Capital of Culture Universities Conclude Cooperation Agreement

Chemnitz University of Technology and the University of Nova Gorica (Slovenia) - Universities of the Capitals of Culture 2025 - want to cooperate closely in the future.

Chemnitz University of Technology and the University of Nova Gorica (Slovenia) want to jointly create momentum for the design of the Capital of Culture Year 2025. Together with its Italian twin city Gorizia where the University of Nova Gorica has one of its campuses, Nova Gorica will be the European Capital of Culture in 2025 alongside Chemnitz. The cooperation agreement between the universities now creates another bridge between the two Capitals of Culture.

"We initiated contact with the University of Nova Gorica primarily in order to develop transnational European Capital of Culture activities between the two Capital of Culture universities, in keeping with the European idea. This idea was warmly received by at our new partner university, for which I would like to express my sincere thanks to my Slovenian counterpart and his team. Within a very short time, it led to the conclusion of a cooperation agreement, which also forms the basis for further cooperation, including the areas of research and teaching," says Prof. Dr. Gerd Strohmeier, President of Chemnitz University of Technology. "The Capital of Culture is already bearing its first fruits—we are pleased to have found a new partner that offers many points of contact and also fits very well with our efforts to become a European university within the UNIVERS consortium," adds Prof. Dr. Maximilian Eibl, Vice President for Academic and International Affairs at Chemnitz University of Technology. Finally, the new university partnership is also intended to promote international academic exchange between the two locations. Thus, students, researchers, and employees in both locations will have the opportunity to visit the respective partner institution. With a view to concrete research cooperation, corresponding talks are currently underway.

"We are thankful to our new partner University for this initiative, which on the other hand, confirms the visibility and reputation of our young institution also in a international academic field. The European Capitol of Culture 2025 is a great opportunity for the University of Nova Gorica to further promote its study programs and activities which are closely related to culture and to contribute to the activities of the European Capitol of Culture 2025. With this new cooperation agreement with Chemnitz University of Technology we hope to contribute jointly to these activities. Also we hope to strengthen the collaboration in the future in the areas beyond the culture. Such academic collaborations are of key importance for future development of the University of Nova Gorica, which declares itself as a research university with a strong international orientation," states Prof. Danilo Zavrtanik, Rector of the University of Nova Gorica.  

With the cooperation agreement, Chemnitz University of Technology once again underlines the importance of the successful Capital of Culture application for the university location of Chemnitz and emphatically underlines its support since the beginning of the application process.

Background: Nova Gorica University

Nova Gorica University aims to be an internationally established research university recognized as a driving force of social development in the region and in a broader context. It offers courses in Slovenian and English. The city of Nova Gorica is closely linked to its Italian neighbor Gorizia, and both have successfully bid as a duo to become the European Capital of Culture 2025. The University of Nora Gorica provides students with various forms of cooperation in the field of youth, cultural, and entertainment activities.

Background: "UNIVERS – European Cross-Border University"

Chemnitz University of Technology is part of a consortium of eight European universities, which is supported by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) with funds from the Federal Ministry of Education and Research in the program "European University Networks – National Initiative" as "UNIVERS – European Cross-Border University". All universities involved in UNIVERS have in common their location in border areas with the resulting requirements and challenges for higher education. Under the motto "building collaborative leadership for cross-border territories," the aim of UNIVERS is to overcome these borders and form a common European educational area with almost 85,000 students and 6,700 employees. In doing so, UNIVERS will serve as a role model for other cross-border regions in Europe and beyond, which can benefit from the solution strategies developed.

(Author: Matthias Fejes / Translation: Chelsea Burris)

Matthias Fejes
22.07.2021

All "University News" articles