EU Delegation to China holds “Academic Mixer” event in Shanghai, connecting EU and Chinese academics and researchers

22.09.2025

Shanghai

Press and information team of the Delegation to CHINA

On 19 September 2025, the EU Delegation to China hosted the Shanghai edition of its “Academic Mixer” event series. This event, continuing on the success of previous Mixers in Beijing and Chengdu, gathered EU and Chinese researchers to network and discuss their shared experiences, with the aim of deepening ties between European and Chinese academic communities.

Under the theme “Mentoring Across Worlds: Narratives, Networks and Navigating Difference in Academia,” participants exchanged on the role of academic mentorship and the value of dialogue and collaboration in a transnational context.

The event welcomed 68 participants, including PhD researchers, members of the EURAXESS research mobility network, and representatives of Chinese and European academic institutions.

Speaking at the event, Katarzyna Zelichowska, Head of Science, Technology & Innovation Section at the EU Delegation to China, said "The future of EU-China research cooperation is in your hands. As academics and researchers, you are the driving force behind progress and discovery. "

Other speakers included Prof. Ferdinand Kappes, Associate Professor of Biology at Duke Kunshan University and PhD candidate Xiangdong Chen of Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, who held a panel discussion on academic mentorship, moderated by Karlis Rokpelnis, EURAXESS China Country Representative. Xiangdong Chen also gave a presentation on the value of his experiences working with a European supervisor who had herself studied and worked in China.

The Academic Mixer event series is part of the EU Delegation’s ongoing ‘EUPOP’ public and cultural outreach project, supported by the EU’s Foreign Policy Instruments service.