Our DHBW Lörrach China Summer School took us from Shanghai to Hongcun and Huangshan, and on to Beijing. Company visits, university exchanges and a discussion at the German Consulate General in Shanghai gave our students different perspectives on China’s economy, society and relations with Germany.
There was also time to experience Kunqu opera, cook together, hike Huangshan and walk along the Great Wall. Learning to navigate everyday life, from mobile payments to high-speed trains, was part of the experience too.
For me, the purpose of a programme like this is to help students develop a more informed and realistic picture of China. Being there creates opportunities to ask questions, challenge assumptions and consider why things work differently. Two weeks can only offer a first glimpse, but they provide plenty of starting points for further reflection.
A warm thank you to our partners at Shanghai Zhongqiao University and Beijing Wuzi University, to the German Consulate General in Shanghai, and to the companies and organisers who welcomed and supported us. A special thank you to Freunde und Alumni der DHBW Lörrach e. V. for their financial support, and to my colleague Wendy Fehlner for organising this summer school with me.
A programme like this takes considerable preparation and energy. But if students return with a broader perspective and the confidence to form their own judgements, that effort is well spent.
First published on LinkedIn.