The Baltic-German University Liaison Office
The Baltic-German University Liaison Office unites many organizations, initiatives and projects in the area of cooperation and academic exchange of higher educational establishment in Germany and the Baltic States. The founders and sponsors of this organization are the German Academic Exchange Service (from resources of Germany's Federal Foreign Office), the University of Latvia and Riga Technical University and the Ministry for Education, Science, and Culture of the State of Mecklenburg-West Pomerania. So far, the following institutions and projects began their activities within the Office:
The Baltic-German University Liaison Office offers the exchange of contacts and information for Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania concerning the academic cooperation with Germany and bilateral and European mobility and research programs. It offers courses and further education related to Germany and on questions of European Integration for students and junior scientists. Also, it is meeting place where academics and personalities from Politics and Economy from Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Germany give lectures on topics related to Germany and Europe and invite the public to discussions. The Baltic-German University Liaison Office is a permanent invitation for persons and institutions comitted or willing to commit to project and activities in the field of international academic cooperation and exchange between Germany and the Baltic States. As an umbrella organization, the Baltic-German University Liaison Office welcomes every project and initiative of this kind as well as sponsors that are willing to support its further development and equipment. The Baltic-German University Liaison Office was founded by agreement of the University of Latvia, Rigas Technical University and the German Academic Exchange System. An additional Memorandum of Understanding was signed in 2005 by the Minister of Education, Science and Culture of Mecklenburg-West Pomerania in order to join as a further signatory. The Baltic-German University Liaison Office started operations in 2005. The cooperation follows a board of trustees statue and rules of procedure. Chairman of the board of trustees is Prof. Mārcis Auziņš, rector of the University of Latvia.
Signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (On the picture from left to right: rector of the University of Latvia Prof. Lacis, DAAD General Secretary Dr. Bode, Minister Prof. Dr. Dr. Metelmann and rector of Rigas Technical University Prof. Knets) A "German Centre" should look to the promotion of young academics from the Baltics in the "key areas" economy, administration and law, further connect different already existing German activities and make German commitment more visible. The German Academic Exchange Service baptized this project "Baltisch-Deutsches Hochschulkontor". The name signifies that even though the project is based in Latvia as the centrally located country, Estonia and Lithuania were to be included in the long-run and the choice of the German term "Kontor" taken from the Hanseatic merchant language should remind of the close bond between the Baltics and Germany in Hanseatic times. Today, the Baltic-German University Liaison is the umbrella organisation for different institutions, initiatives and projects in the area of academic cooperation and exchange between Germany and the Baltic States. The office can now also be found here:
|
