Panel discussion: Students from Hamburg in China

19 November 2016, by Internetredaktion

Photo: UHH/CESL

Plenty of experience: Stefan Christ, Dr Sophia-Antonia Bir, Prof. Hinrich Julius, Aresa Brand.

Why study in China rather than just travel or intern? Why is the number of German students in China steadily rising, namely to around 7,500 students in 2015 according to the Chinese Ministry of Education? Dr Sophia-Antonia Bir, Associate at the multinational law firm Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, Stefan Christ, Lecturer and PhD candidate in Sinology at the University of Hamburg, and Aresa Brand, Head of the Chinese Department at the HWF Hamburg Business Development Corporation, discussed these questions on 17 November at the University of Hamburg. At the “Wanted: the bridge builders of tomorrow – students from Hamburg in China” panel discussion, they described the advantages and disadvantages to studying in China. “At a university, you are getting really close to your fellow students, you can make friends there,” lawyer Bir tells. She was the first European graduate of the China-EU School of Law’s master’s programme. Aresa Brand who studied in Hangzhou explained that studying in China hones language skills much more than travelling or work. Stefan Christ recommended opening up for the new perspectives on life and academia offered by the Chinese and told the audience about Chinese professors who consider leisure activities such as karaoke with students normal. All three of them also stressed that they needed time to adapt to the foreign environment. However, they are convinced that they translate their experiences into better relationships with others at work today.

About 40 students, teachers and interested citizens attended the event, asking about Chinese and German ideas of one another, differences in behaviour and the various routes to career success. The panel was supported by Prof. Dr Michael Funke who reported on the University of Hamburg’s “Economy and Culture of China” bachelor’s programme. The China-EU School of Law’s Project Coordinator, Prof. Dr Hinrich Julius, moderated the event. The discussion was part of the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg’s “China Time 2016” event series.