New international study programme

At the beginning of the winter semester 2017/2018, TU Graz launched a double degree programme in mechanical engineering with the School of Automotive Studies at Tongji University. This double degree is a supplement to TU Graz’s master’s programme in mechanical engineering and promotes international student exchange. Selected Austrian and Chinese students complete courses at the respective partner university for 15 months and write their master’s theses in cooperation with a local industrial partner. At the end, a double degree certificate beckons – in other words, a Chinese and Austrian master’s degree in the subject of mechanical engineering. AVL List is an important industrial partner and awards scholarships to master’s students from China.

TU Graz welcomed the first students of this new double degree programme in Graz at the beginning of the semester. Detlef Heck, Vice Rector for Academic Affairs: “Interest in this programme from students of both universities at the beginning of the programme is high. In China, our expertise in the field of automotive engineering is highly acknowledged and graduates with a degree from TU Graz have the best careers opportunities. The same applies to our Austrian students – they gather valuable professional experience abroad in one of the world’s greatest economies.” Since the start of the semester, two TU Graz students have been studying at the School of Automotive Studies in Shanghai and four Tongji University students in Graz.

AVL scholarships for Chinese students

An important industrial partner of this double degree is AVL List GmbH, which awards scholarships to three selected incoming students from Tongji University each year. Robert Fischer, executive vice-president of AVL, handed over the scholarships to the first recipients at TU Graz in the last few days. Students CHEN Huan, WANG Yanni and YU Sheng will spend the next one and a half years studying at TU Graz and writing their master’s theses at AVL. Robert Fischer: "Thanks to its presence in both countries, AVL is interested in an intensive exchange of the best students from both universities and supports this double-degree initiative of TU Graz and Tongji University". The selection of the scholarship recipients is carried out by AVL Tech Center Shanghai. An important contact for all incoming and outgoing students in this double degree programme and indeed with regard to all cooperation with Tongji University is Laura Sturm, head of the TU Graz office at Tongji University.

TU Graz in an international network

Tongji University in Shanghai is one of six strategic partner universities of TU Graz. In addition to a very close cooperation in the field of mechanical engineering, both universities work closely in architecture, electrical engineering and civil engineering. Strategic partnerships strengthen the international network of which TU Graz is a part. Apart from the academic exchange of teaching staff and students, cooperation also means organisation of shared study programmes and benefits from the interdisciplinary exchange in joint research projects, especially in the Fields of Expertise of TU Graz.