Hessian universities expand their North American relations

In order to further expand cooperation with partner universities in the USA and Canada, the presidents of the Hessian universities visited various stations in the USA and Canada. Prof. Dr. Reiner Finkeldey, President of the University of Kassel, was also among them. The science delegation was part of the delegation of Hessian Minister President Volker Bouffier, who was accompanied by a total of 55-member group of representatives from politics, business and science.

The first part of the trip took the Hessian delegation to New York (USA) and Toronto (Canada). In New York a very well attended event of the German House of Science and Innovation (DWIH) on the topic "A Transatlantic Diaogue on Data-Driven Innovation" served the transatlantic networking of stakeholders from politics, business and science. In Toronto the delegation held cooperation talks at York University and visited the University of Toronto. At the renowned Munk School of Global Affairs at the University of Toronto, Prime Minister Bouffier gave a keynote speech on the future of Europe after the European Parliament elections.

The second part of the trip took the delegation to Wisconsin, with which the state of Hesse has been twinned since 1976 . The Minister President emphasized the great importance of the state partnership between Hesse and Wisconsin, including in talks with representatives of various partner municipalities of Hesse cities and counties and the Hesse-Wisconsin Friendship Association. 

A highlight of the visit program in Wisconsin was an exchange with the president of the University of Wisconsin (UW) System, Ray Cross, and all presidents of the 13 universities in the UW System. The Hesse-Wisconsin university partnership at the state level has an international model and exemplary character: for example, in the past 20 years, around 1,500 students have been sponsored for stays abroad in Hesse and Wisconsin. On both sides the firm will continues to exist to develop the already intensive and successful co-operation further - and that both on university and on state level. To the UW Madison - one also in the international comparison research-strong university - therefore discussions for the development of co-operation in research and teachings with representatives of different specialist areas were led.

The visit program in Wisconsin was concluded by the dedication of a stele in Madison in memory of Mildred Harnack-Fish, US-American resistance fighter against National Socialism, student and alumna of the University of Giessen. After a death sentence obtained by Adolf Hitler , she was murdered by the Nazis in 1943. Plans are underway to erect a second memorial stele in Giessen in the spring of 2020.

Contact:

Markus Zens
University of Kassel
Communications, Press and Public Relations
Tel.: +49 561 804-1961
E-mail: presse[at]uni-kassel[dot]de