Another visit by a delegation from GMIT and GIZ to the Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences provided new impetus for future cooperation. Technical discussions, laboratory tours and the planning of a cooperation agreement show: The partnership is picking up speed.
On September 22, 2025, a delegation from the German-Mongolian Institute for Resources and Technology (GMIT) and the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) visited Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences (HSZG). The aim was to continue the cooperation and discuss future projects.
The purpose of the visit was to exchange expertise and plan joint projects. The group began the day with visits to laboratories, divided according to specialist interests:
Intensive technical discussions developed in both groups.
Afterwards, the Rectorate, represented by the Rector, Prof. Dr Alexander Kratzsch, and the Vice President for Research, Transfer and International Affairs, Prof. Dr Sophia Keil, welcomed the guests in the Senate Hall. A special highlight followed right at the beginning: the entry of the GMIT Rector, Prof. Dr. Battsengel Baatar, in the Golden Book of the HSZG. She left her good wishes for further cooperation, also in classical old Mongolian script.
Susanne Fentzel, who has accompanied the partnership since the first meeting in Ulaanbaatar, opened the subsequent talks with an overview of the cooperation to date. This was followed by presentations by professors from the HSZG on their main areas of research:
In addition to Rector Prof. Dr. Baatar, the two Deans, Prof. Dr. Gantuya Ganbat (Faculty of Resources and Environmental Engineering) and Prof. Dr. Sungchil Lee (Faculty of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering), presented their departments. Sebastian Burghof, Project Manager at GIZ, explained the current project status and further possibilities.
Vice President Sophia Keil summarized the significance of the meeting: This visit marks the transition from intention to concrete planning. The exchange has shown that we are an excellent professional match. I am confident that this partnership will continue to develop.
”Following the official program, further in-depth discussions took place, including with the Head of the Division of Studies and International Affairs, Dr. Lucie Koutková, and interested professors. The program concluded with a guided tour of the LaNDER³ hall by Dr. Rafael Cordeiro and a tour of the high-voltage hall with Prof. Dr. Stefan Kornhuber.
The talks have strengthened the basis for further cooperation. Initial expressions of interest have already been received from the Faculties of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science as well as Business and Industrial Engineering. Other interested parties have also signaled their willingness. A cooperation agreement, which is currently being prepared, will structure the next steps. The partnership is thus gaining momentum and moving from the initiation phase to concrete implementation.
The cooperation between the HSZG, GMIT and GIZ began in November 2023 at the Saxony Education Days in Ulaanbaatar. Since then, the following milestones have been reached
The German-Mongolian Institute for Resources and Technology (GMIT) was founded in 2013 as a bilateral project between Germany and Mongolia and is supported by GIZ. The university is modeled on German universities of applied sciences (HAW).
