center. Together, they delved into in-depth discussions encompassing critical themes such as climate change and governance, technology and sustainability, global health and well-being. The objective was to explore effective pathways for Sino-German cooperation in promoting sustainable development. HE Lianzhen delivered an address in the opening ceremony.
Furthermore, HE Lianzhen engaged in talks with HUANG Wei, Education Counselor of the Chinese Embassy in the Federal Republic of Germany, exchanging information on cooperation in Sino-German higher education and technological innovation.
During the visit to Europe, the delegation also convened with local alumni in Munich and Berlin. Besides, they engaged in targeted discussions with esteemed institutions such as Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Humboldt University, the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, RWTH Aachen University, Heidelberg University, the University of Göttingen, the Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg, the Norwegian University of Life Sciences, and the Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development at EU. These interactions were geared towards deepening practical cooperation in various interdisciplinary fields.