Memorandum of Understanding opens up new opportunities for study, research and international cooperation
HTWK Leipzig is further expanding its international ties with South Korea: HTWK Rector Prof. Dr Jean-Alexander Müller and Prof. Kim Yong-Ha, President of Konyang University, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). The agreement establishes a framework for closer academic cooperation and is intended, in particular, to promote student and staff exchanges as well as joint activities in research and teaching. Prof. Dr-Ing. Robert Geise represented HTWK Leipzig at the signing ceremony in Nonsan.
New opportunities for students
Konyang University enjoys a strong reputation, particularly in the fields of medical technology, biomedicine and applied engineering, and boasts state-of-the-art research and teaching facilities. For HTWK Leipzig, this partnership therefore opens up new opportunities to pool international expertise and develop joint educational programmes.
A particular focus is on further developing exchange opportunities and exploring the prospect of joint degree programmes. Plans include opportunities for dual degrees, as well as a stronger international focus for cooperative or dual study programmes. At the Faculty of Digital Transformation, academic study and workplace experience are already closely integrated: students alternate between university and work placements, thereby directly linking academic content with practical application.
A placement at the partner university in South Korea could, in future, add an additional international dimension to this practice-oriented education. This would give students the opportunity to gain professional experience in a different academic and technological context, develop intercultural skills and forge international contacts.
International cooperation is taking shape
The fact that the exchange between South Korea and HTWK Leipzig is already a reality is demonstrated by the Korean students who were guests at the Faculty of Digital Transformation in the summer of 2026. These international exchanges are therefore more than just an agreement on paper: they provide real-life experiences as part of everyday student life and bring together students and lecturers from different higher education systems.
At the research level, too, HTWK Leipzig already has experience of collaborating with South Korean partners. Since 2022, for example, there has been a collaboration with the renowned Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST). Among other things, this focuses on joint research projects into modern materials, lightweight construction and sustainable technologies. In recent years, mutual research and study visits have also taken place, and further international research projects have been prepared.
The new partnership with Konyang University expands this network to include a university with particular expertise in medical technology, biomedicine and applied engineering.
With this Memorandum of Understanding, HTWK Leipzig is laying another foundation stone in its internationalisation strategy. International university partnerships not only facilitate academic exchange but also open up new perspectives on science, technology and societal challenges.
For students, the collaboration means, above all, the opportunity to integrate international experiences into their studies at an early stage. For lecturers and researchers, it creates new opportunities to forge contacts, develop joint research topics and initiate long-term cross-border projects.
The partnership with Konyang University thus combines two key priorities for HTWK Leipzig: practice-oriented academic education and the increasing international networking of teaching and research.
