An online signing ceremony for the cooperation agreement between Peking University (PKU), University of Tübingen (UT) and the Free University of Berlin (FUB) in the field of area studies was held on June 7, 2021. The agreement was signed by Wang Bo, vice president of PKU; Monique Scheer, vice president for International Affairs and Diversity of UT and Verena Blechinger-Talcott, vice president international of FUB. At the ceremony, which was emceed by Zan Tao, deputy director of PKU's Institute of Area Studies, representatives of each university also exchanged ideas about inter-school communication and cooperation in area studies.

Bernd Engler, president and vice-chancellor of UT introduced the cooperation between UT, FUB and PKU. He said that the three universities had conducted various forms of exchanges and cooperation through inter-school visits, student exchanges, and the establishment of the European Chinese Studies Center with PKU. A foundation for mutual trust and in-depth cooperation had therefore been established. Regional and country studies were areas of common interest for the three universities. This project would promote the cooperation of the three universities to a new stage.

Vice president of FUB Verena Blechinger-Talcott reviewed the all-round cooperation between FUB and PKU under the strategic cooperative partnership, which has involved student exchanges, joint training, and a Confucius Institute program. She pointed out that FUB attached importance to area studies, and the trilateral cooperation will provide a new platform for cooperation in this field.

Vice president of PKU Wang Bo said that Germany was one of the countries that had close ties with PKU. Both UT and FUB have achieved fruitful results in area studies. The trilateral cooperation would benefit both Chinese and German students in this field and would advance the development of area studies.

Andrea Schaub, UT's head of Research Division, and Hellwig Schmidt-Glintzer, director of UT’s China Center; Sabrina Habich-Sobiegalla, a professor from FUB's Institute of Chinese Studies, and Herbert Grieshop, director of FUB's International Office; and Qian Chengdan, PKUIAS director, Ning Qi, Dean of PKU's School of Foreign Languages, and Li Yun, deputy director of PKU's Office of International Relations, also attended the online ceremony.