Zhejiang University Vice President YAN Jianhua and LMU Munich Vice President Francesca Biagini signed an Agreement for Joint Doctoral Studies on December 14 as a latest step in the development of co-supervision mechanisms.

“With this Agreement, Zhejiang University will establish a scholarship to support our PhD candidates to study at LMU Munich,” said Prof. Yan, expressing the hope to integrate PhD mobility closely with joint research between faculty members.

''It's true now we are separated, but in spirit we are closer than ever,'' said Prof. Biagini, adding that both institutions need to make sure that cooperation can thrive even more.

Founded in 1472, LMU Munich has been supported consecutively by Germany's Excellence Initiative. ZJU entered into a university-wide partnership with LMU Munich in 2014 and was one of the founding members of the LMU-China Academic Network (ChAN).