Hochschule Offenburg and the University of Warmia and Mazury Celebrate 20 Years of Successful Collaboration

For two days, everything at Hochschule Offenburg revolved around 20 years of successful German-Polish cooperation and sustainable technical solutions for the future. To kick off the event, the presidents—Prof. Dr. Stephan Trahasch (Hochschule Offenburg, HSO) and Prof. Dr. Jerzy A. Przyborowski (University of Warmia and Mazury, UWM), along with Dr. Andreas Kiesel from the Baden-Württemberg Ministry of the Environment, Climate, and Energy, welcomed the visiting guests. Dr. Andreas Wilke, director of the Institute for Circular Bioeconomy at Hochschule Offenburg, then briefly described the development of scientific collaboration over the past 20 years, focusing on jointly organized conferences, academic exchanges, and cooperative research projects in the field of the bioeconomy.

The four scientific sessions that followed focused on biocatalytic approaches to sustainable process management, advanced biogas and power-to-gas technologies, as well as environmental analytics and thermal conversion concepts for CO2 reduction. Corresponding poster sessions by doctoral students, workshops on science communication, and lab tours rounded out the scientific program. Another key aspect was the gathering of alumni from the joint degree programs with current students.

A Look Back at the Beginnings

The 20-year successful partnership was duly celebrated at a ceremony moderated by Kai Wißmann and attended by Offenburg’s Mayor Marco Steffens. During the event, former Rector Prof. Dr. Winfried Lieber and former Dean of the master's program in Process Engineering, Prof. Torsten Schneider, from HSO; Prof. Dr. Justyna Żulewska, Dean of the department of Food Science and Head of the Institute of Dairy Science and Quality Management; and Prof. Dr. Agnieszka Cydzik-Kwiatkowska, Head of the Institute of Environmental Biotechnology, from UWM, as well as Julia Ritter from the Georg and Maria Dietrich Foundation, recalled the early days of the partnership.

Since the early 1980s, Georg Dietrich, a freight forwarding entrepreneur from Offenburg, had supported aid deliveries to Olsztyn during the “Christmas break” and promoted intercultural exchange between the cities—especially among young people. Thus, in 1998, at the invitation of the Georg and Maria Dietrich Foundation—which had since been established—university representatives from Offenburg also traveled to UWM in Olsztyn, and the idea for a joint master's program in Process Engineering was born. However, before the program could be established in 2006, differing curricula and inconsistent academic credentials had to be harmonized, the issue of student housing had to be resolved, and language barriers had to be overcome. In 2018–19, the collaboration was expanded to include the joint master's program in Biotechnologie (MBT). In a video clip, the former director of the Institute of Environmental Biotechnology at UWM, Prof. Dr. Irena Wojnowska-Baryła, emphasized the great reputation both universities had gained through their collaboration in Europe. Agnieszka Cydzik-Kwiatkowska and Justyna Żulewska added that this success was due to the strong commitment of the faculty and university administrations, and that the trust that has grown, along with the personal relationships and friendships formed, provide a solid foundation for the future. 

 Visions for the Future

Prof. Dr. Tobias Hagen and Prof. Dr. Thomas Eisele, the prorectors for internationalization and research and transfer at HSO, respectively, Prof. Dr. Katarzyna Bernat and Prof. Dr. Mariusz Gusiatin, the Deans of Studies for the master's programs in Biotechnology and Process Engineering at UWM, as well as former Biotechnology master's student Nele Schulte, in the second part of the ceremony. Tobias Hagen emphasized that joint programs remain popular, often within the framework of European university alliances such as ChallengeEU, of which both HSO and UWM are members. These programs cover topics ranging from the creation of European degrees to lifelong learning opportunities in the form of practice-oriented micro-credentials. Thomas Eisele explained that in the future, subjects such as bioinformatics and digitalization would need to be taught even more extensively. And Katarzyna Bernat, Mariusz Gusiatin, and Nele Schulte emphasized that in a globalized world, dual degrees and the improved communication skills and intercultural competencies gained through working in international teams are becoming increasingly important.

UWM President Becomes Honorary Senator

At the conclusion of the ceremony, which featured musical accompaniment by the guitar duo Anouk Hilger and Charlotte Clauss from the Offenburg Ortenau Music School, UWM Rector Jerzy A. Przyborowski was named an Honorary Senator of Hochschule Offenburg. In his laudatory speech, Rector Stephan Trahasch described his Polish counterpart as a man who had planted trees whose fruits would only benefit the next generation. This requires a great deal of patience and trust in what is not yet visible. This is precisely what Przyborowski, a passionate educator, has brought to the partnership. By now, the tree is well-rooted and has begun to branch out, for example, into the European university alliance ChallengeEU. In this way, the UWM rector also follows in the tradition of a famous former resident of Olsztyn—the European student Nicolaus Copernicus. At a time when some people are questioning the value of Europe, such a partnership and such trust are a positive sign. Rector Trahasch’s wish for the next 20 years was therefore quite simple: “Let’s keep planting!” In recognition of his contribution to the partnership between HSO and UWM, as well as to academic cooperation in Europe, he finally presented Jerzy Przyborowski with the certificate of appointment and concluded: “Jerzy, as of today, you are one of us—not as a visiting figure, but as a member of Hochschule Offenburg.”