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Vice President of University of Zurich (UZH) Christian Schwarzenegger speaks during an interview with Xinhua in Zurich, Switzerland, on Nov. 22, 2018. The University of Zurich (UZH), Switzerland's largest and one of the world's most prestigious, is gearing itself as an international hub seeking a greater presence in China's academic community, said Schwarzenegger. (Xinhua/Xu Jinquan)

ZURICH, Dec. 16 (Xinhua) -- The University of Zurich (UZH), Switzerland's largest and one of the world's most prestigious, is gearing itself as an international hub seeking a greater presence in China's academic community.

UZH's Vice President Christian Schwarzenegger said in a recent interview with Xinhua that having a climate such as some countries speaking of visa restrictions on Chinese scientists may not be wise "because science is an international-oriented branch of activity."

"For us banning Chinese students or reducing the number of foreign students and the foreign staff is not on the agenda. On the contrary, we have an internationalization strategy, and we are trying to become a real international hub," said Schwarzenegger.

UZH is looking for the talents of intelligent people with new ideas, and good ones develop in an environment where there is diversity, with many people coming from different backgrounds, with courses in sciences, economics, and law conducted in English, he said.

He noted that the Chinese government has invested in educational infrastructure and developing universities that are making gains with better positions in world rankings and academic associations.

"So, for us, China is a very important area...We want to be more present in the Chinese academic community," said Schwarzenegger, noting that China is, with North America, one of UZH's "focus areas for internationalization."

"One of my tasks is to set up good partnerships including closer partnerships, not only student exchanges but also scientific cooperation and maybe making a step forward doing joint research projects," he said.

The UZH vice president said that Chinese students at the university are regarded highly.

"Chinese students are highly motivated. They are focused. They do more than traditional Swiss students to achieve their goals because they come with more determination in their studies."

UZH currently has about 350 Chinese students, and it could certainly increase that number, he said.

"Currently we are talking with Beijing (Peking) University about cooperation in business and management," Schwarzenegger explained. "There is a lot of cooperation going on, so we need to educate the next generation of managers, and these managers need knowledge about China and the Chinese market."

He said UZH is trying with Peking University's Guanghua School of Management to have cooperation in management education, expanding into banking and finance.

"Switzerland is the hub for the finance industry," he said, noting that Chinese banks are now present in Switzerland and there is a "lot of demand for education in the field of banking."