The German President Horst Koehler paid a visit to Tongji University for its 100th anniversary in the morning of May 26th.

The President delegation was first showed around the newly built integrated teaching and education building, where the president unveiled the bronze of the creator of Tongji University Erich Paulun, and then inscribed “the past 100 years of Tongji university represents outstanding achievements in scientific research, high quality graduate students and friendly cooperation of China and Germany.”

Later, accompanied by the President Wan Gang and Director of Education Committee Zhou Jialun, the President delegation visited the achievements exhibition of Sino-Germany cooperation, exhibition of college students innovation base achievement, and energy-saving programs of Tongji University.

Then, the delegation arrived at the 12.9 Hall where Horst Koehler delivered a 40-minute speech. “It is fantastic that we can communicate with each other without interpreter.” He said, “I really appreciate the invitation of President Wan which makes it possible for me to visit Tongji to send by best wishes on the occasion of its 100th anniversary. As we all know, Tongji University is the best evidence of Sino-Germany friendship”.

“Globalization,” he added, “makes all countries in the world not only an economic union, but also a destiny union. Thus human beings should learn how to unite together to become a learning union. Facing the global problems, what we need is not critics but analysis and learning. We should co-explore the solution to environment worsening, poverty problems to improve the living condition of people all over the world. We should act right now. Earlier we start, less cost we will pay.”

His speech ended with an old Chinese idiom, “everyone has a share of responsibility of world development”, which encourages us take the responsibility not only for our own country, but also for the whole world, because the planet we live on, he later explained, was like a boat which is the “boat” in the motto of Tongji University “help each other for we are in the same boat.”

At the end, Horst Koehler attended the signing ceremony of cooperation programs between Tongji University and German academic exchange center, German technological cooperation company.

To celebrate 100th anniversary of Tongji University, Horst Koehler established a “president scholarship”, which provides three-year financial aid to postgraduates to study in Germany for one semester or one year.