25 Jahre Sino-German Center for Research
Hamburg and China in Dialogue for Scientific Progress
18.10.2025
With a ceremonial event in Beijing, the 25th anniversary of the Sino-German Center for Research Promotion (SGC) was celebrated. The Center, a joint initiative of the German Research Foundation (DFG) and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC), has established itself over the past decades as a central platform for bilateral research funding and has enabled numerous scientific collaborations. Hamburg was prominently represented at the anniversary event.
For TU Hamburg (TUHH), President Prof. Andreas Timm-Giel, Vice President for Research Prof. Irina Smirnova, and the Director of the UNU Hub at TUHH, Prof. Nima Shokri, participated. In lectures and panel discussions, the successes of the past cooperation as well as the challenges and opportunities for future scientific collaboration between China and Germany were addressed.
Particularly impressive was the presentation of the latest developments in the field of artificial intelligence in teaching at leading Chinese universities, which provide new impulses for innovative educational and research concepts. The DFG President, Prof. Dr. Katja Becker, emphasized: “Close partnerships have developed around the SGC, trust has grown, and sustainable structures for responsible Sino-German cooperation have been established. All of this provides good prerequisites for fruitful cooperation in the future.”
(see also https://idw-online.de/de/news859944)
This stance underlines the shared responsibility of both countries to shape scientific progress based on openness, trust, and mutual respect. On the sidelines of the celebration, Prof. Dr. Andreas Timm-Giel held bilateral talks on behalf of TU Hamburg with the presidents of leading Chinese scientific institutions – including Prof. Li Luming (Tsinghua University), Prof. Jin Li (Fudan University), and Prof. Dou Xiankang (NSFC).
“The scientific exchange between China and Germany, both leading nations in the technical sciences, is an indispensable contribution to global progress. Hamburg has always been closely connected with China – not least through the city partnership with Shanghai. We want to actively use these bridges to jointly shape research that serves people and the future of our planet,” explained Prof. Andreas Timm-Giel, President of the Hamburg University of Technology. For TU Hamburg, whose guiding principle is “Engineering to Face Climate Change,” collaboration with leading Chinese universities is an integral part of the internationalization strategy. It exemplifies TUHH’s aspiration to take on global responsibility through scientific excellence and international dialogue.
TUHH - Public Relations Office
Ruediger Bendlin
E-Mail: bendlin@tuhh.de
Phone: +49 40 428 78 3330
