On Friday, March 4, it became known that the rector of St. Petersburg Mining University, Vladimir Litvinenko, received a letter from Sven Krueger, the mayor of Freiberg, Germany. He assured us that the situation in the Saxon city was "safe and calm". There is no reason to worry about Russian undergraduate and graduate students who study in dual degree programs or undergo internships at the Freiberg Mining Academy.
"The rector Klaus-Dieter Barbknecht met with all the students from Russia and Ukraine the day before yesterday, after which he assured me that they would continue to guarantee the best conditions for their studies," Mr. Krueger wrote.
He also said that, if necessary, residents from Mining University could go directly to the mayor's office, where they would be assisted in any way they could.
"You can rest assured: I will do everything I can to ensure a safe stay and a decent life for everyone who is in our city, regardless of their nationality or background," the Oberburgermeister (this is, the german term for major) assured.
As one of our graduate students pointed out, "There is no discrimination inside the university. Everything is fine in terms of everyday life as well. Therefore, he, as well as all the other students, whose position is known to him, "are ready to continue the internship, on preparation for which a lot of time and effort has been spent”.
The loyalty of German colleagues is confirmed by our other compatriots. For instance, a graduate student who works on her research project in Dresden, said that "the attitude toward Russians has not changed for the worse because of the events having place in Ukraine”.
"The German side has officially informed us that we can safely continue our work. No one plans to cancel anything. The scholarship will also not be canceled", says the girl.
It is important to recall that a six-month training for 20 Russian graduate students from the St. Petersburg Mining University and other domestic universities within the consortium "Nedra" was organized by the German Academic Exchange Service DAAD, the St. Petersburg Mining University and the International Competence Center for Mining Education; under the auspices of UNESCO. A scholarship in the amount of 1200 euros (for each) is paid by the Russian and German partners on a parity basis.
We should also note that all of the undergraduate and graduate students with whom "Forpost" was able to speak are, as before, planning to return to their alma mater. None of them intend to stay abroad.
