Press release: Modern China from the perspective of global history

Nr. 296/2014 - 03.12.2014

Volkswagen Group funds new endowed professorship at Göttingen University

(pug) Starting 2015 the Volkswagen Group will be funding an endowed professorship in "Modern China with a global history focus" at Göttingen University. The aim of the endowed professorship is to deepen China-related competencies in research and teaching. The funding volume will be € 300,000 annually for a maximum of eight years. The professorship will be nested in Göttingen University's Department of East Asian Studies. Once the term of funding expires, the chair will be taken over by the University.

"For years now, China has been going through an enormous developmental process, whilst gaining increasing international importance," explains Dr. Jochem Heizmann, Volkswagen AG Management Board Member responsible for China and President and CEO of the Volkswagen Group China. "Successful collaboration both here and there depends on the top-notch talents of tomorrow possessing hands-on and up-to-date knowledge that is applicable to the country. We are delighted that the students here are offered such outstanding curricula that benefit science as well as business.”

"The endowed professorship sponsored by the Volkswagen Group gives us the opportunity to expand our special research focus on modern China even further and to teach our students excellent China competencies," Professor Hiltraud Casper-Hehne, Göttingen University's Vice President of International Affairs stated in thanks. "This puts Göttingen University right up there with the major competence centres for modern China research in Germany."

The Prime Minister of Lower Saxony, Stephan Weil, explained: "The commitment on the part of Volkswagen is great news because expanding capacities in Chinese Studies strengthens the State of Lower Saxony as a leading research centre."

In the past years, China has seen rapid-paced development, not only politically and economically, but in the field of science as well, and is thereby gaining in international significance. According to Professor Casper-Hehne, "The basic prerequisite for future cooperation between Germany and China in all areas of science, business, occupational training and culture is obviously a better understanding of and broader competencies on China. We urgently need to generate the corresponding research and teaching capacities in Germany for that purpose. Whereas there are currently around a thousand research and teaching professorships for the Anglo-American realm in Germany, there are fewer than 50 chairs in Chinese Studies."

Göttingen University is actively pursuing the strategy of expanding China competencies within the individual disciplines. The University's Department of East Asian Studies is presently equipped with three professorships and will soon have four, with ten professors working at its Centre for Modern East Asian Studies (CeMEAS). In total, the Georgia Augusta offers nine China-related degree programmes. This year marked the inauguration of the first German Academic Confucius Institute worldwide, founded by the University together with two Chinese partners. Research and teaching on China and collaboration with China are also a central focus of its internationalisation strategy.

Contact:
Stefan Ernst
Volkswagen Group Communications
Spokesperson, Environment and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)
Phone +49 (0)5361 9-86267
E,ail: stefan.ernst1@volkswagen.de
Web: www.volkswagen-media-services.com

Professor Hiltraud Casper-Hehne
Georg-August-Universität Göttingen
Vice President for International Affairs
Phone +49 (0)551 39-13110
Email: hiltraud.casper-hehne@zvw.uni-goettingen.de
Web: www.uni-goettingen.de/de/vizepr%C3%A4sidentin-prof-dr-hiltraud-casper-hehne-/110984.html

Professor Axel Schneider
Georg-August-Universität Göttingen
Faculty of Humanities – Department of East Asian Studies
Phone +49 (0)551 39-27033
Email: axel.schneider@phil.uni-goettingen.de
Web: www.sinologie-goettingen.de/boas/?page_id=126