The author is recognized at the award ceremony in Wuxi on March 20. [Photo provided to wuxi.gov.cn]
My name is Dolores Sanchez Bengoa, vice-president of the University of Applied Management Studies (HdWM) in Mannheim, Germany, and head of the international office. I'd like to share a warming story with you when I travelled to Wuxi in East China's Jiangsu province in late March.
At first, the business trip to Wuxi appeared to be just normal when I left the airplane upon my arrival in China. Who would have thought that I would be honored as Ambassador for European-Chinese Cooperation and Exchange Promotion and leave back home to Germany with an award? At HdWM, being internationally open is simply part of our DNA, and international trips and cooperations are as normal to us as giving lectures to our students. But receiving an unexpected award — that was certainly a pleasant surprise.
Award ceremony in Xinwu district, Wuxi, on March 20. [Photo provided to wuxi.gov.cn]
My actual itinerary was to meet with representatives of the Wuxi University and the Wuxi Vocational College of Science to discuss opportunities for collaborations during this year's International Month and International Cherry Blossom Festival. Together, we wanted to explore opportunities for Chinese students to spend a part of their bachelor's studies at HdWM in a double degree program or take part in summer schools in management or sustainable finance. Also, sharing the experiences of using AI at universities was part of the agenda. I was welcomed very friendly and was delighted by the agreeable exchange of plans and ideas.
The author meets with representatives of Wuxi University. [Photo provided to wuxi.gov.cn]
The great hospitality and fantastic conference organization by the EU Project Innovation Centre (EUPIC) made the stay unforgettable. But the highlight of my journey was attending the business gala. Impressed by the rich Chinese culture, the traditional performances, and the immense cultural heritage, I enjoyed every second and had no idea what was coming next: Within the gala, international guests were distinguished for their efforts to foster Chinese-European cooperation, and suddenly my name was called out. Excited and surprised, I received the award on stage.
The author meets with representatives of Wuxi Vocational College of Science. [Photo provided to wuxi.gov.cn]
HdWM has always been a university with a broad intercultural community. We feel truly honored for being distinguished for our efforts and greatly inspired to keep building up various collaborations with international partners from China and all over the world.
If you would like to share your Wuxi stories, then send us your writings at wuxiexpatstories@outlook.com.
