Pursuing Education via a Fusion of Chinese and Western Studies,
Expanding Knowledge via an Investigation of the Natural World
April 1, 2010
In accordance with the fine ideal of the university “Truth Seeking and Innovation”, and in order to explore a new mode of education in the German studies within the overall reform framework at school as well as
the university, the Institute of German Studies , SIS, ZJU - adopting a social development-oriented concept,
has stipulated a humanistic, thought-provoking, practical and research-oriented educational goal and
devoted to cultivating the elites with “wide, specialized and interdisciplinary” knowledge in an
all-round development of oriental and western humanistic spirit, knowledge, ability and quality in
foreign language research. Putting into practice the international education notion of Zhejiang University
and the school motto--“Pursuing education via a fusion of Chinese and Western studies, expanding
knowledge via an investigation of the natural world”, the Institute has already smoothly run on the
track of specialized education mode based on international standards.
At the beginning of the new semester, the Institute of German Studies of SIS scored new achievements in
its international education mode. Under the leadership of Professor Fan Jieping, director of Humanities
Department, director of Foreign Affairs Division, and dean of the Institute of German Studies,
as well as the firm support from Prof. Ulrich Steinmueller, former vice-president of Technical University
of Berlin, former dean of the SIS at Zhejiang University, Li Yuan, associate professor and vice
director of the Institute, the Humboldt Scholar, making full use of the opportunity of the post-doctoral
studies in Germany, planned elaborately, coordinated with different sides and actively applied to
establish the international master’s dual degree based on the long-term cooperation between
Zhejiang University and Technical University of Berlin and the back-up from
teachers and students in the Institute.
Since September 2010, the Institute of German Studies of SIS will select some excellent postgraduate
candidates to this program. They will spend two years accomplishing their studies in Hangzhou and Berlin
and getting their master’s degrees in German language and literature in Zhejiang University and in
communication and language in Technical University of Berlin respectively. In the meantime, Technical
University of Berlin will send some excellent students to pursue Chinese studies at Zhejiang University;
similarly, those who finish the studies will be awarded the Master’s degree in Chinese studies from
Zhejiang University and in communication and language from Technical University of Berlin. Therefore,
the cooperation between the two universities made a qualitative leap, and the major of German in
Zhejiang University has made a progress in its international education mode. It is informed that the
cooperation of establishing the dual degree undergraduate program between the major of Germany in
Zhejiang University and the major of culture and technology in Technical University of Berlin has
also succeeded in the core negotiations, and is about to take off.
Technical University of Berlin is one of the top five universities of technology in German. It is also the
biggest and most internationalized technical university in German. Twenty percent of its students are
from abroad. Early in 1984, under the guide of headmaster Lu Yongxiang, Zhejiang University
established its first international schools collaboration with Technical University of Berlin. In the past
twenty-six years, many doctor students and scholars who exchanged to Technical University of Berlin
have already become the subject pacemakers or school leaders in Zhejiang University, or
well-known scholars in occidental universities.
Outstanding students from Technical University of Berlin who take part in the international dual degree of
postgraduate and undergraduate program will come to Zhejiang University and learn “China studies”.
“China studies" is a new program designed by Humanities Department of Zhejiang University in order to
adapt education to Chinese rapid economy development, enhanced national power, flourishing
inter-exchange, and elevated international status which makes the world focus more on the Chinese
culture and arouses worldwide ‘Chinese Fever’.
This major is based on the strong power from both foreign language subject and humanity subject of
Zhejiang University. It faces to the whole world and can exert multi-disciplinary advantage, especially
when recruiting excellent undergraduate students from international high quality universities. It will
extend the understanding of Chinese culture and modern society to more international
students as well as promoting China’s international status. Furthermore, the development of
this subject will integrate resources of humanity subject and social subject and spur the foreign
language subject’s innovative restructure so as to speed up the internationalize pace of Zhejiang
University.
It is worth mentioning that the DAAD (Germany Academic Exchange Service) provides financial aid for
both international dual-degree master program and undergraduate program. Every year DAAD provides
full scholarship respectively for five undergraduate students from German major of Zhejiang University
and another five students from culture and technology major of Technical University of Berlin
as well as three German major postgraduate students of Zhejiang University and three communicative
language master students of Technical University of Berlin. It also supports professors to exchange
and visit each other. The fund of DAAD is offered by the German Government and DAAD is the external
implementation institution of German culture and higher education policy. So far, it is one of the world’s
biggest educational intercommunion institutions.
It is undoubtedly that the support of DAAD not only gives affirmation to the international dual-degree
program of Zhejiang University and Technical University of Berlin, but also highly approves the research
level of Germany study graduate school of Zhejiang University and appreciates the new major---“China
studies”. From September 2010, every year there will be eight students from Technical University of Berlin
supported by German Government coming to Zhejiang University to study “China studies” for bachelor
and master degree.
Let us congratulate the Institute of German Studies for its international education model stepping into a
new stage, and wish the School of International Studies another success!
(Translated by WANG Gerui & TU Lei)
