Anja Röhrer, B.Sc.

Anja Röhrer is studying for a Master's degree at the SEM - School of Economics and Management at Tongji University. She has been living in Shanghai since entry restrictions were relaxed around a year ago - and is gaining many new experiences.

The CDHAW at Tongji University in Shanghai has been in existence for around 20 years. Initially only designed for young Chinese men and women, German students have also been studying at Tongji University since 2008. One of them is Anja Röhrer. She has been studying at Tongji University since 2021 and received her Bachelor's double degree there a year later. She also remained loyal to Tongji University for her Master's degree in Corporate Management and is expected to complete her studies in 2025. Anja Röhrer knew that her academic path would take her to the Far East even before she started her studies. The country with its economy and millennia-old culture was very attractive to the student: "A decisive criterion in my choice of university was the opportunity to go to China for a longer period of time."

In autumn 2018, she began her studies in Engineering Management at FH Aachen, one of the 38 DHIK universities in German-speaking countries. The long-awaited move to China followed in 2021. For Anja Röhrer, it was a logical step: "On the one hand, I already had a great interest in China, of course, and on the other, the subjects offered at Tongji University complemented my studies at FH Aachen perfectly." Due to the coronavirus pandemic, however, China had stricter entry requirements, so Anja Röhrer initially began her double degree online. Despite studying remotely, she completed intercultural training, for example, took part in additional online events organised by the DHIK and informed herself about current developments in China in feedback sessions.

"Despite the challenging times, the DHIK kept the door to China open and did everything it could to make the best of the situation," she reports, "and I'm now making up for the on-site experience in my Master's programme." From the very first day of her Bachelor's degree, she was able to benefit from the CDHAW's large network of companies - during her internships and thus also when looking for a suitable topic for her Bachelor's thesis. At the beginning of 2023, the country's entry restrictions were finally eased to such an extent that Anja Röhrer was allowed to enter - "a highlight of the degree programme," she says. "It's a fascinating experience to see China in everyday life," she says, "my stay in the country has given me a better understanding and a more objective assessment of many issues." Into the metropolis of Shanghai, out of the comfort zone - an exchange that worked out perfectly for Anja Röhrer: "It's incredibly exciting to get involved in a completely different culture, you learn an incredible amount and can better understand other perspectives."

One difference to her old home country in particular immediately caught her eye - the different approach to digitalisation: "Many areas of everyday life such as payments, shopping, ordering in restaurants, deliveries and local and long-distance public transport are very digital and work very well." She also enjoys student life at Tongji University and plays in the university's own handball team - where she is also successful. In a national tournament in which many teams from all over Shanghai took part, she came second with her fellow students from Tongji University. "Definitely another highlight," says Anja Röhrer. She would also recommend studying at Tongji University to prospective students in Germany because of experiences like this. "The opportunity to live in an unfamiliar country for an extended period of time as part of a degree programme is a new and very special experience," she says, "I would do it all over again." Anja Röhrer will continue to stay in touch with the DHIK and the CDHAW in the future: "I'm very happy to continue exchanging ideas and to be able to pass on my experiences to new students."