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There are many places where you can study in a unique environment. But the Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences is one-of-a-kind, sui generis. Embedded in the glorious landscapes of the 'Trinational Triangle' – the triple borderland where Germany, the Czech Republic, and Poland come together – and bearing all the hallmarks of the region, our institution offers students a place of study that is genuinely extraordinary, unique in kind and first rank in quality. No tuition fees, a low cost of living, a close-knit atmosphere and intensive academic tutelage plus state-of-the-art facilities and numerous connections with regional, national and international companies – all this makes for ideal conditions in which to study effectively and in close contact with the world of praxis. And these same factors are assuredly why the large majority of our students complete their programs within the standard time to degree. After that, excellent employment prospects beckon. Our graduates' high job placement quota is not least a result of the excellent quality of our teaching and research. Also, cutting-edge laboratories and lecture theatres, the new eco-based Zittau campus, and the Görlitz campus on the River Neisse's very banks offer students both the amenities and a milieu for studying that they will seek in vain elsewhere. Both campuses are separated by a mere 22 miles, which can be overcome with a comfortable ride by car or train along the green borderline to Poland. Studying at Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences means studying ideal conditions for teaching and research at an institution with more than 3,100 students and 116 professors. We are firmly rooted in a 500-year-long tradition of education in Upper Lusatia grounded in humanist philosophy and technical endeavor. We offer a scientifically grounded academic education, ensuring a successful start into professional life and a sustained, ongoing professional development. We offer further education in academic and scientific fields, so enabling the systematic, lifelong acquisition of knowledge and enlarging the stock of knowledge in the fields of technology, economics and business, and society. Our central fields of competence are "Energy and the Environment" and "Processes of Transformation in the Economy and Society". Our students acquire the relevant discipline-specific, methodological, human resource-oriented, and social competences that enable them to shape processes of change in the academic fields of the Our teaching staff's competence is grounded in their academic qualifications, in firmly-rooted professional experience, and ongoing training in their specialist discipline and in didactic methodology – all enabling them to undertake a wide variety of tasks in their respective Faculties. Our Professors are the bedrock of the academic renown and the appeal of our University of Applied Sciences. Well-qualified in their disciplines, well-networked both within their academic fields and in the world of praxis, active in research and development, fully versed in tertiary sector teaching, and highly involved in the day-to-day running of our institution, they are fully competent to act in many advisory capacities. Our lecturers and auxiliary staff in the Faculties, operative divisions, and Academic Administration ensure our institution's efficient running and our significant ongoing development and profile-formation. We regard education as a communal public good in and for an open society. Our educational offers are designed both for those who have the classic admission requirements for further education and those who have demonstrated their particular aptitude for study elsewhere. At the same time, we maintain an academic culture informed by the principles of equal opportunity, pluralism, and family-friendliness. The quality of research conducted at our University finds expression in the external funding we are awarded and in doctoral projects and publications corresponding to the respective specialist disciplines' exigencies. Our institution supports research as a prime activity of all staff. Our international institutional partnerships are concentrated thematically and geographically on specific areas and clusters. Particular areas of emphasis are our neighbors in Poland and the Czech Republic and the states of Central and Eastern Europe. Our University of Applied Sciences sees itself as a "regional supplier" in things academic and scientific, producing education, research, and development with an eye to the region's socio-economic development. Be it the optimization of power station processes and automation technology, be it biotechnology, specific surface properties for high voltage fittings or socio-regional development processes – the specialist expertise of the Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences is widely known and in great demand, both in industry and society and among the research community at large. From these traditional research foci, several research institutes have emerged. Working in cross-faculty co-operation, our professors are actively involved in a wide range of research projects. Our Faculty research information pages offer an overview of our research groups and research foci, giving, in individual cases, detailed descriptions of the projects involved and announcing forthcoming presentations and conferences. View full university

Studying at IHI Zittau connects the advantages of a small-sized, international graduate school with the quality standards and opportunities of one of the best universities in Germany: TU Dresden! As part of our unique MA programs, you acquire competencies in exciting interactions between ecology, economy, and society. To this purpose, we are connected with numerous partners in- and outside TU Dresden, in Germany and abroad. At IHI Zittau, you are more than just a number: Small groups allow for personal tutoring and advice by teachers and the Student Office. Your Zittau campus is situated in a historic small town with a vivid alternative arts scene and beautiful surroundings in the triangle between Germany, Poland, and the Czech Republic. Why not become a convinced border-crosser! Studying at IHI Zittau means MA studies in international, small-sized seminar groups, tailor-made tutoring, and innovative study concepts. Our study programs focus on the exciting interaction of the economy, ecology, and society. Our location in the triangle Germany/Poland/Czech Republic invites you to cross borders in each respect… An international graduate school with a nice size under the single organizational umbrella of the University of Excellence TU Dresden – at IHI Zittau, numerous things are somewhat different from the mainstream of the German educational landscape: Our neighboring countries Poland and the Czech Republic are nearby, and you can break down barriers as part of everyday life! Teaching and research at IHI Zittau address an exciting interaction of ecology, economy, and social science. Research areas and courses range from molecular biotechnology, the taxonomy of biodiversity, and ecosystem services to responsible and sustainable management. Addressing the rapid loss of biodiversity at the global scale counts as one of the critical challenges of our time. Detailed knowledge of species and their environment is urgently needed; however, universities increasingly lack resources and expertise to provide specialist teaching on species' taxonomy. To address this, IHI Zittau joined forces with Senckenberg, a large natural history research institute (part of the German Leibniz Association), and established a novel research-oriented MSc course. The course is unique in that it explicitly links biodiversity studies with collection management. The curriculum covers global biodiversity aspects, including taxonomy, systematics, and ecology, and it develops skills in management and project organization. The course's critical research infrastructure is centered on learning about collections, the methods, and administrative frameworks governing the acquisition, study, and maintenance of biological and geological specimens. Throughout the course, students develop a detailed knowledge of biodiversity and paleontology, have the opportunity to specialize in certain taxonomical groups, and learn how to obtain and reliably document data on biodiversity. The course's secondary focus is on developing project management skills, promoting international cooperation, and organizing research teams. An international graduate school with a suitable size under the single organizational umbrella of the University of Excellence TU Dresden – at IHI Zittau, numerous things are somewhat different from the mainstream of the German educational landscape: Our neighboring countries Poland and the Czech Republic are nearby, and you can break down barriers as part of everyday life! Teaching and research at IHI Zittau address an exciting interaction of ecology, economy, and social science. Research areas and courses range from molecular biotechnology, the taxonomy of biodiversity and ecosystem services to responsible and sustainable management. View full university