The binational educational project to develop and establish a cross-border teaching network in plastics engineering (GreK) between Zittau University of Applied Sciences/Görlitz and the Technical University of Liberec, with support from the Institute for Engineering Education at the Technical University of Dresden, was presented and discussed on June 28, 2016, in Liberec as part of an official kick-off event. The collaborative project, which is funded by the EU under the “SN-CZ” program with approximately €1 million through 2019, enables the participating universities to develop and test new teaching formats in the field of modern plastics engineering, incorporating didactic methods. The aim is to combine the respective core subject expertise and technical resources of the project partners in order to significantly improve the quality of instruction and the appeal of the educational programs on both sides of the border.

“The cross-border teaching network is designed to take the needs of industrial practice into particular account and to familiarize students not only with the fundamentals but also with the latest polymer technologies, thereby optimally preparing them for a successful start both in industry—as developers or project managers—and in research. “We are therefore delighted that numerous innovative plastics processors from Upper Lusatia and the Liberec Region are willing to enrich the project through activities such as plant tours, lectures, and regular exchanges,” explains Prof. Scholz, project leader of GreK, emphasizing: “With a combined total of over 250 companies in the plastics processing industry, the neighboring regions have a business density that is well above average. If we succeed in bringing these numerous areas of expertise together more closely across the border, the Upper Lusatia-Liberec region will represent a major economic hub for the plastics industry within Europe. The universities, with their existing industry partnerships, provide an excellent starting point for this.” The mayor of Zittau, Mr. Thomas Zenker, also emphasizes the economic, social, and cultural benefits for both sides that would result from further breaking down cross-border barriers and highlights the growing and fruitful cooperation between the cities of Liberec and Zittau.

To meet the urgent need for young engineers in the region’s steadily growing plastics industry, the HSZG launched the “Polymer Technologies” specialization in the winter semester of 2015. “The new specialization in the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering is intended to contribute to the needs-based academic training of students,” explains HSZG Rector Prof. Albrecht, who also sees great added value for the education of students in this department in the university’s close ties with the newly established Fraunhofer Plastics Center Upper Lusatia in Zittau. The Technical University of Liberec also sees an improvement in the quality of teaching and the attractiveness of the program as a result of the joint project. Prof. Nemecek, Vice Rector of the Technical University of Liberec, pledges his full support for the project and explains: “The Technical University of Liberec has been offering education in plastics engineering since 1963 and can look back on a long tradition in this field. However, the rapid progress of today’s polymer technologies requires strong collaboration and continuous adaptation of teaching.” Prof. Lenfeld, Dean of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering at the Technical University of Liberec, adds: “The GreK project significantly enriches teaching through its focus on innovative technologies and construction methods, such as textile-reinforced lightweight structures, function-integrating technologies, and 3D printing of plastic components.”

In addition to developing bilingual lectures, exercises, and lab sessions tailored to both technical and pedagogical needs, GreK’s specific goals also include organizing regular field trips to industry partners on both sides of the border. In addition, the program includes the development of a joint, English-language workshop for the practical instruction of the entire product development process (PEP) for a high-load plastic assembly. In this workshop, students from Zittau and Liberec will go through the individual development steps—from concept development through design, FEM analysis, and manufacturing all the way to system testing—using a small wind turbine as an example. Another goal of GreK is to establish a cross-border plastics engineering network in the Upper Lusatia–Liberec region (English:“Cross-border Plastics Network Upper Lusatia–Liberec”— CroBoPlast) to promote binational networking among companies, universities, and students, thereby integrating practical topics into the curriculum, placing graduates with cross-border plastics companies, and holding regular networking meetings alternately in Zittau and Liberec.