Zittau students visit our partner university in Russia and discover Saint Petersburg.
From September 15 to 21, 2017, eight students from the Integrated Management and Integrated Management Systems Master's degree courses traveled to St. Petersburg with their lecturers for a study trip on the topic of "Resource Efficiency and Energy Management". The study trip took place in cooperation with Russian students and lecturers from our partner universities, ITMO University and Kostroma State University.
In addition to interesting lectures and seminars, the practical aspect was not neglected. A simulation game and a subsequent discussion illustrated how companies can make their production more environmentally friendly and, above all, more resource-efficient. Furthermore, both the "Baltika" brewery and the "Coca Cola" company were visited and evaluated by student teams with regard to various environmental factors (energy, water, waste, etc.).
We were accompanied by Simone Kunze from the Department of Studies and International Affairs, who organized information events for students at ITMO University as well as open hours for individual discussions to introduce the university, including the facilities of the Student Union, and to provide information about application modalities and entry requirements. The aim was to reduce barriers to international student exchange as far as possible.
In addition to the work, there was also enough time to enjoy the beautiful city of St. Petersburg. Visits to the many sights, such as the Winter Palace and the Church of the Blood, a visit to the world-famous Hermitage and a sunset cruise on the Neva were just some of the highlights of the trip. Visits to typical local restaurants were also included.
The trip was made possible by the cooperation between the Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences and the ITMO Saint Petersburg. During the week, the cooperation between the two universities was further strengthened. The goal of offering a double degree in "Integrated Management Systems" and "Industrial Ecology and Cleaner Production" for both German and Russian students has thus come closer. The first Russian student will study on the double degree program in the summer semester of 2018. A German student will also be writing his Master's thesis at a company in St. Petersburg in the summer semester of 2018.
All in all, the study trip was characterized above all by an open and cordial atmosphere. The cooperation between the German and Russian students and lecturers was always pleasant and productive. We had a lot of fun and will remember the week for a long time to come. Many thanks to Prof. Brauweiler and Prof. Olga Sergienko, without whose commitment this study trip would not have been possible. We would also like to thank the Department of Studies and International Affairs for the organizational and financial support of the trip via the ERASMUS+, Academic Exchange and DAAD Eastern Partnerships programmes.
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Text: Students of the degree programs "Integrated Management Systems" NSm17S and "Integrated Management" NIm16
