When students and researchers become ambassadors
A network with promising perspectives: The “1st German-Arab Network Meeting” hosted by TU Chemnitz bridges between the Science Region Chemnitz and the Arab region
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The representatives of the universities from the Arab region and from the Science Region Chemnitz are agreeing in their endeavor to establish respective deepen their networks. Photo: Steve Conrad -
A symbolic handshake: Prof. Dr. Sultan Abu-Orabi (left), Secretary General of the AOAU, and Prof. Dr. Arnold van Zyl, Rector of TU Chemnitz. Photo: Steve Conrad -
Prof. Dr. Thomas Seyller, the Head of the Institute of Physics (l.), presented the guests from the Arab region the main research objectives of the Institute. Photo: Steve Conrad -
At the Fraunhofer Institute for Machine Tools and Forming Technology, Prof. Dr. Matthias Putz (r.), the Head of the Institute, explained the "E³ - Research factory for resource-efficient production". Photo: Steve Conrad -
Guests also visited the movement laboratory of the Faculty of Behavioural and Social Sciences. Photo: Steve Conrad -
In the event center "Altes Heizhaus" the university presidents came together in conversation with the representatives of the German Rectors’ Conference and the German Academic Exchange Service. Photo: Steve Conrad
The “1st German-Arab Network Meeting” at TU Chemnitz, which closed on 28th October 2014, generated quite considerable results: Additional projects of collaboration between TU Chemnitz and other partners within the Science Region Chemnitz together with selected universities from the Arab region are going to be initiated now. “Thus, in the upcoming year, there is for instance projected a joint summer school in the areas of natural sciences and engineering in the Arab region organized by TU Chemnitz together with the Association of Arab Universities AOAU – the overarching organization of Arab universities – which will in the best case be funded by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) within the so-called German-Arab Transformation Partnership-Program”, Prof. Dr. Sultan Abu-Orabi, Secretary General of the AOAU resumes.
The Rector of TU Chemnitz, Prof. Dr. Arnold van Zyl, complements: “TU Chemnitz is seeking for close contacts to countries of the Arab region because they are currently developing a promising potential for collaboration. In this context, the exchange of students shall be enhanced by mutual delegation of excellent Bachelor-graduates for Master degree programs and high-performing Master-graduates for PhD-projects”, the Rector said. In addition, joint PhD-projects between universities of the Arab region and TU Chemnitz will be initiated. “We have to make use of the transformative power of higher education for the benefit of all partners”, Prof. van Zyl adds.
25 presidents of universities from Egypt, Palestine, Iraq, Jordan, Bahrain, Yemen, Lebanon, Sudan, Saudi-Arabia, Syria and the United Arab Emirates together with representatives of the AOAU had travelled to Chemnitz, where they had i.a. meetings with numerous representatives of all faculties of TU Chemnitz striving to systematically foster their network in teaching and research also within this part of the world. “We would like to benefit from the dynamic development in politics, economy, science and society which the Arab region is currently undergoing”, Prof. Dr. Heinrich Lang, Vice-Rector for Research and Promotion of Young Scientists of TU Chemnitz, said. Thanks to his experiences as holder of the Professorship of Inorganic Chemistry at TU Chemnitz, he got to know the positive outcomes of partnerships of that kind: “With sole regard to my professorship, six PhD-students from Jordan successfully graduated, who are now working as lecturers in their home country and are looking to enhance the exchange of scientists and the technology transfer between the two countries jointly with us. Our reputation as university offering outstanding framework conditions for research and teaching is also spread in this part of the world because our graduates are our best ambassadors in their home country.”
During their stay of three days, the presidents of the Arab region also got information concerning the city of Chemnitz, extramural research institutions, companies and the universities of applied sciences within the Research Region Chemnitz at Mittweida and Zwickau. The schedule included meetings with scientists from all faculties of TU Chemnitz as well as visits of laboratories, machine halls and cleanrooms of the Faculties of Mechanical Engineering, of Natural Sciences, of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology, of Computer Science as well as of Behavioral and Social Sciences where the university presidents got in touch with characteristic topics of teaching and research at Chemnitz.
Further information is provided by Prof. Dr. Heinrich Lang, Phone +49 371 531-10031, Email prorektor.forschung@tu-chemnitz.de, https://www.tu-chemnitz.de/international/vernetzung/ganm/index.html.en
(Translation: Dr. Wolfgang Lambrecht)
Mario Steinebach
29.10.2014
