New guidelines released by the DAAD set out three principles for cooperation with the superpower, building on the German government’s 2023 China strategy, which labels the country as a “partner, competitor and systemic rival”.

German institutions, like many others in the Global South, have been grappling with how to approach partnerships with China, amid fears of espionage and national security risks.

But China’s academic influence is significant and the “quantity and quality” of Chinese research continues to grow – developments which German universities can benefit from, according to the DAAD.

The organisation recommends a realpolitik approach that allows access to “world-leading” Chinese research, but also “ensures national sovereignty and security”.

“Many of the man-made crises, such as rapid climate change and the mass extinction of species, can only be successfully overcome on a global scale in cooperation with China,” said Joybrato Mukherjee, president of the DAAD.

“At the same time, the People’s Republic is a challenging partner in foreign science policy and is also seen as a systemic rival by the German government in its China strategy.”

“The People’s Republic is a challenging partner in foreign science policy”

The DAAD advises higher education institutions to start by defining their own goals and developing individual China strategies. They should also consider strengthening the integration of Chinese students and attracting more young  scientists from the country to boost future cooperation.

When collaborations do happen, they should be “rule-based” to minimise risks. This includes sharing relevant transparency regulations with partners and the general public, and strengthening audit procedures.

Finally, institutions should expand their China competence among researchers and students, including by promoting active exchange with the country.

“Only then will we be able to safeguard our interests in the joint generation of knowledge, maintain access to Chinese institutions as important players in the international science system and make well-founded assessments in order to avoid risks,” said Mukherjee.

The number of Germany-China academic partnerships has dropped slightly in recent years, from 1,408 in 2020 to 1,376 in 2022. According to the DAAD, this was in part due to the pandemic, during which Chinese universities “sealed themselves off”.

Last year, one German institution stopped accepting students funded by the Chinese government after concerns about espionage and academic scrutiny.  

The DAAD also advises institutions to focus on other regions. In particular, partnerships in the Indo-Pacific region, which “offers great potential” for academic cooperation.

Similarly, they should increase cooperation with India, Japan or South Korea and expand relations in Taiwan and Hong Kong, contributing to the “regional diversification” of German university relationships and the “avoidance of one-sided dependencies”.