NGlobal Magazin 01-2010

The Clausthal University of Technology is well-known in China

Niedersachsen Global www.nglobal.de Clusters 49 The course in geoenvironmental engineering offers twofold chances on the labour market: in addition to obtaining a B.A. degree from TU Clausthal, students can at the same time acquire a degree from Sichuan University. Photos: TU Clausthal Clausthal extends a warm welcome to its guests from the Far East. Even the local sun & tanning salon uses Chinese characters to offer its services. A degree from the Clausthal TU is very much sought-after. Particularly in China it is considered a ticket for success. The environment, energy, raw materials and innova- tive mechanical engineering – these are promising ar- eas and fields of study which have led not only Wan Gang to Clausthal. According to statistics, Germany’s smallest university town has the largest percentage of Chinese students in Germany. Over 600 Chinese are currently enrolled at the prestigious TU, mostly for geoenvironmental studies, mechanical engineer- ing, IT and business engineering. Looking at a total number of 3,300 students, this means a “Chinese percentage” of 18 percent. Clausthal is attractive for Chinese students because the school’s course profiles correspond to areas which are considered as especial- ly promising in China; a degree from Clausthal TU is regarded as a spring board for excellent career pros- pects in the Far East. ABC Studying This is confirmed by Professor Michael Z. Hou. Prof. Hou habilitated at the Harz university and is now in charge of his fellow nationals at TU: “TU Clausthal enjoys a very good reputation in China—and it is very well known.” At the time when Hou went to Ger- many —17 years ago —the opinion back home was that in Germany scientific subjects were best studied at one of the ABC universities, meaning the technical universities of Aachen, Berlin and Clausthal. Mean- while quite a number of Chinese universities are headed by Clausthal alumni. The first students from the People’s Republic—there were three of them — arrived in southern Nieder- sachsen shortly after China opened in 1978. Their numbers grew, very steeply so towards the end of the 1990s. Today most of the Chinese students in Clausthal come from the TU’s partner universities. One of the cooperations, with Sichuan University, of- fers a dual graduation programme for the B.A. The geoenvironmental engineering course, for example, offers graduates degrees in both countries. Now I like it! Fei Wang a student in Clausthal speaks excellent German. He has moved from dazzling Shanghai with some 14 million inhabitants to the community of Clausthal counting a population of no more than 15,000. It took him a little while to get used to the contrast. “Now I like it,” he comments. “Here it is easier for me to focus on my studies.” Moving to another country means facing a multitude of new impressions. The size of the small town is manage- able and that helps. And it is no secret in China: graduation from TU Clausthal can be a ticket for suc- cess—Professor Wan Gang has shown the way.