Source: Office of International Cooperation & Exchange
Written by: Office of International Cooperation & Exchange
Proofread by: Ian Heuer
Edited by: Wang Dongmei

On the morning of April 8, 2016, Dr. Irene Giner-Reichl, the Austrian Ambassador to the People’s Republic of China and Mongolia, visited Sun Yat-sen University (SYSU). Prof. Wei Minghai, Vice President of SYSU, met with Ambassador Giner-Reichl, accompanied by Prof. Zhang Yanmei, Deputy Dean of Lingnan College, and Ms. Xu Yao, Deputy Director of Office of International Cooperation & Exchange of SYSU.

Vice President Wei Minghai extended a warm welcome to Ambassador Giner-Reichl, and introduced SYSU’s history, campus construction, and disciplinary strengths. He expressed optimism about the future of cooperation and exchange between SYSU and Austrian universities.
 
Ambassador Giner-Reichl said that she was glad to visit SYSU. She pointed out that the cooperative relationship between Austria and China has a long history. She also made assurances that the Austrian Embassy in China will keep in touch with SYSU and provide support and help for faculty and student exchanges as well as collaborative projects between Austrian universities and SYSU.


After the meeting, Ambassador Giner-Reichl gave a speech entitled “China-Europe Relations from the Austrian Perspective” in Lingnan Hall on SYSU’s Guangzhou South Campus. The lecture was moderated by Prof. Xu Xinzhong, Dean of Lingnan College.

The Ambassador first gave a brief overview of the history of Sino-European relations over the past 41 years, the shared problems, and the challenges and opportunities for future cooperation. The Ambassador indicated that this year is the 45th anniversary of the establishment of China-Austria diplomatic relations. Austria will continue to explore cooperation opportunities with China. Areas for cooperation mentioned by the Ambassador were water resource management, intelligent urbanization, and sustainable development. She also expressed hopes for Austria’s ability to partner with China on the “One Belt, One Road” initiative, the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, and the continued development of China’s Western Regions. Following the lecture, Ambassador Giner-Reichl answered an array of questions from students in the audience, displaying a wide mastery of Chinese and European issues.

Dr. Irene Giner-Reichl has been a member of the Austrian Diplomatic Service since 1982. Her main areas of expertise are economic and social development, environment, energy, and development cooperation. Since January 2012 she has been the Austrian Ambassador to the People’s Republic of China and Mongolia. Dr. Giner-Reichl is president of the Global Forum on Sustainable Energy (GFSE). She has published books and articles on international relations and global issues.