participants - DAAD

Dr. Michael Schaefer
AMBASSADOR OF THE
FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF GERMANY IN CHINA
Beijing, November 2012
Dear Reader,
in October 2012, Germany and China celebrated the 40th anniversary of diplomatic relations. Today,
our countries enjoy a long-term strategic partnership which extends into all major sectors of our
societies. Our political relations are strong, they are built on trust and mutual interest. Our second
German-Chinese Intergovernmental Consultations in August 2012 and the opening of our 5th German
Consulate in Shenyang/Liaoning have highlighted this close and deep cooperation in a very symbolic
yet also practical way. Our economies are the most important for each other in Asia and in Europe.
And our cultural exchange has grown dynamically over the past few years as well. Today, we can say
without exaggeration: our bilateral relations have never been better before.
It is always people, who are the backbone of such a partnership; people, who have experienced
both countries’ culture, tradition and value system, people, who are building bridges for mutual trust
and understanding. This is why we want to engage more and more young people on both sides. As
China will be one of the important global players in the 21st century, young Germans need to acquaint
themselves with Chinese culture, language and business environment.
As early as 1996, the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) started to organize the
program “Language and Professional Training in China“. The program combines business oriented
language training with professional experience to prepare outstanding German graduates and young
professionals for their careers in China. Scholarship holders receive first-class Chinese language
training at the renowned Beijing Foreign Studies University. Field trips, seminars and meetings with
local Chinese and German institutions and companies complement the program, which has proved
to be very successful.
This year’s participants again represent a great range of academic backgrounds covering business
management, law, economics, international relations, physics, architecture, chemistry and psychology.
Graduates of this outstanding program will qualify for leadership and management positions in German
or Chinese companies, especially for cross-cultural interface functions. The career development of
the program’s alumni over the last 16 years is prove of the success of “Language and Professional
Training in China“. I am confident that the participants of this program will continue to contribute
successfully to the further development of our Sino–German relations.
I wish all participants best of luck and success for their future careers.
Dr. Michael Schaefer
Ambassador of the
Federal Republic of Germany in China
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