Meeting of scholarship holders in Kunming

End of November 2007 a meeting of 25 scholarship holders of the Hanns Seidel Foundation took place at Kunming's Ligong University. The students are enrolled at different universities: the Yunnan Shifan University, the Kunming Ligong University and the Kunming University. Hu Jianhuai, General Secretary of the China Friendship Foundation for Peace and Development, also attended the meeting.

In cooperation with the China Friendship Foundation for Peace and Development which is attached to the Association of the Chinese People for Friendship with Foreign Countries the Hanns Seidel Foundation implements a China-based scholarship program since 2002. After restructuring in 2006 the program is now concentrated in the provinces Yunnan and Sichuan where 45 students from 5 Colleges and Universities have been awarded scholarships. The program targets gifted and socially committed young students from low income families. The scholarships are awarded for a term of 3 years in the second-to-fourth year of a Bachelor degree program. What's surprising is that women make up over 70% of the scholarship holders.

The meeting was a unique opportunity for the scholarship holders to obtain information about the work of the Hanns Seidel Foundation, in particular its broad spectrum of China activities. Afterwards, a presentation on aspects of the development of Germany, e.g. the education sector, was given. After a discussion the 25 participating scholarship holders were encouraged to speak about their social background and career objectives which proved to be clear and realistic. The study program offers them great opportunities. Seminar and cultural activities facilitated networking among students and cultivated close ties with the Hanns Seidel Foundation. Thus the strengthening of ties with Germany which was decided upon between the cooperating parties last year starts to gain momentum. Currently, ten students learn German as a second foreign language, and four students learn about Germany in the course „Facts on Foreign Countries“. When available German teaching materials will be delivered to teachers in the future.