In a festive graduation ceremony, this year's graduates of the degree course Electrical Engineering (Automation Technology) with TestDaF were awarded their Bachelor's degrees from both HAW Hamburg and USST. As was the case last year, the German professors and staff of SHC could only attend online due to the ongoing travel restrictions in the People's Republic of China.
The students, who were enrolled at both HAW Hamburg and the USST, began their studies at Shanghai-Hamburg College in winter semester 2017. The first year was devoted almost exclusively to the German language. From the third to the fifth semesters, the subject-specific courses could still be held in person, with two courses each semester taught in German by HAW Hamburg instructors. From the sixth semester on, teaching had to take place online due to the corona pandemic, posing new challenges for the German instructors in particular. These challenges included not only the time difference and the need for stable Internet connections, but also the organisation of digitally supervised lab activities and assessments within a very short period of time. Thanks to the significant support provided by the Chinese colleagues in Shanghai, the course was continued without any delays and students were able complete their studies with an internship semester and the writing of their Bachelor's thesis.
After that, all students had to do was pass the final oral exam in German and Chinese. 'I commend them for what they have achieved,' said German project manager Michael Röther in his video message for the degree ceremony. 'We are proud of you and that you have pursued this path of study with us and have now also graduated successfully – despite the adverse circumstances.' Recent years have shown that at least one-third of SHC graduates aim to complete a Master's degree in Germany, while two-thirds move directly into their first job in industry or trade.
Anyone interested in teaching at Shanghai-Hamburg College (both professors and academic staff are eligible) is invited to contact project coordinator Meike Rissiek.
Text: Meike Rissiek
