JGU INTERNATIONAL

Algorithms, avocados, and adventures
The step abroad was a deliberate adventure for Professor Sebastian Erdweg. When planning his research sabbatical, the JGU computer scientist envisioned not just an academic collaboration, but also family life in an unfamiliar country. As a visiting professor, he eventually went to the Universidad de Chile – bringing home not only formative experiences but also a major third-party funded project.

FORTHEM promotes the internationalization of research
Nine universities from all over Europe are collaborating in the FORTHEM Alliance. Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGUI) is one of them. To extend the scope of joint research in FORTHEM, the alliance has adopted the concepts and results of FIT FORTHEM, a three-year support project funded by the European Commission. These are at the core of the new FORTHEM Mission for Research, Innovation, and Transfer. In our JGU Magazine, Professor Stefan Müller-Stach, JGU Vice President for Research and Early Career Academics, looks into the future of this mission and describes the various opportunities to participate and profit from the alliance – opportunities that Veronika Cummings, Professor of Human Geography at JGU, has already taken advantage of.

"FORTHEM brings Europe to our university"
Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU) was one of the founding members of the European University Alliance FORTHEM back in 2019. The EU-sponsored project is now in its second funding phase. And Mainz University is continuing its strong commitment to the alliance, a network that is attractive far beyond the participating universities. JGU's President Professor Georg Krausch, FORTHEM initiator Professor Stephan Jolie, Vice President for Learning and Teaching at JGU, and Professor Eckhard Thines, a member of the FORTHEM Coordination Committee, came together to assess the alliance's achievements to date for our JGU Magazine.

Sustained by the spirit of Franco-German friendship
Mainz and Dijon – these two cities represent a European success story, especially in terms of the partnership between their universities. German-French double degree programs have been running for over 30 years. And yet coordination remains a constant challenge, as Professor Antje Lobin, head of the Dijon Office at Mainz University, explains. Currently, one of the main focuses is the binational teacher training program.

Supporting Ukrainian academics
Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, a large number of Ukrainian academics had to leave their home country. Many of them have been welcomed as guests at German universities. We have met four of them who are currently working at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz.

German-Polish success stories
Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU) has a long tradition of contact and exchange with Poland. For decades now there have been close connections with a number of Polish universities. Groundbreaking collaborations and the unique JGU Poland Fellowship are examples of the special relationship with this European neighbor. Adam Seredynski came to Mainz in 2006 as part of a double degree program between SGH Warsaw and JGU – and he ended up staying a bit longer than expected.

Erasmus scholarships for teaching staff and personnel
The Erasmus training program was introduced in 1987 by the European Union. Since then, it has promoted the internationalization of the educational landscape on many levels. Erasmus is primarily directed at students. But also teaching staff and other university personnel can benefit from the program. This aspect plays a major role at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz.

Help of all kinds
Welcome to Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz! – The sentence is easy to say. Foreign scientists and researchers often have to clear a lot of hurdles before they can feel at home in Germany. The Welcome Center at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU) helps them – in every way.

An advocate of German in Scotland
She founded the Society for Scottish Studies in Europe and is the head of the largest Sir Walter Scott research program. She acts as an advisor to the Scottish Parliament and set up an internship program that brings students of Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU) to Scottish schools. It is remarkable what Dr. Sigrid Rieuwerts has already achieved in terms of promoting the relationship between Germany and Scotland.

Mainz history student receives Scottish-German double PhD
Falko Bell is the first student to be awarded his doctorate at Glasgow and Mainz simultaneously. The award is the current high point of a close cooperation between the Departments of History at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU) and the University of Glasgow in Scotland. Professor Sönke Neitzel is the driver behind the project.