‘THE LEARNING CITY ’ is a wonderful project that offers us a lot of chances to learn, to experience, to rethink and to communicate.

First, this program provided a great platform for both Chinese and German students to communicate with each other and to learn different thinking patterns under such dissimilar culture. By doing field research with German students and by implementing various project to solve urban problems in Changzhou with our partners, we knew not only the current situation of a contemporary industrial city, but also learnt much about how to understand a city in different ways.

It is our German partners that made us know much about western logical thinking. Under so many times of discussions or even arguments, we were inspired much and we also developed tacit understanding with others.

Secondly, professors in China and in Germany gave so great lessons to us, making us access to more cutting-edge knowledge and the newest information about urban planning. These were very precious chances for students to broad our horizons.

Thirdly, tours and field research in German cities were so fantastic. Chinese teachers and students received warm and considerate receptions and the itinerary was also carefully arranged. Every field trips, visit of classic designing cases, experts’ forums and special reports were such meaningful and enlightening. By these special experiences, we knew many advanced conceptions and practical approaches about various urban issues in Germany. They are greatly vivacious and useful references and inspiration for us and for urban planning in China.

At last, I want to give my great appreciate to schools of architecture of both Southeast University and University Duisburg Essen, staffs in Changzhou and Essen and Wuppertal Institute for providing such a valuable chance for us to learn and to harvest.