Expansion of Cooperation with the University of Tunis
Hochschule für Wirtschaft und Recht Berlin and Université de Tunis El Manar sign cooperation agreement to expand collaboration in study, teaching, research and university management.
Berlin, 6 December 2022: The state-run Université de Tunis El Manar (UTM) has 33,000 students from 37 nations and a broad range of disciplines. Since 2014, the Hochschule für Wirtschaft und Recht Berlin (HWR Berlin) / Berlin School of Economics and Law has maintained close cooperative relations with the well- recognised partner university in North Africa, which also has a strong international orientation. The President of the HWR Berlin, Prof Dr Andreas Zaby, and the President of the UTM, Prof Dr Moez Chafra, sealed the intensification of the long-standing partnership by signing a Memorandum of Understanding on 30 November 2022 in Berlin.
In addition to cooperation in studies, research and teaching in dual degree programmes and in the field of police and security management, students and lecturers in business studies and economics will in future also have the opportunity to spend time at the respective partner institution. A double degree programme is also being looked into, in which students complete semesters at both, the home and collaborating university.
A concrete project to kick off the extended collaboration is for students from HWR Berlin and UTM to work together in mixed groups on projects on the topic of "Financing Start-ups in the FinTech Sector". It is planned, that thereby intercultural and gender aspects will be included in the curriculum. Companies from both countries that are active in the financial technology (FinTech) sector shall be involved. In addition to university lecturers, practitioners will evaluate the students' projects. This elective module is to be offered across master's level degree programmes at the HWR Berlin.
"The cooperation between the HWR Berlin and the University of Tunis is exemplary for a well-functioning international university partnership. By expanding the cooperation to another department, we are taking the academic exchange between Berlin and Tunis to the next level. In business administration, a number of degree programmes lend themselves to even closer cooperation," says Prof Dr Andreas Zaby. There is also potential in academic continuing education.
The President of the HWR Berlin points to the successful joint research work. This is exemplified by the project "OurVillage - Digital Innovations for the Promotion of Endogenous Economic Development in Cameroon", funded by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) / German Agency for International Cooperation, which aims to stabilise and promote economic activities in rural communities through digital community vouchers.
The two partners also consider including the university administration the exchange, and to jointly examine questions of university administration.
"In times of increasingly digital product and financial markets, an understanding of transnational relations and intercultural open-mindedness are essential. Only through cooperation across national borders and continents can we ensure sustainable economic, social and ecological progress worldwide. As universities that qualify future specialists and managers, we bear a special responsibility. That is why internationality is part of the self-image of the HWR Berlin," says Zaby.
The HWR Berlin currently maintains 195 active partnerships with universities on all continents.
Contact
Prof. Dr. Jennifer Pédussel Wu
Phone: +49 30 30877-1167
E-Mail: jennifer.pedusselwu(at)hwr-berlin.de
