On October 9th, Tsinghua University and the Technical University of Munich (TUM) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to form a flagship partnership and further deepen exchanges and cooperation in various fields, including scientific research, technological development, innovation and entrepreneurship between the two universities.
The MoU was signed virtually between Tsinghua President Qiu Yong and the TUM President Thomas F. Hofmann.
Tsinghua and Europe’s renowned TUM have maintained collaboration since 1994 in the field of aerospace engineering, chemistry, microelectronics, nanoelectronics, automation, civil engineering and construction. The signing of the new flagship partnership agreement is expected to open more avenues of cooperation between the two world’s leading universities, further strengthening their ties, according to President Qiu.
President Qiu said that the MoU marked a new milestone in the history of Tsinghua and the TUM, and that Tsinghua is looking forward to expand its cooperation with the TUM to more disciplines and areas, and to explore new modes of faculty and student exchanges, as well as online teaching and learning.
“I am pleased to say that we have managed to continue our exchange activities during the pandemic,” he said.
President Qiu added that Tsinghua, including its Shenzhen International Graduate School, has been working closely with the TUM to promote cooperation between their food institutions, and explore potential cooperation in the field of intelligent manufacturing, robotics and entrepreneurship education.
He informed the TUM team that Tsinghua was currently running its fall semester by hybrid teaching and learning in the face of the pandemic, following a successful fully-online spring semester, and wished the TUM team a smooth operation with their upcoming semester in November.
Meanwhile, he invited TUM President Hofmann to attend the Global Forum of The University Presidents that would be organized as part of Tsinghua’s 110th Anniversary celebration in April next year.
TUM President Hofmann, likewise, said that the new flagship partnership agreement has paved the way to take cooperation between the two universities to the most strategic level.
He said the partnership between the leading technological institutions in Asia and Europe who can enter into such a close relation will be important to better tackle global challenges.
He said Tsinghua and the TUM have jointly published more than 100 research papers in the last five years, and 11 out of the 15 departments of the TUM are in collaboration with Tsinghua in one way or another.
There was already a trusting relationship, a multivalent relationship transcends the difference in links between both universities, TUM President Hofmann said The partnership between Tsinghua and the TUM should focus on excellence in research and research collaboration in the areas where both institutions are very strong.
“By doing things jointly, we could take global leadership,” he added.
Other Tsinghua and TUM representatives attended the MoU signing ceremony, including Tsinghua Vice President and Provost Yang Bin, Executive Dean of the Shenzhen International Graduate School Gao Hong, Dean of International Affairs Li Jinliang, Associate Dean of the Shenzhen International Graduate School Zhang Chuanjie, the Vice Dean of the School of Aero Dynamic Engineering Wang Bing, and Professor of the Institute of Microelectronics Wang Zhihua from the Tsinghua side; Senior Vice President Juliane Winkelmann, Vice President Helmut Schönenberger, Dean of the TUM Department of Mechanical Engineering Nikolaus Adam, and Associate Professor of Hydromechanics, TUM Department of Civil, Geo and Environmental Engineering Michael Manhart, and the Senior Regional(China) Manager of TUM Zhenshan Jin from the TUM side.
Writer:Sangeet Sangroula
Editors: Liu Shutian, John Olbrich
Source: Tsinghua University
