Ruhr University Bochum, the TU University Dortmund and the University of Duisburg-Essen have been working closely together in the University Alliance Ruhr since 2007. With more than 120,000 students and almost 1,300 professors, the UA Ruhr is one of the largest and most productive academic locations in Germany.

The University Alliance Ruhr has set up two liaison offices to promote international cooperation. The Liaison Office Eastern Europe-Central Asia (EECA) is responsible for cooperation with the Eastern Europe-Central Asia region; the Liaison Office New York is responsible for the North America region.

The aim of the work of the EECA Liaison Office is to represent the three partner universities of the UA Ruhr in the EECA region, to make the Ruhr region better known and visible locally as an innovative research and science location and to promote international exchange between East and West.