Following the signing of the cooperation agreement between Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences and the Aleksander Fredro High School No. XIII in Wroclaw, the collaboration continues to take shape. During the visit by teachers Monika Gofdyn-Krul and Katarzyna Jörgen-Warkusz to the Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences (HSZG), the focus was on extracurricular STEM learning venues, cross-border educational formats, and specific student projects.

Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences is further expanding its German-Polish educational cooperation. After Rector Prof. Dr.-Ing. Alexander Kratzsch and Mgr. Piotr Pitura, principal of Liceum Og6Inoksztafeqce No. XIII named after Aleksandra Fredry in Wrocław, at the German Consulate General in Wrocław in December 2025, the next concrete step has now been taken: On June 25, 2026, representatives from the high school visited Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences to prepare joint learning formats and future student visits.

The goal of the cooperation is to provide students with insights into university structures and ways of working, to teach the German language and culture, and to offer subject-specific support in STEM, business, and tourism topics. Plans include informational sessions and classes / courses, workshops in Wroclaw and at the Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences, as well as joint activities as part of public relations efforts.

During the visit on June 25, 2026, the focus was on the practical details of the partnership and preparations for the first joint initiatives. The guests were Monika Gofdyn-Krul and Katarzyna Jörgen-Warkusz, both teachers of German as a foreign language and coordinators of international exchange programs at 13th High School in Wrocław.
Representing the HSZG were, among others, Rector Prof. Dr.-Ing. Alexander Kratzsch, Vice President Prof. Dr. Sophia Keil, Prof. Dr. Cezary Dzienis, Dr. Thomas Fester, Christian Tiller, and Inna Hauf.

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Alexander Kratzsch welcomed the guests at the start of the meeting. The goal of the meeting was to further strengthen the school-university partnership, plan specific visits, and develop appropriate learning formats.

During the visit, HSZG presented its academic programs, research and technology transfer activities, as well as selected extracurricular learning venues. These include, among others, the Green Classroom, the Wind/PV Tree, the Makerspace, and HSZG’s DLR_School_Lab. The university presented itself as a place for learning, innovation, and interaction in the border region where Germany, Poland, and the Czech Republic meet.

The university’s location in the border triangle offers ideal conditions for this. As part of a cross-border innovation ecosystem, HSZG combines education and research with key European topics of the future, such as high-tech, the energy transition, STEM education, and regional development.

The guests toured selected extracurricular learning sites on the university campus in Zittau. Afterward, concrete plans for future collaboration with high school students were developed at the DLR_School_Lab. Topics discussed included two annual visits by the high school to the university, the integration of tri-national programs, and participation in joint competitions. The possibility of holding successful programs such as

“Make Your School” in Wroclaw in the future was also considered.

A key focus of the collaboration was the development of experimental teaching and learning formats featuring German-language assignments. Working in small groups, the students carry out experiments at various stations in the DLR_School_Lab. They are introduced to modern scientific methods and technologies, conduct experiments independently, and build on their prior knowledge from class through hands-on work. In the process, they acquire fundamental scientific techniques and working methods by documenting observations, recording and analyzing measurement data, and critically interpreting their results. At the same time, they expand their language skills and apply scientific and technical terminology in German. Students from the Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences accompany the students, assist them with their assignments, and facilitate academic discussion. Potential learning topics discussed included experiments on fluorescence microscopy, the cultivation of microorganisms, photometry, and thin-layer chromatography, as well as topics related to asteroids, Mars, and the analysis of satellite data.

Among the specific project ideas discussed was a workshop on the topic of energy and hydrogen. The planned format would include preparation at school, on-site exploration at the DLR_School_Lab, interviews with experts from the university, and short presentations of the students’ findings.

The next step will be a visit by students from the 13th Lyceum to the HSZG on December 9 and 10, 2026.

This marks the development of the partnership, which was formalized at the German Consulate General in Wroclaw, into a concrete collaboration between schools and the university. Through joint educational programs, personal encounters, and hands-on STEM projects, educational pathways across borders are becoming more visible.

The Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences is thereby strengthening its role as a bridge-builder in the border triangle and as an attractive study and research institution for young people from the region.