As one of the partner institutions of the Sino-German Joint Research Center for Sustainable Cities, the Technische Universität Braunschweig (TU Braunschweig) visited our CAUP in October, engaging in various exchange activities related to Sino-German cooperation topics. The visiting delegation included Professor Vanessa Miriam Carlow, Deputy Director of the German side of the Sino-German Joint Research Center for Sustainable Cities, along with Professors Wolfgang Sunder and Norman Hack, as well as team members Olaf Mumm, Ryan Zeringue, Sina Marie Rudolf, Grace Abou Jaoude, Mathias Hehle, and Dr. Deepank Deepank etc.

During their visit, the German team toured the Key Laboratory of Spatial Planning and Intelligent Technology of the Ministry of Natural Resources led by Academician Wu Zhiqiang, the Shanghai Digital Construction Engineering Technology Research Center directed by Professor Philip F. Yuan, the Light Environment Laboratory headed by Professor Hao Luoxi, and the Historic Building Conservation Laboratory under Professor Dai Shibing. They also attended the Sino-German Symposium on Sustainable Architecture and Cities, jointly organized by the Sino-German Joint Research Center for Sustainable Cities and the Future Architecture and Urban Research Institute of Tongji Architectural Design and Research Institute (Group) Co., Ltd.

The symposium was addressed by Professor Philip F. Yuan, Vice Dean of our college and Director of the Sino-German Joint Research Center for Sustainable Cities, Professor Vanessa Miriam Carlow and Professor Thomas Vietor from TU Braunschweig, as well as Ms. Zhao Ying, Vice President and Deputy Chief Architect of Tongji Architectural Design and Research Institute (Group) Co., Ltd.

The German professor team provided a detailed introduction to TU Braunschweig's core research direction, Sustainable Cities of the Future, presenting research progress from different teams on themes such as Healthcare Architecture, Digital Construction, Urban Development, and Sustainable Architecture. They also introduced the newly established Urban Climate Futures Lab. Professors Shi Xing, Li Peixian, and Shen Yao, representing our college's research team, exchanged ideas on cooperation in urban climate analysis and smart city technologies. Experts from Tongji Architectural Design and Research Institute, GMP Architects, HENN Architects, and the German Sustainable Building Council (DGNB) discussed research advancements in architectural technologies for climate change adaptation.

Throughout the visit, the German experts collaborated on multiple academic lectures and joint guidance sessions. Professors Wolfgang Sunder and Norman Hack each shared the latest research developments in healthcare architectural design and digital construction during specialized lectures. Professor Dong Nannan accompanied Professor Wolfgang Sunder on a visit to the healing and rehabilitation environment of the Tongji University Mental Health Center (Pudong New Area Mental Health Center), engaging in in-depth discussions with Deputy Director Chen Fazhan on environmental design for medical spaces.

The German visiting team, experts and doctoral students from our college organized the Sino-German Young Researchers Symposium: Innovation and Research for Sustainable Cities. Associate Professors Dai Daixin and Deng Feng presided over the academic exchange activities.

During the visit, the college's international cooperation office and the German team exchanged views on future faculty and student exchanges and joint training cooperation, discussing key directions for cooperation in the near future. At the sub-forum of the Second Sino-German Joint Scientific Research and Academic Innovation Conference and the 2024 Tongji University International Industry-Academia-Research-Application Cooperation Conference, Professor Vanessa Miriam Carlow and Deputy Director Zhu Xiangshan from the Qingdao Surveying and Mapping Research Institute presented a series of Sino-German project collaborations conducted with our college, summarizing the progress made by the Sino-German Joint Research Center for Sustainable Cities in technology transfer and application over the past year.

As representatives of the Sino-German Joint Research Center for Sustainable Cities from the College of Architecture and Urban Planning, Associate Professor Dong Nannan and Professor Vanessa Miriam Carlow attended the Sino-German College Advisory Committee Meeting and the Sino-German Faculty Steering Committee Meeting, presenting the progress of the center's development to the attending leaders from both China and Germany.