On 21st of May 2017, the first HUST-UDE University Day was held at Huazhong University of Science and Technology. 14 Professors and experts from the University of Duisburg-Essen (UDE) witnessed a various exchange activities. This is one of the major parallel events in celebrating the 110th Anniversary of Tongji Medical College of HUST, through strategic dialogue, alumni forum, academic lectures and agreements signing, the cooperation and friendship between the 2 universities are further strengthened.

9 sharp in the morning, the Opening Ceremony and Strategic Dialogue of first “HUST-UDE Day” started as scheduled at the German Language Center. Vice-President Prof. Chen Jianguo, leaders from the School of Foreign Languages, School of Physics, School of Economics, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, School of Humanities, School of Architecture and Urban Planning as well as Tongji Medical College attended the ceremony.

Prof. Chen Jianguo pointed out that HUST, especially TMC has long-term friendship with German Partners due to its German origins. University of Duisburg-Essen is one of our most reliable partners, with whom we have longest cooperation and most significant results. He hoped that the future cooperation between the two universities will reach a new stage.

Prof. Dr. Jens Martin Gurr, Member of the School Board of UDE, hoped that two universities can carry out more in-depth exchanges in the field of research and students mobility. Subsequently, the two sides had an extensive discussion on further cooperation and then signed the agreement named “Wuhan-Essen Joint Laboratory of Infection and Immunity”, which considered as a milestone of the interdisciplinary cooperation between HUST and Duisburg-Essen.

In the afternoon, the delegation of UDE moved from the main campus to Tongji Medical College and joined the Alumni Forum. Some old alumni, Prof. HUANG Guangying (the former Chairman of the School Board of TMC), Prof. HONG Guangxiang (the former Dean of TMC), Prof. CHEN Weigong(a famous professor in the School of Public Health) and other alumni shared their experiences and feeling when they were studying in Duisburg-Essen. What impressed these alumni most were the rigorous studying attitude, knowledgeable tutors, beautiful campus and good environment of UDE Medical Faculty, which always brought back fond memories to them when they are back in China. Three students from UDE made their comments on the “Practical year” and experiences of the first few days in affiliated Union Hospital of TMC.

Meike Rückborn , exchange doctoral student from UDE, commented: “I may have encountered many cultural and language challenges, however, with the help of classmates and staff from HUST, all the difficulties are becoming opportunities for progress”.

Meantime, the delegation of UDE attended the Joint Academic Exchange Day of Union Hospital. A lecture on The SFB/Transregio60 project “Mutual interaction of chronic viruses with cells of the immune system: from fundamental research to immunotherapy and vaccination”is conducted by German expert Prof. Dr. Ulf Dittmer from UDE and Chinese counterpart Prof. Yang Dongliang from Union Hospital.