From Hamburg to Ningbo: Professor honored with West Lake Friendship Award

Stefan Martin Friedrich Waller receives the 2024 Zhejiang Foreign Experts West Lake Friendship Award. [Photo/Tide News]

German professor Stefan Martin Friedrich Waller received the 2024 Zhejiang Foreign Experts West Lake Friendship Award on July 8 — the highest recognition for foreign experts conferred by Zhejiang province.

As vice-dean of the Joint Institute of Zhejiang Wanli University and Brand University of Applied Sciences, Waller has spent eight years in Ningbo, advancing cross-cultural education and dialogue.

With a doctorate in cultural and artistic philosophy from the University of Hamburg, Waller has become a key figure in introducing cutting-edge disciplines — such as brand science, design philosophy and digital communications technologies — to Chinese academia.

His work helped establish Zhejiang's first joint institution focused on brand education, attracting over 90 German professors who have delivered over 9,800 teaching hours in Ningbo.

Waller's Sino-German dual-degree programs, such as the "2+2" and "4+0" programs, are said to have nurtured interdisciplinary talent and positioned Ningbo as a hub for educational innovation.

He has also led initiatives like the Sino-German Brand Dialogues, facilitating exchanges among thousands of scholars and professionals.

His industry collaborations span global companies like BMW and Adidas, leading to over 30 real-world projects and three enterprise-university training bases.

From childhood stories of China to a full-time academic life in Ningbo, Waller's journey reflects a deep-rooted commitment to fostering mutual understanding. As he puts it: "My mission is to keep the Sino-German connection alive — and to tell the world. This place is wonderful. Come and see".