“We are delighted that our cooperation partners from Hanoi made their way to Greifswald. Cooperation between the University of Greifswald and universities and research institutes in Vietnam dates back to the 1960s,” explains Katharina Schmitt, Director of the International Office. “Over the years, this has not only led to the creation of various cooperation activities, but also a comprehensive alumni network, which is made up of several generations of students and academics. Nguyen Binh Le Thi is also part of this network; she spent her time as a student and PhD candidate in Greifswald and is today the head of the University of Greifswald’s offices in Vietnam.” The offices were created in 2002 and are an important link between scholars in Vietnam and Germany.
The ULIS, which just recently celebrated its 60th anniversary, has been a cooperation partner of the University of Greifswald since 2015. The first official visit of representatives from the university helped the partners get to know each other and to discuss specific exchange plans for the coming years. The President and the delegation also used the opportunity to get to know the University, the town and its surroundings.
The first Vietnam Forum at the University of Greifswald took place on the 9th of November as part of the visit. Members from four of the University’s faculties discussed the opportunities and challenges of joint teaching and research with the international guests. Prof. Dr. Dr. Hans-Robert Metelmann, who brought the project “Joint Educational Training Centre Hanoi-Greifswald” to life during his period of office as Rector of the University of Greifswald, together with German and Vietnamese scholars, commended the event as an important platform for the sustainment and expansion of the partnership between Greifswald and Vietnam, which is more than 50 years old. Vietnam experts - such as Dr. Jörn Kasbohm and the professor of geography, Dr Wilhelm Steingrube - gave insights into their work in the partner country. Various persons who are interested in implementing plans in Vietnam in the coming years were also among the participants. Thi informed the participants about the structures of the universities in Vietnam.
The University has received funding from the European ERASMUS+ programme since 2015, with which students, teaching staff and members of the administration in Greifswald and at various universities in Vietnam can spend a period of work or study at the respective partner university. “The ERASMUS partnership is now an important cornerstone in our cooperation with Vietnam,” confirms Maike Schneider, Exchange Coordinator at the International Office. “The partnership visits, which are enabled by the programme, help us to intensify the cooperation and realise projects such as joint summer schools or research projects.”
Contact at the University of Greifswald
Katharina Schmitt
Referat International Office
Domstraße 8
17489 Greifswald
Tel.: +49 3834 86-1116
international.officeuni-greifswaldde