Former German President Christian Wulff has sent a congratulatory letter to Hefei University, extending his warm congratulations on the 40th anniversary of HFU’s Sino-German cooperation. In his letter, Wulff highly praised the long-standing partnership between Anhui Province and the state of Lower Saxony, as well as the HFU’s achievements in applied higher education and international cooperation.
Wulff noted, although 40 years may be only a brief moment in history, the cooperation between Hefei University and its German partners has been both remarkable and fruitful. Since 1985, when Anhui Province and Lower Saxony jointly supported the development of Hefei University, the two sides have carried out extensive cooperation in areas including joint academic programs, applied talent cultivation, dual-system higher education with Chinese characteristics, and people-to-people exchanges.
According to Wulff, the partnership has contributed to deep and sustained collaboration in science, technology, culture, and most importantly, mutual understanding between people. He highlighted the close cooperation between Hefei University and Osnabruck University of Applied Sciences, as well as the sister-city relationship between Hefei and Osnabruck, his hometown.
In the letter, Wulff spoke highly of Hefei University’s reputation across China for emphasizing practical skills and career-oriented education, noting its significant contribution to regional economic development in Anhui Province. He also pointed out, Anhui Province and Lower Saxony are highly complementary in agriculture, industry, scientific research and tourism, which have given rise to numerous cooperation projects and enduring friendships.
Looking to the future, Wulff expressed optimism about cooperation in emerging fields such as electric vehicle batteries and automotive software development. Recalling his participation in the foundation-laying ceremony of Continental’s tire factory in Hefei, he described the project as a model of win-win cooperation benefiting Hefei and the German companies headquartered in Hanover.
Wulff concluded by expressing his sincere hope that cooperation between the two universities and between Anhui Province and Lower Saxony would continue to get deepened and yield more fruitful results. On a personal note, he fondly recalled planting a tree on the Hefei University campus and celebrating his birthday with students, describing these memories as lasting symbols of the deep friendship between the two parties.
Christian Wulff is a former President of Germany, Honorary Chairman of the Global Alliance of SMEs, Honorary Professor of Hefei University, and a recipient of the 2022 Chinese Government Friendship Award. He has visited Hefei University six times and has made significant contributions to promoting cooperation between China and Germany in politics, economy, science and technology, education, and culture.
