Robert Bosch Stiftung and Stiftung Mercator have agreed to combine their existing exchange programs into a joint initiative.
The joint initiative will be named “EU-China NGO Twinning Program”. It will comprise the Stiftung Asienhaus “EU-China NGO Twinning Program”, which is funded by Robert Bosch Stiftung, and Stiftung Mercator’s “China-EU NGO Exchange Program on Climate Change and Low Carbon Development”. Previously, Stiftung Mercator ran its program together with the Climate Action Network Europe (CAN-E) and the China Association for NGO Cooperation (CANGO) and will now continue this good cooperation with both project partners in the joint initiative. In future, up to 24 employees from Chinese and European organizations will take part in this program each year, which will continue to comprise its two original constituent parts. The program will offer NGO staff from Europe and China the opportunity to spend a four- to eight-week placement in a Chinese or European organization and to further develop their own areas of expertise. The goal is to strengthen relations between European and Chinese NGOs in the fields of environmental protection, climate change mitigation and social affairs and to help establish further cooperation between NGOs in both regions. Stiftung Asienhaus will be responsible for overall coordination of the program.
Michael Schwarz, CEO of Stiftung Mercator, explains: “Everyone involved, above all the NGOs, will profit from the even closer cooperation between Robert Bosch Stiftung and Stiftung Mercator in the area of European-Chinese exchange.”
