On the morning of April 17th, an agreement of jointly constructing a center of knowledge interchange by Tongji University and Siemens Ltd. as the highest-level cooperation between the two parties and an agreement of 5-year scientific research cooperation which would cost several million RMB on teaching and research every year were signed in Yifu Building.SiemensCenter of Knowledge Interchangewas foundin our university at the same time.
The visiting guest Ms. Schavan, Minister of German Federal Ministry of Education and Research attended the ceremony, accompanied by Minister WAN Gang of Science and Technology, Wu Hele, president’s executive advisor of Siemens Ltd., Reinhold Achatz, vice-president of Siemens Ltd., Peter Herweck, executive vice-president of Siemens Ltd., China and Meng Fanchen, senior vice-president of Siemens Ltd, China. Zhou Jialun, director of University Affairs Committee and university president Pei Gang were also present at the ceremony.
Establishing CKI (Center of Knowledge Interchange) in prestigious universities worldwide was an important act of Siemens Ltd. to strengthen the cooperation with universities. Tongji became one of the two universities with which Siemens Ltd chose to establish the cooperative relationship.
Signing this cooperative framework agreement of research and development was a significant content to establish the close cooperative partnership. According to the agreement, Siemens Ltd would provide Tongji University with millions of RMB every year on teaching and research for 5 years. The two parties would cooperate on the research of high-speed train technology, water purification, carbon dioxide acquisition, purifying imaging, intelligent transportation system, etc. It was known that at the present time, some of the scientific cooperative projects had been confirmed by both parties and were about to carry out.
The Siemens center of knowledge interchange in Tongji would become the liaison office between the two parties, which was responsible for promoting knowledge exchange and cooperative research and development between the two sides directly. Prof. Li Keping from College of Traffic and Transportation Engineering assumed the post of director of the center. The joint steering committee formed by high leaders of Siemens Ltd. and Tongji supervise and administrate the implementing situation of the agreement.
The same day was namedTongji-Siemens Scientific Cooperation Day. The two parties held a series of seminars during which development supervisors and technical experts of Siemens Ltd. and academic leaders of several colleges conducted grouping discussion so as to search for future cooperative possibilities.
