June 1st, 2012 - As entrusted by Mdm. Xu Lin, Director General of Hanban, Prof. Ji Baocheng, former President of Renmin University of China and Senior Advisor to the Confucius Institute Headquarters, led a team of 5 to visit the University of Heidelberg and the Confucius Institute at the University of Heidelberg.

This trip is mainly designed to promote China Study Plan. As China witnesses ever closer communication and cooperation with the world in political, economic, educational and cultural fields and people in the world have a growing demand for developing a better understanding about Chinese language and culture, we're in an urgent need for sinologists to serve as bridge and bond between China and the world. In view of temporary shortage of sinologists in different countries and burning need for cultivating new agent of change, the Confucius Institute Headquarters decides to set up China Study Plan (hereinafter referred to as CSP). As an important part of CSP, Fellowships for PhD Program (hereinafter referred to as FPP) will be on a pilot run from this year.

On June 1, the mission led by Prof. Ji came to the Sinology Department of the University of Heidelberg, met and shared insights with leaderships of the University and the CI, including Prof. Dr. Barbara Mittler (Director of the Sinology Department of the University, Director-General of the CI and academician of German Academy of Sciences Leopoldina), Prof. Dr. Enno Giele (Chief of Study on Ancient Literature of the University), Dr. Dietlind W��nsche who is responsible for Chinese affairs of the International Affairs Office of the University, Mrs. Petra Thiel, Director of the CI, and associate professor Liu Nan, Chinese Director of the CI. Prof. Dr. Barbara Mittler noted that"it's a very meaningful project which provides an enabling opportunity for our students and young scholars to get an all-round and thorough understanding about China. We will shortlist and select outstanding students to study in China." Both sides also exchanged views on specifics of the program during the meeting. The Chinese delegation also reached out to some students of the Sinology Department of the University.

The Confucius Institute at the University of Heidelberg has, since its founding in September 2009, grown and thrived within a short span of two years from enrolling only a couple of students at the very beginning, to hundreds of students today, from registering several HSK test takers, to over 100 in single exam, from hosting calligraphy and food culture events, to organizing high-level China-Germany Education Forum, and China-Germany High-level Forum. CSP provides a higher platform for the CI to extend its reach in both depth and breadth as it works to make a still greater difference in boosting economic, cultural and educational cooperation between Germany and China.