The German University Consortium for International Cooperation (DHIK) was a guest at the HSCG for the Science and Industry Forum 2026.
International skilled workers are a decisive key to structural change in Upper Lusatia. How they can be successfully recruited, integrated and retained in the long term was the focus of a high-profile science and industry forum at Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences (HSZG), which was embedded in a series of events lasting several days.
Between 19 and 22 April 2026, representatives from politics, science, business and international organizations came together in Zittau. The HSZG hosted the event together with the German University Consortium for International Cooperation (DHIK), which promotes higher education partnerships worldwide, including in China, Mexico, India and South Africa. A special highlight was the participation of a delegation from the Technological Higher Education Network South Africa (THENSA).
The discussions focused on issues relating to the international recruitment of skilled workers, economic development and the future of regions in transition. On April 21, specialist presentations at the DHIK Forum 2026 highlighted international comparative data on immigration, the economic benefits of international talent and strategies for transnational education.
Speakers included Steffen Sottung (Federal Employment Agency), Dr. Wido Geis-Thöne (German Economic Institute) and Stefan Bienefeld (DAAD). The program was supplemented by contributions from the region, for example on the role of the HSZG as a driving force for innovation and international talent acquisition. Current projects such as CircEcon, DC-LabSaxony, WELL CARE and ZukLOS were also presented.
"Individual nations can no longer tackle the current and future challenges of business and science on their own," said the Rector of Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences, Prof. Dr.-Ing. Alexander Kratzsch, emphasizing the need for cooperation with the DHIK. He considers the direct interaction between academic education and the regional job market to be an important key to regional development.
Our aim is not only to attract international talent, but also to offer them real prospects of staying in the Free State of Saxony through tailor-made programs.
”The discussions made it clear that securing skilled workers today can only be considered internationally. Global challenges such as demographic change, digitalization and industrial transformation affect many countries at the same time. Dr. Lixin Liu, Envoy Counsellor of the People's Republic of China, puts it in a nutshell:
Science is international. Openness, exchange and cooperation are crucial to overcoming these challenges.
”This also made it clear that international cooperation is not an add-on, but a central prerequisite for economic and social development.
The topic is particularly relevant for Upper Lusatia. Structural change is opening up new prospects, but at the same time requires targeted strategies to recruit skilled workers.
District Administrator Dr. Stephan Meyer emphasizes: "The region is facing fundamental change. The HSZG is an important driving force here. At the same time, we need more dynamism in order to successfully integrate skilled workers."
The perspective of the population was also discussed. Zittau's Lord Mayor Thomas Zenker pointed out that major transformation processes can only succeed if they are supported by the local population.
The DHIK forum concluded with a panel discussion on the attractiveness of the location and success factors for the integration of skilled workers. Representatives from science, business and research institutions such as the German Center for Astrophysics and the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft discussed specific approaches. One key finding: integration is not a one-way street. Openness, mutual understanding and the willingness to bridge cultural differences are crucial for success.
In addition to the substantive discussions, the forum also demonstrated the HSCG's strong network. A joint hike in the Zittau Mountains with Saxony's Prime Minister Michael Kretschmer and representatives of the DHIK as well as from politics and business had already provided space for exchange in the run-up to the DHIK event series, which lasted several days. "If we want all the new establishments like the DZA to have an impact in the region, we need skilled workers from outside. I am very grateful to Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences for recognizing this and setting out on this path. It will succeed in inspiring others," said the Saxon Minister President.
At the same time, it became clear that the region has great potential, but does not yet have sufficient international visibility. This is precisely where initiatives such as the DHIK Forum come in, Vice President Prof. Dr. Sophia Keil is certain.
Where people, knowledge and ideas come together, the future is created. Together, we are shaping this future: from Lausitz into the world.
”At the THENSA/DHIK Colloquium on April 22, the focus was therefore consistently on the future: In six thematic clusters, the international partners developed concrete approaches for further cooperation. Discussions included cooperation in the fields of information technology and artificial intelligence, health and tourism as well as the circular economy and sustainability.
The HSZG contributed its expertise and ongoing projects to all clusters and met with great interest. The first concrete ideas for cooperation have already been discussed in talks between the cluster managers and professors from the HSZG. For example, in the fields of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science as well as Tourism. These are now to be expanded further.
The exchange of students also played an important role: participation in summer and winter schools was agreed as well as other formats of international cooperation. "The great advantage of our cooperation lies in the exchange between our teaching staff and students and the fact that we can conduct research together," emphasizes Prof. Stephen Khehla Ndlovu, Deputy Chairperson of the THENSA Board of Directors.
The colloquium thus sends a clear signal: cooperation with partners in South Africa and Namibia is being intensified in a targeted manner and opens up new opportunities for students at the HSZG, for the international transfer of knowledge and for the development of skilled workers in the region.
During their stay at the HSZG, which lasted several days, the international guests were given a comprehensive insight into the region and the university's capabilities. Guided tours of the campus and visits to the Zittau power plant laboratory and the high-voltage hall made the university's research strength and modern facilities tangible. Initiatives such as the ZukLOS measures with the newly opened Makerspace and the DLR_School_Lab Hochschule Zittau/Görlitz also impressively demonstrated how the promotion of young talent and practical education can be combined at an early stage.
In addition to the joint hike with Minister President Michael Kretschmer to the Kelchsteine in the Zittau Mountains, a special highlight was a guided tour in English through the traditional spa town of Oybin. The exchange continued in a relaxed atmosphere at the subsequent get-together at the Hochwaldbaude.
The numerous encounters, intensive discussions and jointly developed perspectives - embedded in the impressive natural scenery of the region - left a lasting impression on the DHIK and the international guests and made it clear: Upper Lusatia is not only a place of change, but also a place to which people like to return.
The Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences would like to thank all speakers, panel participants and guests from politics, science and business for their valuable contributions to the DHIK Forum 2026.
Our special thanks go to the high-ranking representatives from federal and state politics, international partner institutions and regional stakeholders who contributed to the success of the event with their impulses and perspectives.
We would also like to thank the German University Consortium for International Cooperation (DHIK) for the close and trusting cooperation and the South African THENSA delegation for the intensive exchange and joint discussions on possible cooperation approaches.
Special thanks go to the organizational team under the leadership of Inna Hauf in the Vice-Rectorate for Research, Transfer and International Affairs as well as all participating colleagues at Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences, who made the planning and implementation of the four-day DHIK event series possible with great commitment.
We would also like to thank Mario Linack from BARMER and Sparkasse Oberlausitz-Niederschlesien for their kind support.
Text: Frank Leberecht and Cornelia Rothe
Photos: Rafael Sampedro
