Program | DHIK Forum 2026

Opening of the DHIK Forum and welcome address

Joint Welcome Remarks by Prof. Dr.-Ing. Alexander Kratzsch, Rector of the Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences, and Prof. Dr.-Ing. Dieter Leonhard, Chair of the DHIK and President of the Saarland University of Applied Sciences

Sebastian Gemkow, Saxon Minister of State for Science (video message)

Dr. Ralf Gebel, Head of Subdivision T2—Innovative Ecosystems, Federal Ministry of Research, Technology, and Space (BMFTR)

Markus Franke, Representative of the Free State of Saxony to the Federal Government at the Saxon State Chancellery

Dr. Lixin Liu, Minister-Counselor of the Education Section at the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in the Federal Republic of Germany

Edvard Kožušník, First Deputy Governor of the Liberec Region (Liberecký kraj) in the Czech Republic

Dr. Stephan Meyer, District Administrator of the Görlitz District

Thomas Zenker, Mayor of the City of Zittau

Talent without borders: Fact check on the immigration of skilled workers

Steffen Sottung (Federal Employment Agency)

Study on the economic added value of international skilled workers

Dr. Wido Geis-Thöne (German Economic Institute)

Coffee break and networking
Came to stay?! - International students' intentions to stay, the discourse on skilled workers and the DAAD's programmatic initiatives

Stefan Bienefeld, Director of the Division of Transnational Education and Cooperation Programs, DAAD

Reception and participation of the South African THENSA delegation
Shaping Structural Change: Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences, Its Successful Research Projects for the Region, and International Talent as Key Success Factors

Prof. Dr. rer. pol. Sophia Keil, Vice President for Research, Knowledge Transfer, and International Affairs, Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences

Panel discussion

Global Talent, Regional Future: Location Attractiveness and Success Factors

Speakers:

  • Prof. Dr. rer. pol. habil. Knut Petzold, Faculty of Social Sciences, Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences
  • Dr. Andreas Otto, Head of Transformation Research, German Center for Astrophysics (DZA)
  • Prof. Dr.-Ing. Sebastian Scholz, Director of the Fraunhofer Plastics Center Upper Lusatia, Fraunhofer IWU— Fraunhofer Institute for Machine Tools and Forming Technology
  • Janett Krätzschmar-König, Co-Founder & CEO, intap network GmbH
  • Steve Federow, Workforce Development at GlobalFoundries and Board Member and Head of the Business & Education Working Group at Silicon Saxony e.V.
Ceremonial entry in the Golden Book of the Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences:
  • Prof. Dr.-Ing. Dieter Leonhard, Chair of the DHIK and President of the Saarland University of Applied Sciences
  • Prof. Stephen Khehla Ndlovu, Deputy Chair of the THENSA Board of Directors and Vice-Chancellor of Vaal University of Technology (VUT)
Group photo
Networking & Coffee