June 17th – 19th, 2013. Penza State University hosted the major international event of this summer – Penza-Flensburg Congress. The congress programme encompassed various educational, medical, cultural and sociological topics. Participants attended workshops, presentations, lectures and open discussions. German was the working language of the congress, yet each report was interpreted into Russian.

The first day was devoted to educational cooperation, youth exchange programmes, higher professional education in Russia and Germany, cultural stereotypes.

On the second day medical professionals and students attended the conference on cardiovascular diseases, endovascular surgery, emergency treatment. Problems of aging society - geriatrics and hospices – were also discussed. At the round table in the second part of the day, the guests were able to participate in the discussion of current man-woman society issues.

The third day conference was rich in various cultural, ethnic and historical issues discussions.

The congress was organized by Penza State University (Russia), DIAKO Flensburg (Germany), the University of Flensburg (Germany).

Flensburg is an old German city that boasts groundbreaking medical research, conducted by DIAKO Flensburg. The University of Flensburg is well-known for teacher training education.

For six years the two cities – Penza and Flensburg – have been connected through partnerships and contacts in the spheres of medicine and healthcare, school and university education, municipal and public administration.

The congress of such scope is a significant step in developing Penza-Flensburg relations.