As China is furthering reform on the management of science & technology programs funded by the central budget, China Science and Technology Exchange Center (CSTEC) has begun to manage international science & technology cooperation programs under the National Key Research & Development (R&D) Program since late 2015 in accordance with professional project management standards. In order to improve project management and expand China’s cooperation with Germany and Austria in professional project management and urbanization development, and upon invitations from the Project Management Agency of the German Aerospace Center (DLR-PT) and the Austrian Research Promotion Agency (FFG), Sun Hong, Director General of CSTEC, led a delegation of four members to Europe from June 19-25, 2016. The delegation attended professional project management symposiums held in Berlin and Bonn held by DLR-PT and took part in a China-Europe forum on urbanization in Austria hosted by the JPI Urban Europe.

During their trip in Germany, the delegation held productive discussions with VDI/VDE/IT, a well-known professional project management agency, and DLR-PT about how to strengthen professional project management, and made intensive and thorough exchange of opinions about how to set up a standardized project management system and procedures, optimize internal organizational structure and develop an effective oversight mechanism to monitor project management. All parties at the symposium reached a consensus to intensify exchanges and cooperation in project management, share documents related to appraisal standards, procedures and institutional system, and deepen understanding of each other’s business practices.

During their visit to Austria, the delegation accepted FFG’s invitation to participate in the China-Europe forum on urbanization hosted in Austria by the JPI Urban Europe. Director General Sun Hong expressed his expectation that both parties would work together to conduct more urbanization-oriented academic exchanges and cooperation.

The delegation also made extensive discussions with representatives from prominent science & technology agencies in Austria, including the Federal Ministry of Science, Research and Economy, the Federal Ministry of Transport, Innovation and Technology, the Austrian Council for Research and Technology Development, Austrian Science Fund and Austrian Agency for International Cooperation in Education and Research. Officials responsible for international cooperation from the Federal Ministry of Science, Research and Economy and the Federal Ministry of Transport, Innovation and Technology attended the signing ceremony of an MOU between CSTEC and FFG. The delegation’s activities in Austria have been fully accompanied by the Science and Technology Section at the Chinese Embassy in Austria.

The visit to Germany and Austria has achieved the anticipated objectives and produced fruitful results - deepening their understanding of Germany’s professional project management, advancing China-Europe cooperation in urbanization and expanding the scope of cooperation between CSTEC and its European counterparts.