U of C partners with Helmut Schmidt University in Germany

By Violetta Clitheroe

On April 28, David J. Bercuson and Holger H. Herwig of the U of C’s Centre for Military and Strategic Studies, acting on the authority of Tim Goddard, vice-provost (international), concluded an Academic Cooperation Agreement as well as a Supplemental Letter of Agreement on behalf of the University of Calgary with Professor Dr. Hans Christoph Zeidler, president of the Helmut Schmidt University (HSU) of Hamburg, Germany.

HSU, the main education institution of the German armed forces (Bundeswehr), is an entirely civilian university. It offers BA, MA and PhD programs, taught by civilian professors in traditional areas, such as ancient, medieval and modern history, computer science, engineering, and political science. It offers no courses in military studies; its students are, in fact, “removed” from the military for the duration of their stay at HSU in order to acquire both undergraduate and graduate degrees.

Under the terms of the agreement, both universities pledge to develop co-operative research projects, to organize joint academic and scientific activities such as conferences and symposia, to exchange staff as well as undergraduate and graduate students, and to share publications and other materials of common interest.

Both universities agree that students will remain registered at the home university throughout the period of the exchange and that they will pay tuition to their respective programs at the home university. Students will receive credits (to be predetermined by their home university) for courses taken at the host university.

They are expected to meet the language proficiency requirements of the host university—with the exception of the PhD in computer science and computer engineering, where HSU conducts an all-English language program.

HSU will send its first two exchange students to the University of Calgary for the fall semester 2008. HSU faculty members have already shown a formal interest in teaching block courses in Calgary as well. It is anticipated that the exchange will be small in numbers and high in quality.

For more information, contact the Office of the Vice-Provost (International), Administration 110D (goddard@ucalgary.ca). The program is open to all academic units at the University of Calgary.