After years of controversy and reevaluation, Zurich University of the Arts (ZHDK) terminated its collaboration with the Harbin Institute of Technology (HIT) on a joint education program in China, the Shenzhen Institute of Design (SISD). The been partnership had been planned to continue for 30-years. In early 2023, ZHDK conducted a risk analysis of this partnership project, which led to the termination decision. The two main reasons cited were barriers arising from differences in degree standards and “operational risks.”
The decisive factors in ending the collaboration were not related to faculty or degree quality, but rather to HIT’s ties to the Chinese military. HIT is one of China’s “seven defense universities” with close ties to the military. Much of its research funding comes from China’s Ministry of National Defense.
Thomas D. Meier, the former president of ZHDK and a proponent of the partnership, acknowledged HIT’s ties to the military in a 2019 interview with Neue Zürcher Zeitung, but he argued that this connection should not hinder cooperation.
However, some ZHDK faculty and students criticized the project from the start, expressing concerns that the partnership would restrict artistic and academic freedom. They feared that foreign faculty teaching in Shenzhen could face risks if they voiced criticism of China and whether Chinese military will use the products developed on the Shenzhen campus. ZHDK has also received scrutiny from the state government and multiple parties in parliament.
Source: Deutsche Welle, October 29, 2024
https://www.dw.com/zh/风险太高-苏黎世艺术大学终止与哈工大合作办学/a-70632329