Cultural night highlights Sino-German exchanges

Shenzhen Technology University (SZTU) was swept up in a German craze as mouthwatering German food and captivating art performances were on display during a cultural night event held Wednesday.

The Bavarian Cultural Night, one of the highlights of SZTU’s International Teaching Week event, which concludes Friday, drew crowds on its Pingshan District campus.

Music performances by professors and students from home and abroad brought the event to a climax.

Doris Schneider from Germany said that now, SZTU has better teaching environment with more students. This is the second time that Schneider has joined the cultural night event.

She said the most interesting part of the event lies in Sino-German cultural exchanges and hoped that in the future, students from SZTU could have the opportunity to visit Germany and immerse themselves in the charm of German culture.

Stefan Platzer from Austria, visiting China for the first time, said he felt at home with the familiar atmosphere of the cultural night event. He said he was particularly impressed by performances featuring traditional Chinese instruments.

This year’s International Teaching Week event witnessed the participation of over 50 professors and scholars from higher education institutions in Germany and Switzerland, accompanied by more than 20 international students. The event facilitated comprehensive academic and cultural exchanges with SZTU’s teachers and students through a series of events such as lectures, forums and cultural festivals.

According to SZTU, about 45 international professors and 29 SZTU professors jointly presented 116 international classes during the five-day event.

As one of SZTU’s education and cultural brand activities, SZTU International Teaching Week has previously been held in 2018 and 2019.

Ruan Shuangchen, president of SZTU, said the motivation behind organizing this international event week was to ignite students’ enthusiasm for international learning, instill confidence in them regarding academic exchanges, and cultivate future leaders with an international vision.

Holger Haldenwang, founding dean of SZTU’s School of Business, said that most of the invited professors also have extensive experience in the corporate world or are actively engaged in enterprise collaboration programs. This wealth of practical knowledge enables them to guide students in comprehending the evolving needs of industries and businesses, according to Haldenwang.

Teachers and students dance at the Bavarian Cultural Night, part of an international teaching week at Shenzhen Technology University (SZTU) in Pingshan District on Wednesday night. Over 50 professors and scholars from higher education institutions in Germany and Switzerland along with more than 20 international students attended the international teaching week event, which ends Friday. Photos courtesy of SZTU

Faculty members of Shenzhen Technology University sing on stage at the cultural night event Wednesday.

Teachers and students perform at the Bavarian Cultural Night.

Participants show their calligraphy works.

Students and faculty members of Shenzhen Technology University at the cultural night event Wednesday.