News
2026 - March
Cooperation with Nihon University in Tokyo
The cooperation between WHZ and the Faculty of Economics at Nihon University in Tokyo, Japan, is now active. After two years of preparation and two visits of colleagues from Japan, the faculty council there has now given its final approval to the partnership. The relevant documents will be exchanged in the coming weeks. As a result, two WHZ students can now travel to Tokyo for an exchange semester. As the initiator of the cooperation, Prof. Wrobel explains, this represents “a very welcome expansion of our collaboration with universities in Northeast Asia, offering our students tremendous opportunities for further education.”
2026 – February
Visit of Prof. Hirasawa from Nihon University in Tokyo
On February 16, 2026, Prof. Hirasawa from Nihon University in Tokyo, Japan, visited the East Asia Center of the University of Applied Sciences Zwickau (WHZ). The purpose of the visit was the ongoing negotiations regarding a cooperation between the Faculty of Economics of Nihon University and that of WHZ, as well as discussions about the participation of Nihon University scholars in the conference “South Korea Between China and the United States,” which will take place in Busan in October 2026. Prof. Hirasawa, who had traveled with his wife and son, was received by Prof. Wrobel, the Dean of the Faculty of Economics, Prof. Riedel, and the Head of the WHZ International Office, Ms. Singer. This gave the guests a very good impression of WHZ’s international activities.
Call for Papers:
2025 - October
NEW Book Reviews in the "East Asian Integration Studies":
2025 – May 23
Book Presentation at the Armenian State University of Economics
On May 23, 2025, at the Armenian State University of Economics (ASUE) in Yerevan, Armenia, Professors S. Khachikyan, J. Panda, and R. Wrobel presented their new book "Armenia and the Belt and Road Initiative: Perspectives from Europe, the Caucasus, and Central Asia," published by Routledge, London. The book presents the results of the conference of the same name held at the same university in Armenia in May 2022.
Call for Papers:
Call for Papers:
2024 – 17th December
WHZ East Asia Centre Continues on its Path to Success:
International Collaboration with Nihon University, Tokyo, in Negotiations
from the left to the right: Prof. Wrobel (WHZ), Rector Prof. Kassel (WHZ), Prof. Yamazaki (NU), Ms. Schmidt (WHZ).
This week, the University of Applied Sciences Zwickau (WHZ) had the pleasure of welcoming Prof. Dr. Asuka Yamazaki from Nihon University in Japan. The visit marked another significant step in WHZ’s international cooperation with universities in the East Asian region and was organised by Prof. Dr. Dr. Ralph Wrobel, who recently returned from a research sabbatical in South Korea and Japan.
The highlight of the visit was a meeting with the university's Rector, Prof. Dr.-Ing. Stephan Kassel. The diverse programme also included meetings with the International Office, the Student Services Organisation, and the Faculties of Languages as well as Business and Economics. Prof. Dr. Yamazaki also attended a lecture by Prof. Dr. Dr. Wrobel and discussed WHZ's English courses with Prof. Dr. Janina Vernal-Schmidt. Shared lunch and dinner provided an opportunity to deepen intercultural and academic exchange. Following Prof. Dr. Yamazaki’s visit, Nihon University’s committees will make a final decision regarding the cooperation with WHZ.
The collaboration aims to establish a reciprocal student exchange between the two institutions: two WHZ students will have the opportunity to spend a semester at Nihon University, while two Japanese students will be welcomed in Zwickau. The University of Applied Sciences Zwickau regards the partnership with Nihon University as a great enrichment for both students and faculty and looks forward to further projects that promote international exchange. For any enquiries, the organisational team led by Prof. Dr. Dr. Ralph Wrobel will be happy to assist you.
2024 - February to June
Prof. Ralph Wrobel teaches at Dong-A University in Busan, South Korea
Prof. Dr. Dr. Ralph Wrobel, from the East Asia Centre at the University of Applied Sciences Zwickau, is spending his research sabbatical (summer term 2024) teaching at Dong-A University in Busan, South Korea. There, he teaches two courses on current economic policy in the university's B.A. and M.A. programmes, which have received very positive feedback from students.
In parallel, he strengthens ties with the partner university and discusses expanding student exchange opportunities. He is also conducting research on the economic history of South Korea and is authoring several scholarly articles.
During a trip to Japan, he successfully initiates a new collaboration with Nihon University in Tokyo, Japan.
2023 - October: Special Lecture (in German language):
Conference Announcement:
2022 - November
University of Applied Sciences Zwickau appoints North Korea expert as honorary professor
On 1 November 2022, the internationally renowned
expert on North Korea, Dr. habil. Bernhard Seliger, was appointed honorary professor at the University of Applied Sciences Zwickau.
Prof. Seliger occupies a central position in the university's East Asia Centre, which was newly founded in 2019. He is known worldwide in the scientific community for his expertise in North Korea, which he has acquired during numerous visits to the closed country. For more than 20 years, Prof. Seliger has accompanied the development of the economy and environmental protection with various projects in North Korea. Through publications in science and the press as well as numerous interviews in the media, he has also been able to make his knowledge accessible to a wide audience.
Conference Report:
May 2022
The Online-Newsletter "ChinaHirn" reports about the East Asia Centre in Zwickau and about China related study opportunities at the University of Applied Sciences Zwickau at all. The newsletter says: "Because Zwickau - as university of applied sciences - offers very practical training, most graduates go on to work in industry." You can read more (in German language) here!
Conference report:
New Book Review online:
"Indian Ocean and India´s bid for regional leadership"
Online conference in Seoul:
29 January 2021 between 06:00 and 07:45 German time.
At the online conference "Toward New Public Policies in the COVID-19 Era - Lessons from Korea and Abroad", organised by Hanns Seidel Foundation, Seoul, in cooperation with GSPA of Seoul National University, two members of the Zwickau East Asia Centre will present the following topics:
Dr. Bernhard Seliger - "Disaster management policies in South and North Korea - a comparison".
Prof. Dr. Dr. Ralph Wrobel - "Public Policy and Corona in Europe - the German experience".
Grand opening:
East Asia Centre
at the University of Applied Sciences Zwickau
- Welcome (Prof. Dr. M. Richter, Dean of the Faculty WIWI)
- Greetings
- Presentation of the East Asia Center (Prof. Dr. Ralph Wrobel, fac. WIWI)
- Lecture: "North Korea as a challenge for Asian research - a look at the development of the economic order under the condition of missing data"
