Competence Unit Sustainability in China (CUSC) was founded in fall 2016 at Catholic University Eichstätt – Ingolstadt as a multi-functional center for German-Chinese cooperation in the field of sustainability. In order to broaden the disciplinary perspective of sustainability research and also include the important technical aspects of it, a joint sponsorship with THI based AUDI-Konfuzius-Institute (AKI) was established. Albeit there exist many sustainability centers in German-speaking countries, CUSC is the only one with a specific focus on China. Moreover, with the involvement of students, researchers, and partners from both countries, it gradually promotes German-Chinese cooperation in the field of sustainability. While generally expanding the network of universities, research institutes and partners from medium-sized companies, it may also help to deepen already existing contacts with Chinese Universities.

As a platform, CUSC demonstrates and increases German-Sino competence and cooperation in education, business and research. It provides expertise in the field of sustainable business for project or program support, playing a role both as research incubator and platform for business partners from Germany and China. Within the CUSC network, all parties can join in activities relevant to foster sustainable development in Germany and China by applying their respective knowledge and competence.

Currently, around 50-100 Chinese students per annum join local universities for their Bachelor or Master studies; given the increasing number of Chinese students who are willing to study abroad, CUSC provides candidates specially interested in sustainability issues with the opportunity to meet, deepen their competence and exchange. Moreover, engaged students within CUSC are eager to themselves organize activities for not only for Chinese but also German students.

So far, CUSC is managed by the professorship Christian Social Ethic & Social Policy only: 

CUSC as a Bridge

Joint research project

Knowledge transfer via workshops

Excursions for students

Cooperative promotions

Sustainable business plan

For a China-focused Research Center located in Germany, partnerships are crucial; activities should bring together German & Chinese organizations from the public as well as private sector. Moreover, profiting from the orientation of the AUDI-Konfuzius-Institute, increasing attention is being paid to enhance the effectiveness of the German-Chinese cultural cooperation.

Our partners are diverse, ranging from universities, multinational companies to small and medium-sized enterprises, social organizations, and foundations. Henceforth, CUSC aims at developing more university and organizational partnerships, thereby encouraging the transfer of sustainability knowledge between Germany and China.

Some of Our progresses

I. Research projects

a. Sustainable Lifestyles 2.0: End User Integration, Innovation and Entrepreneurship ( European Union's Seventh Framework Programme No.613194)

b. The Dynamic Incentive System of Basin Cross-border Compensation and Coordination Governance: A Study of Multi-level Perspective and Actor Network Theory ((National Natural Science Foundation of China No. 71503028 )II. Research paper

II. Research Paper

a. Sustainable Consumption:

1) Zhu, B. (2016).Consumer’s  Motivation, Opportunity and Ability for Sustainable Consumption: An evidence of organic food consumption in China. uwf UmweltWirtschaftsForum. DOI 10.1007/s00550-016-0423-6

b. Water/ River management:

1) Habisch, A; Zhu, B; Ren, P. & Lin, J.Y. Sustainability River Management: A case of Rhine River (working-on-progress)

c.Practical widom:

1) de Bettignies, H-C; Ip, K.P; Bai, X,Z; Habisch, A. and Lenssen, G.2011). Practical wisdom for management from the Chinese classical traditions. Journal of Management Development, 30(7/8).

2) Habisch, A. & Bachmann, C. (2016). A Practical Wisdom Based Approach Towards Purpose-Driven Business. Organizations with Purpose Conference | London Business School. London, 16.09.16.

3) Bachmann, C. (2014). Can practical wisdom be taught in business schools? An inquiry-based learning approach for management education. In P. Blessinger & J. M. Carfora (Hrsg.), Inquiry-Based Learning for the Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences: A Conceptual and Practical Resource for Educators, (pp. 277-302). Emerald Group Publishing Limited.

d.Innovation and Transition

1) Zhu, B. & Habisch, A. (2015). CSR in the Context of Transition Economy - An Evaluation of Enterprises CSR Practices in China. The 2nd International Conference on CSR, Sustainability, Ethics & Governance, July 29-31,China

2) Habisch, A. & Zhu, B. (2017). Culture as Determinants of Innovation: An evidence from European context. ABAC Journal, 37(1)

3) Zhu, B. & Habisch, A. (2016). The Role of Culture in Sustainable Transition

-An application of Multi-level perspective in organic agriculture. (working-on-progress)

III. Thesis

1. Peng, Ren. (2016).  A Multi-level Perspective on Sustainability Transition Management: Case of River Pollution in Germany and China
2. Shang, Yizhou (2016). Organic food consumption:  Empirical examination of consumer values in China
3. Song Ci. (2017). Practical Wisdom for Sustainable Management based on Confucian Perspective: A case study approach
4. Zhang, Yufeng (2017). Microfinance in China
5. Jiang, Xuechun (2020). Diversity Management im Vergleich zwischen Deutschland und China in Bezug auf Geschlecht und ethnische Herkunft

To date, CUSC held various Seminars, workshops, and also excursions for Chinese students:

• In December 2016, the opening seminar of CUSC was held successfully with guest speeches from representatives of the Audi Confucius Institute Ingolstadt, the mediumsized German local disposal company Büchl, and a researcher from Chongqing University. The seminar ended with a SWOT analysis for sustainability business in China developed by the students. After the CUSC seminar, Prof. Habisch and the group of German and Chinese students visited the city of Nuremberg including the famous Nuremberg Christkindl market.

• In March/ April 2017, Prof. Habisch accepted an invitation from the Chinese govern– ment to visit University of Chongqing as. a foreign high-level educational expert. As part of his visit, Prof. Habisch held a workshop together with colleagues and PhD students in the field of sustainability research at Tonji University, Shanghai. New contacts for further research projects on sustainability-related topics could be established. Moreover, the relationship with both KU partner universities in Shanghai and Guangzhou was intensified with the aim to facilitate exchange programs for German and Chinese students in the future.

 The second CUSC seminar took place in June 2017, bringing together Chinese and German students to engage in a discussion with guest speaker Dr. Xiaoying Gu of Büchl Company on waste disposal models in China and Germany. More precisely, the applicability of the German waste disposal system in China was lively discussed, along with obstacles and opportunities in the Chinese waste management business.

• In October 2017, a welcome meeting for Chinese students was organized by CUSC at Ingolstadt. More than 20 Chinese students from both KU and THI joined together to get to know each other better. During the meeting, students who have already spent some time in Germany shared their experience. Subsequently, they provided practical information for example how to register for lectures and how to separate waste according to German standards, which is especially useful for incoming Chinese guest students. Moreover, a brochure produced by CUSC students for incoming KU fellows was introduced and found very positive acceptance among addressees. Finally, students enjoyed Hotpot for dinner together.

• In January 2018, “How to write a scientific paper” had frequently been asked by Chinese students. In particular, incomings arriving directly from their home country university in Germany found it difficult to formally author a scientific paper. In order to cope with this frequently expressed deficiency, the CUSC organized a workshop about scientific writing which is highly appreciated by the Chinese participants. 

• Starting from 2018, the lecture series “Sustainability in China” is organized yearly in summer term by CUSC at KU and AKI. The interdisciplinary lecture deals with relevant aspects of sustainable development and sustainability management in China; different lecturers from China and Germany introduce into their relevant academic research results or share their practical experience. This course provides multidisciplinary insights from business science, economics, engineering, entrepreneurship, environmental science, cultural geography etc. Students gain an overview on the status quo of sustainable development and sustainability-related business innovations in China against the background of new Chinese national plan in 2020, 2035, and 2050, which aims to implement the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. After completing the course, students will gain the ability to analyze Chinese economic developments and the importance of cultural factors for entrepreneurial activities in China. Moreover, even the public audience is invited for the lectures, which is also communicated via the AKI address database.

Guest professor Dr. Haiyun Chen from Tongji Univ. will visit KU in SS 2018 and WS 2018/19. He will engage in common research projects around sustainability and common-poolresources. “Smart Education and Sustainability”: The Project strives to organize the visit of Chinese students from Shanghai junior or middle schools to visit KU for one week or two in summer or winter holidays.

The topic of sustainability and green economy in China will not pass unnoticed in 2020. As the United Nations launched the 17 life-changing Sustainable Development Goals in 2015, the Chinese government was one of the first to create an SDG Action Plan and incorporated the SDGs in its 13th Five-Year Plan (2016-2020). The concepts and terms of sustainable development are elevated to the rank of a top policy priority in the People’s Republic of China, including “ecological civilisation”, “green development” and “eco-marxism”. As the second largest economy and the most populated country in the world, the People's Republic of China has a vital role to play achieving the SDGs and advancing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

The interdisciplinary lecture series deals with relevant aspects of sustainable development and sustainability management in China. The course takes place as a weekly lecture series in English as a cooperation of Competence Unit Sustainability in China (CUSC) with the AUDI Konfuzius Institut (Director: Prof. Dr Peter Augsdörfer) and China-Zentrum Bayern (Director: Mr. Hannes Schleeh). In a transdisciplinary perspective, Chinese, German and international speakers from academia and business will discuss economic, ecological and social aspects of sustainability in China. This year, lectures address various topics, such as sustainability marketing, China’s ‘Road & Belt initiative, Sino-German Merger & Acquisition, and sustainable supplier management. For more information please refer to lecture poster. Finally, due to the current situation regarding coronavirus outbreak, the lecture series will be hold completely digitally through videoconferencing on ZOOM. Interested citizens from outside university are welcome to send an email to the organizers (lu.bostanli(at)ku.de) and enjoy easy-access participation free of charge.

Competence Center Sustainability in China (CCSC) with the support of Audi-Confucius Institute Ingolstadt organized a Lecture series “Sustainability in China” in summer term 2018 at Catholic University Eichstätt-Ingolstadt. The interdisciplinary lecture deals with relevant aspects of sustainable development and sustainability management in China. Seven lecturers from China and Germany introduce into their relevant academic research results or share their practical experience.

·         Prof. Dr. André Habisch, Catholic University Eichstätt-Ingolstadt

·         Hannes Schleeh, Managing Director of China –Zentrum -Bayern

·         Qiang Zhou, Founder of ZD Automotive GmbH

·         Prof. Dr. Haiyun Chen, Tongji University

·         Dong Li, Founder of Xetabyte GmbH

·         Prof. Martin Bader, THI University of applied science Ingolstadt

·         Prof. Dr. Bernd Cyffka, Catholic University Eichstätt-Ingolstadt

This course provided multidisciplinary insights from business science, economics, engineering, entrepreneurship, environmental science, cultural geography etc. Students gain an overview on the status quo of sustainable development and sustainability-related business innovations in China against the background of new Chinese national plan in 2020, 2035, and 2050, which aims to implement the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. After completing the course, students showed their understanding of Chinese economic developments and ability to analyze the importance of sustainable development in China through their term papers. Followings are some selected term papers from the lecture series:

·   Isabel Blümel (2018), Practical Wisdom as the underlying Success Factor of the Alibaba Group;

·   Christian Gabler (2018), Multi-level Perspective on Sustainability Transition: A Case Study on Yangtze River;

·   Sophia Fuchs (2018) The integration of the UN Sustainable Development Goals in China’s One Belt, One Road Initiative – An Analysis;

·   Tobias Mauch (2018) Urbanization in China and its Impacts on Sustainability;

·  Anna Katharina Schröder (2018) Sustainable Human Resources Management – A Comparison between Germany and China;

·   Sharlene Schürger (2018), E-waste Management in China: Overview, Trends and Solution approach towards a sustainable e-waste Management;

·   Reimer Stobbe (2018), Made in China as a Brand in Germany;

·   Patrick Taglinger (2018), Externalities of Bike-Sharing Systems – Findings across Urban China;

·   Lu Tan (2018), Practical Wisdom-Taoism and Sustainability in China;

·   Alan Vizjak (2018), Current Status and Alternative Agricultural Methods for Sustainable Food Security in China – a Literature Review;

·   Florian Wehle (2018), A theoretical and empirical Analysis of Rural Poverty Reduction Programs in China;

·   Zihao Zhang (2018), Implementation of a Sustainability Balanced Scorecard - Using the Case of China Mobile Limited.

16.04.2018 On Monday evening the opening event of the lecture series "Sustainability in China" took place in the premises of the Faculty of Economic Sciences Ingolstadt of the KU; almost 40 business administration students - Chinese guest students in Ingolstadt as well as German students who are interested in China or are preparing for their time there as part of the double bachelor programmes. The event is also an example of how the concrete cooperation of both Ingolstadt universities - represented here by the AUDI Confucius Institute Ingolstadt and the'Competence Centre Sustainability in China' - can form a positive location factor for Ingolstadt. In the next weeks different speakers will contribute to the lecture series: Chinese guest lecturers at the KU, German professors of various disciplines (economics - technology - geography) related to China, Chinese entrepreneurs with partial field of activity in Germany etc.. Students gain insights into very different fields of German-Chinese cooperation and round off their newly gained perspectives with independent essays on sub-themes of sustainability management and environmental policy in China - supervised by their lecturers and in an international auditorium.

The lecture series (in English) is also open to the public. Here is a list of the dates and topics of the lecture in the summer semester 2018:

16.04.18 Welcome Event, Prof. Dr. Peter Augsdörfer

23.04.18 Prof. Dr. André Habisch, KU (Multi-level Perspective on Sustainability Transition: Rhine and Yangtze River)

30.04.18 Prof. Dr. André Habisch, KU (Practical Wisdom and Sustainability in China)

07.05.18 Hannes Schleeh, China-Centre-Bavaria (Building Sustainable Relationship with China)

14.05.18 Qiang Zhou, ZD Automotive GmbH (Sustainability in company strategy)

28.05.18 Prof. Dr. Haiyun Chen, Tongji University (China's urbanization and sustainability)

04.06.18 Dong Li, Xetabyte GmbH (Sustainable digitalization)

11.06.18 Prof. Dr. oec. HSG Martin Bader, THI (Forced technology transfer policies: workings in China and strategic implications)

18.06.18 Prof. Dr. Haiyun Chen, Tongji University (Chinese national plan in 2020, 2035, and 2050 and UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development)

25.06.18 Prof. Dr. Bernd Cyffka, KU (Sustainable Land Management along the Tarim River)

The event takes place from 6 p.m. - 7.30 p.m. in the new building in room Z 01 at the Faculty of Economics of the Catholic University Eichstätt-Ingolstadt (Auf der Schanz 49, 85049 Ingolstadt).

Chinese Consulate General hold a reception on January 23. 2018 in Munich. It is organized to celebrate Chinese Spring Festival with industry representatives working and living in Bayern. Two members of CCSC had the honor to be invited to participate the event. And got the chance to introduce the idea of CCSC and communicate sustainability topics within the participants.

Audi Confucius Institute Ingolstadt had its colorful opening ceremony an 23.05.2017

More Information please see the website