Youthful voices echo philosopher's vision for China-Germany exchange

BERLIN — For Luise Maralda Senst, a German student who will turn 20 this month, China is more than just her academic focus — it is a destination and aspiration.

Now in her second year of studying Sinology at the University of Hamburg, Senst began pursuing Chinese studies in high school.

"I knew early on that I wanted to study Sinology and eventually work in a China-related field. I dream of living and learning there," she says.

Senst began learning Chinese five years ago. In 2023, she won first place in the Chinese Bridge, a proficiency competition for high school students in Germany. So far, she has visited Southwest China's Yunnan province three times.

"I love rice noodles and the warm, open conversations with the locals in Yunnan," she says. In 2024, Senst interned with Yunnan Media Group in the provincial capital Kunming.

"During my internship, I helped film a documentary on traditional Chinese incense culture. I learned so much from my colleagues from Yunnan's ethnic groups," she says. "Through exchanges, I started to understand why Yunnan has such distinctive ethnic diversity, as well as the richness and complexity of Chinese culture."

Her experience reflects an idea proposed over 300 years ago by German philosopher Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz, who believed that Eastern and Western civilizations could learn from and enrich one another. That vision is carried forward today by the Leibniz Confucius Institute Hanover in the German city of Hanover, where the philosopher once lived and worked.

"Leibniz advocated openness to other cultures," says Senst. "Centuries later, I hope to contribute to that legacy by building bridges between China and Europe through my education."

Cai Lin, deputy director of the Leibniz Confucius Institute Hanover, says that programs hosted by the institute, such as summer camps and speech contests, have brought young Germans closer to China. "These initiatives broaden their horizons and bring a fresh wave of youthful vitality to cultural exchanges between China and Germany," she says.

Stella Stottmeister, a German high school student from the International Gymnasium Pierre Trudeau, is one such participant. Although she is not studying at the Confucius Institute, her school cooperates with the institute, which has offered Chinese language education for over a decade.

In 2024, Stottmeister visited China for the first time, a journey that impressed her greatly. She recalls being enchanted by the charm of Shanghai's Yuyuan Garden and the Bund, the tranquil blossoms surrounding the West Lake in the southeastern Chinese city of Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, and her heartfelt conversations with Chinese artists.

"Everything left me mesmerized," she says.

Stottmeister was admitted to Tongji University in Shanghai where she plans to pursue her undergraduate studies. "I hope China will become my second home," she says. "What I look forward to most is experiencing everyday life there — traveling, listening to people's stories, and gaining a deeper understanding of the country beyond the surface."

Cai emphasizes such experiences can be transformative. "Students don't just acquire language skills and cultural knowledge; they begin to see the world through new perspectives," she says.

Even more encouraging, Cai notes, is that many young Germans who take part in the programs initiated by the Leibniz Confucius Institute Hanover express a strong desire to share what they've learned. "They want to be storytellers of a real, open, diverse China, and a thoughtful, inclusive, and creative Europe."

Cai adds: "Their stories echo Leibniz's vision and are a powerful testament to the role of dialogue in advancing human civilization."

Xinhua