Around 60 management professionals from advanced manufacturing firms and innovation institutions in Germany gathered in Shenzhen from April 7 to 10 for the 2026 TUM EMBA & BIT & IBC Shenzhen Study Program to learn about China’s business environment and industrial innovation ecosystem, and to explore new cooperation opportunities.
The program was jointly hosted by Tsinghua Shenzhen International Graduate School (Tsinghua SIGS) and the Institute for Lifelong Learning at TUM (Technische Universität München) in Germany.
Participants pose for a group photo at Tsinghua SIGS
An opening ceremony was held at Tsinghua SIGS on April 7 to officially kick off the program.
Zhong Jiajun, Zuo Jian’e, and Jennifer Weißenberger (from left to right) deliver speeches at opening ceremony
At the opening ceremony, Zhong Jiajun, deputy director general of the Shenzhen Municipal Foreign Affairs Office, introduced Shenzhen’s social and economic development and its international business environment. He warmly welcomed the participants and encouraged them to explore the city and its spirit of innovation.
In his speech, Zuo Jian’e, Associate Dean of Tsinghua SIGS, noted that the program promoted mutual learning and exchange between China and Germany in the fields of sci-tech innovation and high-level talent cultivation.
On behalf of TUM, Jennifer Weißenberger, Director of the TUM EMBA Program, expressed her sincere gratitude for the warm welcome the participants received in China. She noted that the program is not only about course study, but also a testament to the friendship between the two countries and a bridge for future cooperation.
Themed “Doing Business in China,” the program not only invited renowned professors and teams from Tsinghua SIGS and beyond to deliver lectures centered on four areas—Chinese diplomacy, AI application ecosystem, fintech, and brand building—but also arranged field visits to tech companies such as Huawei, ZTE, BYD, and the robotics startup EngineAI. In addition, the program organized a dialogue session for participants to exchange views with experts on Shenzhen’s innovation policies and China’s equity market.
Participants pose for a group photo during a visit to BYD
Participants visit the robotics startup EngineAI
Participant Qiao Pinker said that she gained a deeper understanding of China’s technological innovation and Shenzhen’s open and inclusive spirit. Other participants added that they will take this experience as an opportunity to contribute to future cooperation between the two countries.
This January, Tsinghua University and TUM renewed their flagship partnership agreement to jointly build a global innovation ecosystem. In December 2025, TUM opened its Shenzhen Office at Tsinghua SIGS.
The study program is another vivid example of the two universities working together to deepen collaboration, and it contributes to future high-level talent exchange between China and Germany, the mutual empowerment of enterprises in both countries, and the joint cultivation of globally leading innovators.
Source from the Training College
Edited by Wang Jingli
Reviewed by Chen Jundou, Lin Zhoulu, and Nie Xiaomei
Layout by Peng Bin and Hu Jingwen
