Global Programs

Penn State hosts institutional partner delegation from Freiburg, Germany

Rector Kerstin Krieglstein, University of Freiburg, left; Penn State Executive Vice President and Provost Justin Schwartz, right. Penn State and Freiburg are celebrating 25 years of a successful partnership. Credit: Penn StateCreative Commons

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State welcomed Rector Kerstin Krieglstein and a leadership delegation from the Albert-Ludwigs-University Freiburg on April 16-19. Coordinated by Penn State Global and the International Office at the University of Freiburg, the visit included a meeting with Executive Vice President and Provost Justin Schwartz, further cementing the already strong institutional partnership between the two universities. 

The delegation visit also entailed meetings with Penn State Global, the Interim Associate Vice President for Research Phil Savage, directors of Penn State’s interdisciplinary institutes, World Campus leadership, and various other faculty and groups.

“We were delighted to host Rector Krieglstein and her leadership,“ said Roger Brindley, vice provost for Penn State Global. “In recent years the partnership between Freiburg and Penn State has been very successful, with numerous faculty involved in important research linkages. It was a genuine pleasure to have our colleagues from Freiburg visit, and to plan for the next steps in our work together.”

The two universities have successfully collaborated for many years and have enjoyed a multi-faceted connectivity between faculty, students and staff since 1997. Various agreements furthered student exchanges and led to a Collaboration Development Program in 2016 that has provided seed monies for long-term programs integrating faculty and junior researchers from both universities. 

In 2019, with the renewal of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), the partnership reached a new level by signing an agreement to pursue a joint large-scale research initiative, resulting in the Convergence Center for Living Multifunctional Material Systems (LiMC2).  LiMC2 focuses on materials discovery, in particular, to design sustainable materials that are biological or inspired by biological principles. The initiative in Living Materials represents the largest partnership investment to date, led by the Materials Research Institute and Institutes of Energy and the Environment at Penn State and the livMatS Cluster in Freiburg. and facilitated by Penn State Global and the International Office in Freiburg.

The partnership between the University of Freiburg and Penn State highlights the universities’ shared research and educational priorities in sustainability, climate action, innovation, virtual engagement and living materials. The meetings held during the visit reinforced these connections and continued desire to pursue activities both within and outside these shared priorities.

“The partnership between Penn State and the University of Freiburg is an ideal example of the university-wide cooperation we would like to build with a select number of partner institutions around the world,” said Sabine Klahr, associate vice provost for Penn State Global. “The mutual interests and goals of our two universities are well-aligned. Additionally, the outstanding commitment from both universities has made the development and expansion of this partnership very natural.”

Order in photo from left to right: Alexandra Persiko, associate director for Europe and Oceania Partnerships, Penn State Global; Daniela Kleinschmit, vice-president for Internationalization and Sustainability; Michael Schwarze, vice-president for Academic Affairs, University of Freiburg; Kerstin Krieglstein, rector, University of Freiburg; Roger Brindley, vice provost, Penn State Global; Julia Wandt, member of the executive board, Division Science Communication and Strategy, University of Freiburg; Sabine Klahr, associate vice provost, Penn State Global; Mel White, senior director for special projects, Penn State Global; Katharina Aly, director, International Office, University of Freiburg. Credit: Penn StateCreative Commons

“It was wonderful hosting Rector Krieglstein and colleagues here and be able to celebrate our joint successes, while at the same time, looking ahead to what we can do together.  There is a reason we call the University of Freiburg an institutional partner, given the synergies, but also due to the support and interest the partnership enjoys from throughout the universities,” said Alexandra Persiko, associate director for Europe and Oceania Partnerships. “For a strategic partnership to exist, we depend on such a strong endorsement by leadership, faculty and staff.”

For more information on the Penn State-Freiburg partnership, contact Persiko at axp1225@psu.edu.

Last Updated May 23, 2023