St Petersburg University opens a representative office in Germany
St Petersburg University has opened a representative office in the Federative Republic of Germany. The grand opening took place in an online format. The project is implemented on the basis of the Freie Universität Berlin – a strategic partner of St Petersburg University.
‘Establishing a representative office of St Petersburg University in the Freie Universität Berlin is a wonderful event that will contribute to the development of relations between Russia and Germany. You represent a brilliant assemblage of Russian and German scientists, teaching methodology specialists and teachers who will find a common language and enrich global science,’ said Sergei Nechaev, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation to the Federal Republic of Germany, at the opening ceremony.
Nikolay Kropachev, Rector of St Petersburg University, Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences, gave a welcoming address to the colleagues. He noted that the first agreement on collaboration between the universities was signed in 1968 and since then, the partners have been working together for over 50 years. In 2012, the universities concluded an agreement on strategic partnership that confirms a special status of their relations.
I’m happy that the first representative office of St Petersburg University in Germany opens on the basis of the Freie Universität Berlin. Such a significant amount of joint grants, student exchange and publications in highly ranked scientific journals speaks volumes.
Nikolay Kropachev, Rector of St Petersburg University
‘Today, we are jointly implementing over 100 projects every year and I’m confident that opening a representative office will enable us to increase these numbers. We have fruitful and efficient work ahead, since joint possibilities of our universities in research and education are virtually infinite,’ emphasised Nikolay Kropachev, Rector of St Petersburg University.
According to Günter Ziegler, President of the Freie Universität Berlin, an online opening ceremony is a new experience that the just-established representative office of St Petersburg University in Germany will only benefit from.
‘We are extremely happy that St Petersburg University as our long-standing strategic partner opens its representative office here. This makes our universities even closer to each other. I believe that we will contribute to each other's success and our partnership will continue to develop,’ added Günter Ziegler, President of the Freie Universität Berlin.
Today, representative offices of St Petersburg University operate in the Republic of Korea, China, Spain, Greece, Italy and Turkey.
During the opening event, the ceremony of ribbon-cutting and unveiling the sign plate of the new representative office took place in front of the entrance to the new office located in an old mansion called the International House.
At the end of the ceremony, Tatiana Chernigovskaya, Director of the Institute for Cognitive Studies at St Petersburg University, Doctor of Biology, Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Science and Professor of St Petersburg University, gave an open lecture titled ‘Brain and Mind’. Professor Chernigovskaya talked about the issues of brain and consciousness – one of the most complicated issues in cognitive science.
Expanding the network of representative offices of St Petersburg University abroad is one of the key instruments of developing international cooperation. The main fields of joint activity within this initiative include: supporting new joint research and development projects; holding scientific conferences, expert round tables and video bridges for students and researchers at the universities of Germany; coordinating collaboration with all partner universities in Germany; and mutual promotion of the language, history and culture of Russia and Germany.
Due to the activity of representative offices, more international citizens learn about the possibilities of Russian education, while students at St Petersburg University expand the range of possibilities for academic exchange and study abroad.