Tasks of the Liaison Office

The Liaison Office promotes cooperation between the University Alliance Ruhr and Eastern Europe, the South Caucasus and Central Asia, and strengthens the international visibility of the Ruhr region as a centre of science.

Welcome!

The Ruhr University Bochum, the Technical University of Dortmund and the University of Duisburg-Essen have been cooperating strategically and successfully in the University Alliance Ruhr (UA Ruhr) since 2007. With over 120,000 students and around 1,300 professors, the UA Ruhr is one of the largest and most productive scientific locations in Germany.

To strengthen international cooperation, the UA Ruhr maintains three liaison offices: the Liaison Office Eastern Europe/Central Asia (EECA) is responsible for cooperation in Eastern Europe, the South Caucasus and Central Asia, the Liaison Office New York is responsible for North America, and the Liaison Office São Paulo represents the UA Ruhr in Latin America.

The Liaison Office EECA represents the three partner universities of the UA Ruhr in its target region, increases the visibility of the Ruhr area as an innovative research and science location, and promotes sustainable academic exchange between East and West.

Current News

Trip to Almaty and Oskemen: New impetus for German-Kazakh scientific cooperation

09/22/2025 -

EECA News

Group photo in front of a large poster with the words ‘Consortium on the Development of the Kazakh-German Institute of Science and Technology’

In September, a delegation from the University Alliance Ruhr traveled to Kazakhstan to deepen existing collaborations, launch new initiatives and promote scientific exchange.

Almaty, Kazakhstan

In Almaty, the UA Ruhr delegation completed an extensive program with key partner institutions, including the National Academy of Sciences, the German-Kazakh University (DKU), the German Research Foundation (DFG), g.a.s.t. - Gesellschaft für Akademische Studienvorbereitung und Testentwicklung e.V., the Consulate General of the Federal Republic of Germany and numerous universities and research institutions in the region.
A special highlight was a three-day workshop for early career researchers at the DKU, organized by the RUB Research School. In addition, representatives of the UA Ruhr took part in the international conference Central Asia's Sustainable Development Goals in a Changing Global Order to contribute perspectives on sustainability, transformation and global governance.

Oskemen, Kazakhstan

The Kazakh-German Science and Technology Consortium was officially founded on September 22 at the D. Serikbayev East Kazakhstan State Technical University in Oskemen. The signing ceremony was attended by high-ranking representatives from politics, diplomacy and science from both countries. The UA Ruhr was represented by all three member universities.
A Humboldt Center for Sustainability was also opened. There are also plans to apply for licensing as a g.a.s.t. test center within the framework of the Kazakh-German Institute. The trip underlines the strategic importance of Kazakhstan as a partner region and strengthens long-term scientific networking between Germany and Central Asia.