Source: School of Foreign Languages
Written by: Department of German
Translated by: Zheng Lei, Ye Siting
Edited by: Wang Dongmei

On the morning of October 21, the unveiling ceremony of Center for German Studies, School of Foreign Languages (FLS), Sun Yat-sen University and appointment ceremony for Prof. Dr. Dr. H.c. Walter Pape as guest professor of FLS and honorary director of Center for German Studies was held in FLS Building. Joining the event were Professor Chang Chenguang, Dean of FLS; Dr. Xu Dongli, Secretary of FLS; Dr. Jochen Künzel, Deputy Consul General of the Consulate General of the Federal Republic of Germany in Guangzhou; Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. Walter Pape and Prof. Dr. Karl-Heinz G.ttert at the University of Cologne (UoC); and Prof. Dr. phil. Wang Beibei, head of the Department of German of FLS. Teachers and students from the Department of German also attended the ceremony.


After the ceremony, Professor Walter Pape delivered his first lecture as Honorary Director titled “Those who approach history for brightness and knowledge will find themselves terribly wrong and disappointed – Notes to the crisis of historiography”. Professor G.ttert then presented an academic report titled “German Language in Globalization: Developments and Prospects”.

The establishment of the Center for German Studies and the appointment of Professor Walter Pape will strengthen the research and teaching of the Department of German, and facilitate international cooperation and exchange of FLS.

Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. Walter Pape is an outstanding German philologist and literary theoretician at the University of Cologne. As an old friend of FLS, he has frequently visited SYSU and made contributions to the cooperation between FLS and the Faculty of Human Sciences at UoC. He has paid great attention to SYSU exchange students at UoC, offering them support in their study and life. He is currently in charge of the cooperation between UoC and higher education institutions in China.

The Center for German Studies, School of Foreign Languages, Sun Yat-sen University is a research and teaching institution dedicated to multidisciplinary German studies and cultivation of undergraduates and graduates who are academically and professionally competitive, and familiar with German society and culture. The Center will invite scholars and experts of different disciplines and departments to conduct research and teaching related to German issues, and connect renowned scholars at home and abroad to facilitate research and teaching and bridge the cooperation between the Center and their own universities and research institutions. The Center maintains close relations with German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), Goethe-Institut Hong Kong and Goethe-Institut Peking, as well as other higher education institutions in Germany. The University of Cologne is a major cooperative partner. Prof. Dr. phil. Wang Beibei is the director of the Center for German Studies.