DFG Attends DWIH Information Seminars in Belgorod
(14.04.14) At the beginning of April the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation) and other funding organisations and research institutions took part in an information trip to Belgorod. It was organised by the German House for Research and Innovation in Moscow (DWIH Moscow). The purpose of the visit to the regional capital, which is one hour's flight from Moscow, was to present funding programmes at the Belgorod State National Research University (BelSU) and the Belgorod State Technological University (BSTU).
Information event at the Belgorod State National Research University
On 8 April, representatives from the DFG, the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), the Helmholtz Association of German Research Centers and the Free University of Berlin travelled to the central Russian region of Belgorod. The agenda included public information events and background talks with the heads of the Belgorod State National Research University (BelSU) and the Belgorod State Technological University (BSTU), the two most important universities in this region, which is in an area of chernozem or black earth. Over 200 students, early career researchers, incumbents of university chairs, heads of institutes, deans and pro-rectors from various teaching and research institutions attended the information seminars and roundtable discussions.
Seminar at the Belgorod State Technological University
Talks were also held in the rectorates of both Universities about ways to implement international cooperation. The National Research University with 27,000 students and the Technological University with 25,000 offer opportunities for collaboration in many different areas of basic research. The current rector of the National Research University and the former Vice-Governor of the Belgorod oblast, Oleg Nikolaevic Poluchin, see potential for joint projects with Germany particularly in nanotechnology, medicine, materials science and the geosciences. There is already contact with researchers at German universities, namely Bremen, Frankfurt, Münster, Oldenburg and Würzburg. There is to be a special focus on increasing collaboration with the Technical University in Freiburg.
The delegation from the German House for Research and Innovation in Moscow visits Rector Poluchin (BelSU)