CRI听力:A German Professor in Qingdao

80-year old German professor Folker Helfrid Wittmann is a world famous expert on building materials.

After retirement, he decided to teach at the Qingdao University of Technology in China, turning down offers from renowned American colleges and universities. 

He travels between the Chinese city and Switzerland three to four times a year. He is also the first international academic to live and work in this eastern Chinese city. 

Let's follow our reporter Xu Fei to find out more.

Before he came to China, Folker Helfrid Wittmann was a Professor specializing in building materials at the Technical University of Munich in Germany. He also taught at the Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands, and The Swiss Federal Institute of Technology. In 1991, he became a foreign academic at the Russian National Academy of Engineering. 

In 2002, this world famous expert on concrete began teaching in Qingdao, one year after he gave a lecture in Beijing.

German Professor Folker Helfrid Wittmann [Photo:dzwww.com]

The German professor recalls:

"The principal of Qingdao University of Technology came to me after that lecture and asked me if I'm interested in joining his university and giving several lectures. I agreed."
 

After several lectures, Wittmann developed a strong interest in both the university and the city. He was officially hired by Qingdao University of Technology in 2002.

He is a renowned expert in the field of building materials, but he still remains humble; an attribute that impresses his students.

Wu Ruixue is one of his students.

"He has been my teacher since 2011. Each time we meet, he will politely invite me to enter the room first."

During his 11 years of teaching life in Qingdao, Wittmann has taught a total of 49 doctorate students and other postgraduates. His time there has earned him an unusual nickname as Bi Zhonghua explains:

"We nicknamed him Ultraman, a man endowed with super power."
 

In his spare time, he likes to play piano in front of his students.

"I could only play the beginning, for the whole melody is too long."
 

In this German professor's eyes, music has no borders and can help improve affection and respect between countries.

"When I was a student, my teacher was often playing piano for us. I, along with some other students, played flute to accompany my teacher's piano music."
 

Entering this German professor's office at the Qingdao University of Technology, your attention is immediately drawn to the Chinese painting and calligraphy on the wall.

"I once taught a student in his postgraduate studies. Upon his graduation, he gave me an oil painting as a gift to express his gratitude."
 

When he first arrived in Shanghai in 1985, Wittmann spent 3,000 yuan on a Chinese ink painting. Decades have passed; yet his love for traditional Chinese culture has never gone away. Meanwhile, he is also particularly fond of the city environment of Qingdao and the local cuisine. The buildings in the city are reminiscent of European architecture and it helps him feel more at home.

While lecturing in Qingdao, Wittmann also participated in researching the concrete used in the construction of the Jiaozhou Bay Tunnel and Qingdao subway systems. 

Local scientific experts worry that the environment where the submarine tunnel is built will deteriorate. This will be especially worrying if the salt in the sea water erodes the concrete that covers the outside of the tunnel. Vehicle exhaust that containing CO2 could also carbonize the interior of the tunnel. These are the factors that could likely impact the tunnel's service life.

Professor Wittmann led a team of experts in monitoring the tunnel's concrete durability and evaluating its level of safety. The professor and his team have been nicknamed the "health guards" of the Jiaozhou Bay submarine tunnel.

Wittmann enjoys international fame for his work on maintaining and protecting ancient architecture. 

In October 2013, the Museum of the former German Governor's House in Qingdao closed for maintenance.

The German professor is one of the consultants involved in the project. He offers opinions on the maintenance work and contacted German tile manufacturers for a supply of building materials for the museum.

"These are some of the more ancient tiles, specifically for the renovation of this building. We need to find a suitable factory, which may carefully analyze these old tiles we delivered to them."
 

As a consultant, Wittman offered valuable advice about the renovation of the museum. 

Wang Jianmei is the curator of the Museum of the former German Governor's House in Qingdao.

"I always felt touched by his efforts. Those days were very chilly. Taking off his overcoat, he stayed with us for a discussion on the top floor for two and a half hours." 
 

His endeavors have won Wittmann a lot of honors: in 2009, Wittmann won the National Friendship Award, which is the highest award that the Chinese government has granted to an international expert. In 2010, he won the International Scientific and Technological Cooperation Award of China.

From Wittman's perspective, the renovation should give these buildings a new lease on life. The professor is quite happy to find that his efforts have paid off, adding that he doesn't mind coming to China over and over again if it helps contribute to the cultural exchanges between China and Western societies.

For CRI,I'm Xu Fei.