18 September 2025

The connection between society and science in Nordhausen is being further strengthened: the cooperation agreement between Nordhausen City Council and Nordhausen University of Applied Sciences, which has been in place since 2018, was renewed and signed by Lord Mayor Kai Buchmann and University President Prof. Dr Jörg Wagner on 15 September. The aim is to secure long-term cooperation in education and training and to provide new impetus for the region.

A key momentum in the renewal of the cooperation agreement was the city's support in strengthening Nordhausen University of Applied Sciences as an employer with a focus on the following aspects:

• Establishment of a Welcoming culture for highly qualified staff to support onboarding, especially professors
• one Get to know us the Nordhausen region with city tours, cultural and leisure activities as a welcome to the city
• common Eventsin which the specialisms of the newly appointed professors are presented and their practical application illustrated
• Promotion of the Networking with regional partners

"With Nordhausen University of Applied Sciences, the city is already the central location for state-of-the-art education and research in the north of Thuringia and the neighbouring federal states. Together, we want to anchor the university even more firmly in the city's society and the regional economy," emphasises Lord Mayor Kai Buchmann.

University President Prof. Dr Jörg Wagner also emphasises the importance of the agreement: "The close cooperation with the city of Nordhausen is an important key for us to bring education, research and knowledge transfer even more strongly to the region. With the renewed agreement, we are creating the basis for further expanding our cooperation and utilising synergies in a targeted manner. It is particularly important to me that we intensify our cooperation in the area of dual, practice-oriented study programmes for employees of the city of Nordhausen. In this way, we can open up attractive educational paths for young people and at the same time strengthen the city administration as a modern employer."

Content of the agreement

The cooperation partners have agreed on long-term collaboration in teaching, research and continuing education. Specifically, the agreement provides for the following measures, among others:

• Topics for final theses: Students at Nordhausen University of Applied Sciences can work on practical issues from the city administration in their Bachelor's and Master's theses.
• Internships and projects: The city offers students the opportunity to gain experience in municipal administration and contribute innovative ideas.
• Joint events and publications: Public appearances, workshops and publications are intended to increase the visibility of the co-operation.
• Use of premises and infrastructure: Both partners benefit from each other's facilities and services.
• Further training and dual study programme: The cooperation is to be expanded, particularly in the area of dual practice-orientated studies, in order to strengthen the close connection between academic training and professional practice.

The main objectives are the preparation and realisation of joint projects and the recruitment of applicants for the university and graduates for the regional economy and administration.

Shared perspectives

The agreement reaffirms both partners' commitment to further developing Nordhausen as a centre of science and education. "It is particularly important to us to get the population even more interested in the topics of universities, research and knowledge transfer," explains Christiane Oeftiger from the ProfX project, which is concerned with strengthening the Nordhausen University of Applied Sciences employer brand - among other things to attract professors.

Note: HIKEathon X Citizens - Citizens help shape the future

A current example of the cooperation between the city and the university is the HIKEathon X Citizensa two-day hands-on workshop from 28 to 29 November, organised by the University Incubator for Entrepreneurship (hike). Here, citizens, companies, administration and students will work together to develop ideas and solutions for the challenges facing the city and district of Nordhausen. Lord Mayor Kai Buchmann will also be taking part. The HIKEathon has already been successfully organised several times - always with a different thematic focus.