About the Tongji Center for European Studies

As one of the 4 centers for national and regional studies affiliated to the Institute for China & World Studies of Tongji University, the Tongji Center for European Studies (hereinafter referred to as “the Center”) was filed with the Ministry of Education in 2017. The Center is positioned as an open institution focused on academic research and decision-making consulting. Currently, there are 8 full-time researchers working at the Center, where Professor Zheng Chunrong serves as Director and Professor Song Lilei as Deputy Director.

1. Strategic Positioning

The Center is a university think tank that serves the needs of China’s diplomatic strategy and socio-economic development, with a commitment to playing a role in advisory services, talent cultivation, public opinion guidance, and public diplomacy. Its research areas include the political, economic, diplomatic and social dynamics of the EU, sub-regions and member states, as well as China-EU relations, sub-regional relations between China and the EU, "17+1 cooperation", and bilateral relations between China and EU member states.

2. Mission and Goals

Based on all-round, forward-looking and strategic interdisciplinary studies of Europe featuring “one body + two wings”, i.e. taking German studies as the main body, and Central and Eastern European (CEE) studies (including research on the “17+1” cooperation) and Nordic studies as the two wings, the Center aims to build a European studies and decision-making consulting team that follows the correct political direction, has both ability and political integrity, and is full of innovative spirit. It aspires to grow into a think tank with Tongji characteristics that leads its peers in China and has certain influence in the world.

The Center hosts and participates in domestic and international academic conferences to strengthen academic exchanges and dialogues with institutes for European studies at home and abroad, publishes academic papers in domestic and international core journals, and publishes monographs and symposia related to European studies.

The Center offers a series of undergraduate and postgraduate programs including "EU Politics and Economics", "China-EU Relations", "Contemporary Studies of European Politics and Foreign Relations", and "German Studies", and holds academic lectures on European studies on campus. It has used the "Modular Teaching and Research" program to introduce foreign intelligence and hold intensive seminars related to German and European studies. It also sends researchers and postgraduates to Europe for research and exchange through various channels.

The Center has actively written consulting reports for decision-makers and undertaken tasks entrusted by the General Office of the CPC Central Committee, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Education, the General Office of the CPC Shanghai Committee, and the Party Committee of Shanghai Municipal Working Committee of Education and Health, etc.

3. Development Thought

First, adhere to the development path featuring “one body + two wings. On the basis of consolidating research on international relations and national security, and taking the domestic and international situations into consideration, the Center will strengthen the research on European countries’ experience in state governance to better serve the socio-economic development of China and Shanghai.

Second, expand collaboration with the strong disciplines of Tongji to build a first-class discipline of European Studies for Tongji, based on the European Studies interdisciplinary construction project under the Tongji framework for first-class discipline construction.

Third, make the Center more international. It will deepen personnel and academic exchanges with think tanks and university research institutions in Germany and Eastern Europe (Poland, Hungary and Czech Republic), Northern Europe (Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Finland) and other countries and regions to explore a more institutionalized model for international cooperation.

4. Leadership Team

       Director: Zheng Chunrong

       Deputy Director: Song Lilei