ASU Rector participates in festive events at Martin Luther University of Halle-Wittenberg

Martin Luther University of Halle-Wittenberg is one of the oldest higher education establishments in Germany. It was created in 1817 through the merger of the University of Wittenberg (established in 1502) and the University of Halle (established in 1691). The graduates of Martin Luther University include such famous people as German physician Carl Adolf von Basedow, Russian physicist Georg Wilhelm Richmann, German composer George Frideric Handel, German philosopher Friedrich Daniel Ernst Schleiermacher, and others.

For the present moment this is one of the most famous world universities with over 100 majors. The number of students is around 21,000, and 2,200 of them are foreigners. The annual budget of Martin Luther University amounts to 1 billion euro.

The festival program comprises a number of ceremonial events, which have traditionally been conducted since the 16th century. The platform for discussion of modern education and international academic cooperation has also been organized.

Rector of flagship Altai State University Sergey V. Zemlyukov was specially invited to celebration of the 200th anniversary by Udo Strater, professor of Martin Luther University. Martin Luther University of Halle-Wittenberg and Altai State University have been cooperating for a long time. Agreement for cultural and scientific cooperation between ASU and Martin Luther University was signed in 2004 upon the initiative of Professor Manfred Frühauf. In 2007 a joint program of supplementary education in the German language entitled “Environmental Monitoring and Management” was organized. Students studying at Altai State University (Faculty of Geography, Faculty of Biology, Faculty of Chemistry and Faculty of Physics and Technology) have been participating in the program. In 2011 Dr. Frühauf initiated Kulunda project. The project was finished in September 2016 and Manfred Frühauf had been supervising it for the whole time. This project allowed expanding and strengthening scientific and educational ties between lecturers and students of Altai State University and German academic institutions.

On 29 November 2016 Professor Frühauf was awarded the title of Honorary Doctor of Altai State University.

Apart from celebrations, ASU Rector’s visit is aimed at continuation of cooperation in the framework of Kulunda project. According to the preliminary agreement, the participants will include not only Altai State University and Martin Luther University, but also some higher education establishments of Kazakhstan. As before, the project will be focused on the research of the rational use of wildlands in agriculture.