Following the signing of the cooperation agreement in December 2025, the partnership between Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences and the 13th Liceum in Wrocław is taking shape. During the visit by teachers Monika Gołdyn-Krul and Katarzyna Jörgen-Warkusz to the Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences on June 25, 2026, the focus was on joint STEM educational programs and future student projects. An initial visit by students from Wrocław is already planned for December 9 and 10, 2026.

The goal of the collaboration is to give students insights into university structures and work methods, to teach them the German language and culture, and to provide subject-specific support in STEM, business, and tourism topics. Plans include informational and class / course events, workshops in Wrocław and at the HSZG, as well as joint activities as part of public relations efforts.

The guests were Monika Gołdyn-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. To kick off the event, the Rector welcomed the guests.

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 the HSZG’s DLR_School_Lab. The university presented itself as a place for learning, innovation, and interaction in the tri-border region of Germany, Poland, and the Czech Republic.

The university’s location in the “Three-Country Corner” provides 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 locations 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 trinational programs, and participation in joint competitions. The possibility of holding successful programs such as “Make Your School” in Wrocław in the future was also considered.

One focus was on experimental teaching and learning formats with German-language assignments. Working in small groups, students will work through various stations at the DLR_School_Lab, conduct experiments independently, and in the process become familiar with scientific methods and German technical terms. Among the potential topics discussed were experiments in biotechnology, energy, and space exploration.

A workshop on the topic of energy and hydrogen was discussed as a concrete project idea. 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 partnership is set to be further expanded in the coming months through joint educational programs, in-person meetings, and hands-on STEM projects. The first student visit in December will mark the next concrete step in this process.