On the morning of September 13, the opening ceremony for the Class of 2026 of our university’s Sino-German cooperative education program in Electrical Engineering and Automation was held in the lecture hall of the Southeast Library. In attendance were Volker Tolkmitt, President of Mittweida University of Applied Sciences in Germany; Klaus-Dieter Michael Kuhl, Dean of the School of Engineering; and Rene Pleul, Head of the Department of Electrical and Information Engineering and Director of the China Cooperation Program at Mittweida University of Applied Sciences; Jiang Jianming, President of our university; Xu Huigang, Member of the Standing Committee of the University Party Committee and Vice President; relevant officials from the Office of International Cooperation and Exchange and the School of Electrical and Automation Engineering; the project director from the Sino-German Education and Cultural Exchange Association; and all students and parent representatives of the Class of 2026 in the Sino-German Cooperative Program in Electrical Engineering and Automation attended the opening ceremony. The ceremony was presided over by Xu Huigang.

Jiang Jianming extended a warm welcome to all guests, students, and parents. He noted that Electrical Engineering and Automation, as a key foundational discipline underpinning the development of modern industrial systems, plays a vital supporting role in advancing energy transition, smart manufacturing, and innovation in automation technology. To date, through our university’s collaboration with Mitweida University of Applied Sciences on the undergraduate program in Electrical Engineering and Automation, 134 students have gone on to pursue advanced studies at TU9 universities in Germany and other world-renowned institutions. The graduate enrollment rate stands at 76.2 percent, and a large number of graduates have secured positions at prominent German-owned enterprises in the Yangtze River Delta region. He encouraged the incoming Class of 2026 to: first, cultivate moral character and deepen their sense of patriotism, ensuring they “fasten the first button correctly” at this new starting point in their lives; second, uphold rigor and pragmatism, thoroughly master professional knowledge, and overcome the challenge of learning German; third, integrate knowledge with action, immerse themselves in the front lines of industry, and engage in innovation and entrepreneurship to transform theoretical knowledge into the ability to solve real-world problems; fourth, to cultivate an international perspective, cherish the opportunity to study in Germany, and grow into high-caliber professionals of both moral integrity and professional competence through cross-cultural collaboration.

Volker Tolkmitt extended his congratulations to all incoming students in the Class of 2026 of the Sino-German cooperative education program in Electrical Engineering and Automation. He noted that Mittweida University of Applied Sciences, with a history of more than 160 years and currently enrolling 6,500 students, is the largest university of applied sciences in the German state of Saxony. The joint program with Suzhou University of Technology’s Electrical Engineering and Automation program not only opens a window to the world for the students but also paves a broad path for their growth and success. He encouraged the students to study German diligently, gain an understanding of German culture, and lay a solid foundation for their studies in Germany three years from now. He looked forward to seeing them all at Mittweida University of Applied Sciences to continue their academic journey.