One of Ohio University’s oldest international partnerships was renewed Monday, when OU President Roderick McDavis met with a delegation from the University of Leipzig.
The delegation from the University of Leipzig — located in Leipzig, Germany — included various students and Rector of the University Beate A. Schücking, the top administrator. They met with McDavis at the Multicultural Center in Baker University Center to sign a new memorandum of understanding. Around 100 students attended the event, according to a news release.
OU and the University of Leipzig have worked together for 20 years, fostering an exchange program in which more than 500 students have participated, according to the release.
“Usually the MOU is just to set up a framework — it's sort of like a handshake agreement,” said Ming Li, interim executive director of the Center for International Studies. “It's very brief and just indicates that the two universities have the continuous intent to collaborate … any specific project — like study abroad or any further activity involving the university — we will develop some kind of activity agreement.”
Li attended the ceremony and accompanied the German delegation for various on-campus events, including a dinner hosted by the McDavis’ on Monday and another on Tuesday hosted by Executive Vice President and Provost Pam Benoit.
“According to (Schücking), the University of Leipzig wants to not only maintain the current connections — we have a lot of different connections under the MOU — she wanted to differ and further the relationship,” Li said.
Administrators from OU have also expressed interest in continuing and developing the program further.
“Our relationship with the University of Leipzig has provided many students and faculty with unique academic opportunities," Benoit said in a statement. “I am often told by those who have studied, taught or researched there about the benefits they received from being at one of Europe's great universities.”
For Benjamin Bigl, a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Leipzig studying information communications, this was his third visit to OU. He studied media and elections coverage in 2008 and returned in 2009 to do research for his Ph.D.
“I was at the ceremony and ... it was a very exciting moment for our two presidents,” Bigl said. “It's the twentieth anniversary of the exchange program. I care that students in Leipzig from your university learn about European life and … I also think it's a good advantage for German students to see the American system.”
The delegation visited Washington D.C., attended meetings at the Pew Research Center and the German embassy. They will leave Athens Friday to visit Chicago for three days, Bigl said.
bv111010@ohiou.edu
