German-Chinese Partnership: Shandong University and ZEW Seal Collaboration
Dates and News
The ZEW – Leibniz Centre for European Economic Research in Mannheim and the Chinese Shandong University of Finance and Economics (SDUFE) in Jinan have officially sealed their long-planned collaboration. SDUFE President Professor Zhongxiu Zhao and ZEW President Professor Achim Wambach signed a Memorandum of Understanding on 12 June 2019, on the occasion of the visit of a Chinese delegation from Jinan to ZEW. The aim of this agreement is to strengthen cooperation in fields of research of mutual interest as well as in the qualification of young scientists.
The agreement plans on establishing a strategic partnership between ZEW and SDUFE. The aim is to carry out joint research projects in selected fields and to promote international exchange and knowledge transfer as well as to qualify doctoral candidates from both institutions. SDUFE President Zhao pointed out the numerous overlaps of interests between the German ZEW and the Chinese university. Since SDUFE will also be taking part in the international Beijing Humboldt Forum in the future, which ZEW has been co-organising for years, both partners will benefit greatly from the cooperation. For the first time in 2019, BHF events will also take place on the SDUFE campus in Jinan. Also for the first time, in summer 2019, students of the SDUFE will participate in the four-week UIBE Summer School at ZEW in Mannheim. The Summer School is aimed at Chinese students with a background in economics, and is organised by ZEW for the University of International Business and Economics (UIBE), Beijing.
China visits Mannheim
During their visit to ZEW on 12 June, the Chinese guests were welcomed by ZEW President Achim Wambach and given a comprehensive insight into the work of ZEW. Dr. Daniela Heimberger, head of the Service Department “International Cooperation and Public Relations”, gave them an overview of the institute and its research activities. The guests were particularly interested in the existing collaborations between ZEW and Chinese universities and institutions. Kathrine von Graevenitz, PhD, deputy head of the Research Department “Environmental and Resource Economics, Environmental Management”, presented a selection of ongoing and planned projects in her department. Especially in this field of research there are numerous possibilities for a deeper cooperation with the SDUFE. The Chinese guests were also highly interested in other areas of research at ZEW, which were presented by Professor Bettina Peters, deputy head of the research area “Economics of Innovation and Industrial Dynamics”. At the end of the visit, SDUFE President Zhongxiu Zhao and ZEW President Achim Wambach sealed the partnership by signing a Memorandum of Understanding.
In the further course of the visit, the Chinese guests also got to know the history of Mannheim in the museum Zeughaus C5 of the Reiss-Engelhorn-Museen (rem), with Dr. Christoph Lind, rem Director of Art and Cultural History, and curator Andreas Krock having given the delegation an exclusive tour in English and Chinese through the museum.
