International collaborations have become imperative in contemporary high-end research. In the life-sciences and medicine, research is becoming increasingly specialized and costly. Thus, the necessity to combine resources and expertise has become increasingly apparent, and international collaborations have become the norm. In recent years, China has emerged as a notable and potent collaboration partner, having invested large resources in research in general and impressively increasing its quantitative and qualitative scientific output. We have had the opportunity to collaborate with several Chinese universities and combined our expertise to produce a number of high-profile scientific publications, especially in immuno-oncology, showcasing the successful integration of expertise. These collaborations have also proven to be advantageous in terms of overcoming administrative hurdles, whereas in some areas, collaboration prospects are less promising. This presentation will offer a reflection on the highlights and challenges of these collaborations and will provide a basis for discussion on how to overcome these issues for the benefit of future collaborations.

Prof. Dr. Christian Kurts holds the position as Professor of Experimental Immunology at the University of Bonn. He is a recipient of the Gottfried-Wilhelm-Leibniz-Prize and is director of the Institute of Experimental Immunology at the University Hospital Bonn.