When Lawrence Hubschmann began his entrepreneurial journey in Germany at the age of 26, he had no idea that he would start a successful education company and launch several other businesses in China.
In 2017, Hubschmann founded the HuZ Group together with his long-term friend and current business partner, Zhan Yiming, to explore new opportunities in the northeastern Chinese city of Shenyang, capital of Liaoning province.
Since moving from the canals of Augsburg's Lech River in Germany to Shenyang, the 39-year-old entrepreneur has built a string of successful companies in the sectors of education, industry, testing, consulting and property service.
"The rapid development of China in the last decade has convinced me that I made the right decision," says Hubschmann.
Long before Hubschmann's enterprise reaped the rewards of the burgeoning Chinese market, he had encountered the fascinating Chinese culture and recognized the country's almost untapped economic prospects.
"My father established a joint venture in Hong Kong in 1978, and he gave me an opportunity to start my own business in China," Hubschmann says. "My family is quite familiar with China and traditional Chinese culture, which filled me with curiosity about the country."
Hubschmann's entrepreneurial endeavor in China was immensely successful. He founded an international school in Shenyang, which was officially certified by the German education ministry in 2021.
"People here are dynamic, innovative and inquisitive about new things," he says, calling China a paradise for investment.
China's education industry boasts distinguished inclusiveness, in which both the traditional Chinese education model and Western education concepts are compatible, he says. "The system continuously produces top talent for the whole world."
Meanwhile, he's become an avid promoter of Chinese culture to international students at his school by developing a keen interest in traditional crafts, tea and Chinese archery.
"Encounter" is the educational philosophy of the international school, says Hubschmann, adding that the school enrolls Chinese as well as German students and offers a platform for cultural exchange. He says he hopes to strengthen relations between Germany and China by using the school as a platform to promote mutual understanding.
"This year is the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Germany, and both countries boast an all-embracing and innovative spirit, which is contributing to making a wonderful and diverse world," says Hubschmann.
