18.11.2025 | NEWS

The World as a Classroom: Dr. Eckert Academy Students Experience High-Tech Up Close in Shanghai

A special premiere: Nineteen prospective technicians and technical business administrators from the Bavarian Dr. Eckert Academy took part in a newly launched exchange program in China. With this initiative, the Dr. Eckert Academy is opening the door to China’s high-tech market for its full-time students.

 

Regenstauf/Shanghai – For 19 students of the Dr. Eckert Academy, the classroom extended far beyond national borders. Seventeen prospective state-certified technicians and two technical business administrators spent two weeks in Shanghai, gaining first-hand insights into high-tech industries, digitalization, and intercultural cooperation as part of the pioneering exchange program.

In March 2025, Markus Johannes Zimmermann, Managing Director of the Dr. Eckert Academy, together with the Eckert Schools International team, visited the Shanghai Technical Institute of Electronics and Information (STIEI) as part of the cooperation program “Technician Training in Shanghai/China.” During the visit, STIEI’s school management extended an official invitation to host a group of Dr. Eckert Academy students for an exchange program in 2025.

Following months of intensive planning and preparation, the moment finally arrived: on November 2, 2025, 19 participants from the Dr. Eckert Academy set off for Shanghai. The two-week exchange program proved to be an unforgettable experience for everyone involved.

“Anyone familiar with our state-certified technician training knows that we consistently combine theory and practice. With Shanghai, we are now elevating this approach to a new level: internationally and interdisciplinary,” says Markus Johannes Zimmermann, Managing Director and Principal of the Dr. Eckert Academy.

The program offered a well-balanced combination of specialist training at the partner college STIEI, company excursions, and intensive cultural exchange. Students experienced hands-on technical training at the highest level ranging from AI-supported 3D printing and computer-aided design to Siemens control technology and drone technology. Excursions to internationally operating high-tech companies such as FANUC Robotics, 3D printer manufacturer INTAMSYS, and Shanghai Funtastic Aviation Technology Co., Ltd., a specialist in drone application technology, provided impressive insights into world-leading innovations and industrial practice. These experiences left a lasting impression on the prospective state-certified technicians and IHK-certified technical business administrators alike.

Beyond the technical program, the exchange placed a strong focus on intercultural encounters with Chinese fellow students. Joint activities included cooking jiaozi (traditional Chinese dumplings), a lively German–Chinese sports competition, and hands-on experiences with traditional crafts such as Beijing Opera face painting and the intricate lacquer painting of Chinese fans. The Eckert students were accommodated directly on STIEI’s Jianshan campus - an immersive experience that supported not only technical learning but also personal growth. In the evenings, German and Chinese students regularly met for informal gatherings, where genuine friendships were formed - connections that will endure well beyond the conclusion of the exchange program.

During the exchange program, students used their free time on weekends to explore the vibrant metropolis of Shanghai. They marveled at the world-famous skyline, strolled along the bustling Nanjing Road shopping district, ascended the Shanghai Tower the second tallest building in the world admired traditional Chinese garden art in Yuyuan Garden, and experienced the magnetic levitation train at speeds of over 300 km/h. These unforgettable impressions turned the city itself into a classroom and will remain in the students’ memories for a lifetime.

The group was accompanied by Gerald Saule, Head of Vocational Training International and a long-time China expert, as well as Hua Lei, Senior Project Manager International. Throughout the program, they provided not only technical and organizational support but also played a key role in building cultural bridges between the two countries.

“It’s impressive to see how open and curious our students are about the exchange. They are experiencing future technologies right where they are being developed at a breathtaking pace,” says Saule.

As a native of China, Hua Lei was particularly keen to introduce the German students to her home country. “You could clearly sense how grateful the participants were for this opportunity,” Lei adds.

“Our vision of shaping the future becomes tangible here: education means broadening horizons both professionally and personally,” emphasizes Markus Johannes Zimmermann. For the participants, the journey was far more than an excursion; it marked a step into the international working world of tomorrow.

With the exchange program to China, Eckert Schools, one of Germany’s largest providers of technical education, continues a tradition spanning more than 30 years. Since the 1990s, the institution has cultivated strong educational partnerships with Chinese partners, fostered exchanges between lecturers and teachers, and set benchmarks in international vocational training. The new exchange program represents another important milestone, demonstrating how practice-oriented continuing education from Bavaria opens doors to global opportunities.

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