On September 23, online meetings with the representatives of universities of Flensburg - Europa-Universität Flensburg and Flensburg University of Applied Sciences took place. Let us remember, that for three days it is planned to discuss issues of further cooperation between Penza State University and the partners from Flensburg. This communication format was determined due to the unfavorable epidemiological situation.

At the meeting with Europa-Universität Flensburg representatives, key issues were discussed on the launching the joint master's degree programme "Languages, culture, media" in 45.04.01 "Philology". From the German side, the discussion was attended by Prof. Dr. Matthias Bauer, Head of the master's degree programme “Kultur – Sprache – Medien“, and Dr. Sibylle Machat, Deputy Head of the master's degree programme. From the Russian side, the discussion was attended by Gleb Vladimirovich Sintsov, Vice-Rector for International Affairs of PSU, Olga Petrovna Surina, Director of the Institute of Teacher Education, Ekaterina Yurievna Aleshina, Head of the Department of foreign languages and methods of teaching foreign languages,  Andrei Viktorovich Borisov, Vice-Dean for Academic Affairs of the Faculty of History, Languages and Literature, Vitaliy Anatolyevich Soloviev, Head of the Educational and Methodological Department, Alexandr Vladimirovich Pervushkin, Head of the Department of Academic Affairs, Institute of International Cooperation, Tatyana Aleksandrovna Razuvaeva, Head of International Projects Department, coordinator of Russian-German cooperation. During the negotiations, both parties approved of the agreement on implementing the joint educational programme, as well as a schedule for preparing the necessary educational and methodological documentation. It is planned that all documents will have been prepared and agreed upon by December 1, 2020, and the first enrollment of applicants for the joint master’s degree programme will begin in the next academic year.

In addition, within the framework of the online meeting, the activities planned within the framework of the joint international project DIREPA DICOME, which received grant support from the Federal Foreign Office, were discussed and agreed upon. The implementation of the project is planned for 2 years.

In the afternoon, a video conference was held with the representatives of the Flensburg University of Applied Sciences. Prof. Dr. Hinrich Uellendahl and Prof. Dr. Sven Bertel presented their research projects. Representatives of the Department of Power and Electrical Engineering (V.N. Ashanin, S. V. Golobokov, T.Yu. Brostilova) discussed possible areas of joint activities. Moreover, in the course of the discussion, further steps were outlined to develop cooperation in the field of IT technologies between the project team of prof. Sven Bertel and a group of PSU researchers (A.Yu Tychkov, A.V.Kuzmin). It is also planned to submit a joint research application to the DFG-RFBR foundations by Prof. Dr. Antje Labes and I.Ya Moiseeva,  Dean of the Faculty of General Medicine. An agreement was reached on admitting A.V. Kuznetsova, Associate Professor, to the DAAD programme of scientific training in microbiology.

Together with the colleagues from Flensburg, plans were also outlined for the next Penza-Flensburg congress in September 2021. Swetlana Krätzschmar, ex-president of Flensburg, who received the status of the official coordinator of cooperation with Penza on behalf of the Flensburg administration, confirmed the willingness of Flensburg leaders to provide organizational support for holding the next congress. It was also decided to hold the congress in a combined format - both face-to-face and online events will be planned.

The following online meetings will be held for the representatives of medicine - on September 24, an online meeting of doctors from Flensburg and Penza will take place, within which it is planned to exchange experience in organizing medical care for patients with coronavirus infection.