Fitchburg State signs transfer agreement with German sister-city university

Photo | Courtesy of Fitchburg State University From left: Professor Paul Weizer, chairman of the Economics, History and Political Science Department; President Richard S. Lapidus; and Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Patricia Marshall

Write a Comment

By Timothy Doyle

Students at Fitchburg State University will soon be able to complete a bachelor of arts in international business at Rhein-Waal University of Applied Sciences in Kleve, Germany.

Under the new agreement, students at Rhein-Waal University will also be able to complete a bachelor of science in economics with a concentration in international business and economics at Fitchburg State, according to a Monday press release from FSU.

“Fitchburg State has enjoyed a long and mutually beneficial relationship with Rhein-Waal University of Applied Sciences, in which our students and faculty have taken part in meaningful interactions, both in-person and in virtual space,” Fitchburg State President Richard Lapidus said in the press release. “This new agreement outlines clear pathways for students from both countries to pursue powerful academic credentials, and creates tremendous opportunities for our future graduates.

The degree program is not the first collaboration between the universities. This past spring students traveled to Kleve for The Heart of Europe, a course on major themes in contemporary European history, politics and economics. The class will next be offered in Spring 2025.

“The cities of Fitchburg and Kleve have been sister cities for more than 30 years and thus maintain friendly relations between the Lower Rhine and Massachusetts,” said Rhein-Waal University President Oliver Locker-Grütjen in the press release. “I am pleased that we are now taking a step further in the cooperation between the two educational institutions to deepen ties and exchanges.”