On July 10, KNRTU student Anastasia Likhomanova under the supervision of Roman Kupriyanov (KNRTU) and Christian Paulik (University of Merseburg) defended her master’s thesis with flying colours. In 2020, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, final thesis defences at KNRTU were held online.

This is the second successful dissertation defence under the joint supervision of professors from Merseburg University of Applied Sciences (HoMe) and KNRTU. In 2019, as part of the long-term cooperation KNRTU and HoMe signed an agreement on joint academic supervision in the field of Social Work. As part of this agreement, KNRTU and HoMe students conducted a joint research in Russia and Germany. In June 2019, Anja Knolle, an undergraduate at HoMe, visited KNRTU, and in October 2019, Anastasia Likhomanova, a Master’s student of KNRTU undertook an internship at HoMe.

Anastasia Likhomanova writes about the impressions of her stay at HoMe:

"The trip to the Merseburg University of Applied Sciences was my first experience of conducting research abroad and had a strong impact on my personal growth. Thanks to the internship, I was able to improve my communication skills and become more confident. Learning about a different culture made me understand others better and cope with difficulties more easily.

The experience of communicating with future colleagues in social centers helped me grow professionally. During my practical work, I learned a lot about the job of professionals in the field of social work, and this information will undoubtedly help me in my future career.

First of all, I would like to express my deep gratitude to all employees of the International Affairs Department, in particular, to Frau Meister for the invitation, the opportunity to conduct research and get acquainted with the social and cultural life of the University. I would also like to thank my Program Supervisors Prof. Dr. Christian Paulick and Halweig Hanke for their scientific mentorship and a warm welcome. I am very grateful to have experienced the atmosphere among the students who were open to communication and took part in the survey, helped me in matters of everyday life and education. This made my trip to Germany scientifically and professionally productive and gave me an unforgettable life experience."

The successful experience of joint research supervision can establish the framework for further cooperation between the universities.