Study trip to Almaty

Seven students on the

"Integrated Management Systems"

course spent an eventful week at the

German-Kazakh University

(DKU) in Almaty in September 2015. The topic of the study trip was the exchange with students and lecturers of the bachelor's degree program "Energy and Environmental Engineering" as well as with representatives of Kazakh and German companies about legal, technical and economic aspects of environmental, energy, occupational health and safety and quality management systems. Lectures and seminars, business games, company excursions and expert discussions revealed not only differences but also similarities between the two countries. Similar to German companies, quality management systems are well established in Kazakh companies - environmental, energy and occupational health and safety management systems are less widespread.

The study trip to Almaty is a further step in the cooperation between the HSZG and the DKU. Professors and staff from the Department of Ecology and Environmental Protection are actively involved in the development and implementation of the Bachelor's degree program "Energy and Environmental Engineering" as part of a DAAD project funded since 2007 and, as module leaders, conduct classes / courses on environmental law and environmental management systems at the DKU once a year, either on site or virtually. Students on the Bachelor's degree course in energy and environmental engineering at DKU were able to spend two weeks studying at HSZG in summer 2014 and complete their four-month mandatory internship at companies in Zittau in spring 2015. Four of these students began their Master's degree in "Integrated Management" at the HSZG in October.

In addition to the professional input, the trip was characterized by a very open and cordial intercultural cooperation between the German and Kazakh students and lecturers. And so, after all the work, there was still time for sightseeing, hiking in the Tien Shan mountains and eating in typical local restaurants. We would like to thank the HSZG and the Verein für Internationales und Interdisziplinäres Management e.V. for their financial support for the trip via the PROMOS program, as well as Prof. Dr. Bodo Lochmann, former rector of the DKU, for his professional guidance. Special thanks go to Dr. Nassipkul Dyussembekova, Head of the "Energy and Environmental Engineering" course at DKU, and her students for the excellent professional and personal support on site.

Would you like to find out more about the study trip? Then continue reading on our new

blog "Hin und Weg".

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Contact:

Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences

Faculty of Natural and Environmental Sciences

Department of Ecology and Environmental Protection

Prof. Dr. rer. pol. Jana Brauweiler

Professorship for Integrated Management Systems

Tel: +49/3583/611752

www.hszg.de/janabrauweiler

Further information: http: //blog.hszg.de/hinundweg/