In the service of democracy, peace and development…[the foundation works] to strengthen the economic and social structures in less developed regions in China through education, vocational training and knowledge transfer.
Established in 1966, the foundation is affiliated with the German political party, Christian Social Union (CSU) and named after one of its founders (Hanna Seidel, 1901-1966). In Germany, several civic education and policy research institutes work under the foundation. An institute for international cooperation was established in 1977 and embarked on international development projects, starting in Togo, Africa.Since 1983, in collaboration with the Chinese Ministry of Education, the foundation has implemented a wide range of vocational and educational training projects, establishing twelve vocational and educational service centers. Fields covered have included construction trades; mechanical, automotive and electrical engineering; brewing; economics and administration, and agriculture. In addition, the foundation has supported teacher training and management training.
On April 18th and 19th 2012, the Education Network of the Hanns Seidel Foundation (HSF) held its annual conference in Beijing. Project managers from HSF project centers as well as cooperation partners got together to discuss their work and future prospects. A key aspect of the conference was the German-Chinese cooperation in the field of vocational education. During the Sino-German government consultations in late June 2011 an agreement was signed regarding bilateral cooperation in education and research, including the establishment of a German-Chinese Alliance for Vocational Education. Mrs. X Ru (MoE), Dr. Rene Haak, First Counsellor on Science and Technology at the German Embassy, and Britta Buschfiled, Head of Recruitment and Training of the German Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai all provided short introductions to explain the work and objectives of the German-Chinese Alliance for Vocational Education. The aim is to create an open platform to further cooperation and promote vocational education in China, where interested parties like vocational schools and businesses, but also governmental and research institutions can connect and initiate projects.
In China, the foundation has been contracted to implement vocational education projects that are part of the German government’s bilateral cooperation programme with China.
