As the University of Michigan- Shanghai Jiao Tong University Joint Institute (UM-SJTU JI) celebrates its tenth anniversary this year, a talented JI teacher is also marking his decade of transforming JI students while witnessing JI’s growth. He is Horst Hohberger, nicknamed “Fire God” probably because his Chinese name 火色特（huo se te, literally “special fire color”) starts with “fire.” During his ten years of teaching at JI, Hohberger has won the SJTU “Most Popular Teacher Award” and “Outstanding Teacher Award.” His course “Probabilistic Methods in Engineering” was selected as the “Shanghai College Model English Course” in 2013 and he has constantly received rave reviews from his students.
Shanghai Connection
Horst Hohberger is a German. Before settling in Shanghai he had already had a long story with China. In the early 1990s, at 15, he came to Shanghai as an exchange student. In his eyes, Shanghai was a magical place full of new things and strange customs. Foreigners in Shanghai were a rarity, so he even had a chance to shake hands with then mayor of Shanghai, Zhu Rongji. At that time Shanghai and Europe seemed to be two different worlds. He was impressed by the lantern show of the Moon Festival and admired the Forbidden City deeply. He feels China had more flavor back then, with traditional culture still intact and without the serious problem of commercialization.
Horst Hohberger’s happy family
Since his first visit, Hohberger had returned to China almost every other year. He witnessed the development of Shanghai subway from almost zero to becoming one of the best rail systems in the world, an example of Shanghai’s amazing modernization process. In his view, Shanghai had become the most westernized city in China, besides Shenzhen and Hong Kong, and thus more and more suitable for living. He likes to live in different places, but Shanghai’s uniqueness, unlike anywhere in Europe, attracted him. Then the appointment letter from JI eventually led him to move to Shanghai. Thus, Hohberger became JI students’ “Uncle Fire.”
Dedicated to JI
Hohberger has no objection to the title of “Fire God.” In fact, he was once nicknamed “Fruit God” because he had fruits for snack during the break of a summer course. He thinks the students can call him anything as they please, even “super strict teacher who gives too much homework,” because it is true. However, if students call him “unreasonable bad guy” then he has to reflect if he has done anything wrong. “It is normal that students love and hate me at the same time. Of course, I understand,“ said Hohberger .
The “Fire God” really loves teaching. He wants to leave a positive imprint in his students’ lives. Under his guidance, students learn how to think from being bewildered in the beginning. He hopes that such progress is not only in mathematics, but also in other subjects or even in students’ daily living. “I sense that students know that I really care about them. Although they sometimes complain about my harshness, deep down they know that my intention is good, so they are more receptive and understanding. I’m glad to see most of my students seem to like my classes and it is great that JI gives students more choices. ”
Speaking of his students, Hohberger is full of pride. He is very impressed by JI students’ intelligence, independent thinking and curiosity. “My job is not to convince them what is right or wrong.” Most problems are solved by long trails of email discussions, with Hohberger’s tireless and thorough replies to ensure students understand. He pays great attention to cultivate students’ skepticism. His motto “question everything” was his sendoff wish to JI’s first class of graduates. He told students never to accept anything blindly, instead they should ask why. If it feels reasonable or there is no other choice then accept it.
Good Wish for the Next Decade
Horst Hohberger won the 2013 SJTU “Most Popular Teacher Award”
Horst Hohberger is the witness of JI’s dramatic change over the past decade. He joined JI at the same time as the first class of undergraduate students entered JI. He is astonished at how JI has progressed extraordinarily within such a short time. He is proud that JI has become internationally famous. Besides teaching, he has helped promoting JI’s international exchange program. “Many well-known foreign universities have expressed interest in cooperating with us. It does not come easy.” Hohberger is also very pleased to see JI students become more and more open, independent and self-confident.
Reflecting on his ten years at JI, Hohberger’s first concern is about his students. He is glad that the students choose to come to JI to fulfill their potential and pursue future goals. “I would like to thank my students; they are also JI’s brilliant contributors!”
