Opening of the first foreign office in Zgorzelec

On January 25, 2019, the Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences opened its first international office. It is located in Zgorzelec (PL) at the Tecza School Center, which is used by DPFA EUROPRYMUS Sp. z o. o., a company belonging to the DPFA Academy Group.

Among those who accepted the invitation were members of the Saxon State Parliament Ocavian Ursu, Lothar Bienst, and Franziska Schubert; Rafal Gronicz, mayor of Zgorzelec; Uwe Behnisch, director of the Saxony Liaison Office in Wrocław; Ireneusz Owsik from the Zgorzelec District Executive Board, Katarzyna Hübner, director of the DPFA-Europrymus School Center, Frank Seibel, president of Meetingpoint Music Messiaen e. V., Dr. Józef Zaprucki from the Karkonosze University in Jelenia Góra, Hubert Papaj from the Karkonosze Agency for Regional Development S.A., Heinrich Dierkes, Director of the German-Polish Association of Cottbus e.V., as well as numerous other guests from Poland and Germany.

In his welcoming remarks, the Rector explained that it was Rafał Gronicz in particular who had “planted” the idea of establishing a university office in Zgorzelec in his mind. Now this idea has been realized. In this context, he also expressed his gratitude to the members of the state parliament, as such projects can only be financed through the allocated initiative budget.

Ms. Hübner hopes that the opening of the office will lead to many joint activities with the DPFA-Europrymus School Center.

Mr. Behnisch explained that the opening of the office fits perfectly into the activities marking 20 years of partnership between Saxony and the Lower Silesian Voivodeship and 60 years of the Dresden–Wrocław city partnership.

The opening of the international office in Zgorzelec fulfills another objective of the internationalization strategy of the Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences. Building on the existing foundation of the regional focus—which is based on cooperation with institutions in Poland, the Czech Republic, and the countries of Central and Eastern Europe—the university has now been able to open its first international office.

The aim is to rekindle German-Polish and German-Czech interest in obtaining a place at university. Following Poland’s accession to the EU, there was a significant decline throughout Germany in interest—particularly among young Poles—in obtaining a place at university in Germany. The Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences has addressed this issue. Its geostrategic location enables good outreach to the region between Zgorzelec and Wrocław in order to attract young people to study at the Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences. The International Office now serves as a point of contact for academic orientation and the Student Advisory Service. In addition, individual events can also be held here. The short distance across the bridge to the other bank of the Neisse River, leading to the Görlitz university campus, provides ideal conditions for this. The degree programmes based on the Görlitz campus—such as computer science, economics and computer science, Information and Communication Management (in English), economics and languages, culture and management, and many others—will be the initial offerings for prospective Polish students.

At the same time, professors at the University of Zittau/Görlitz have made impressive contributions to international research networks and related projects, drawing in particular on EU funding programs. The university will continue to support this and integrate the initiation of international projects into its research management. With the opening of the international office, relations with the regions of Wałbrzych, Jelenia Góra, and Wrocław will also be strengthened. Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences aims to collaborate even more closely than before with companies and institutions in the region across the Neisse River in order to become even more “visible” as a university in this area, particularly in the field of knowledge and technology transfer.

“For the future, we hope that the university will be able to play an even more active role in this segment,” said Rector Prof. Albrecht.

In closing, Rector Prof. Friedrich Albrecht thanked the mayor of Zgorzelec, Rafal Gronicz, for his support and guidance throughout the project; Ms. Katarzyna Hübner, Director of DPFA Europrymus, for her support with the contractual and practical implementation; Mr. Uwe Behnisch for his dedication and support; and finally, the students of the Europejskie Liceum Ogólnokształcące for providing the cultural program for the event.