The Faculty of Textile and Clothing Technology at the Hochschule Niederrhein has been working closely with cooperation partners from Asia for many years. Now the cooperation with a partner is further intensified. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed with representatives of the BGMEA University of Fashion & Technology (BUFT) in Dhaka/Bangladesh on Wednesday afternoon. Hasnat Mia, Honorary Consul of the People's Republic of Bangladesh and BUFT Goodwill Ambassador, also attended the ceremony in Mönchengladbach and signed the agreement.

The university in the capital of Bangladesh was officially founded in 2012 and is based on an initiative of the nationwide Garments Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA). The aim of the university is to provide practical orientation for the apprenticeship of young people for the textile industry, which is one of the most important sectors of the country's economy.

The Memorandum of Understanding states that cooperation between the Hochschule Niederrhein and BUFT is to be deepened. Cooperation in the areas of research and teaching education is planned, as well as the exchange of students and teaching staff.

The agreement was signed on behalf of BUFT by Shafiul Islam, director of the university's board of trustees and a member of the Bangladeshi parliament. Professor Dr. Marion Halfmann, Internationalization Officer of the Presidential Board, signed the agreement on behalf of the Hochschule Niederrhein.

"We have maintained relations with educational institutions and industry in Bangladesh since 2008. In recent years, there have always been four-week internships of our students in companies in Bangladesh, which were organized by BUFT. One of our aims is to enable our students to gain personal experience of the living conditions and the clothing industry in this country," says Alexander Büsgen, Professor of Textile Technology at the Faculty of Textile and Clothing Technology. The initiators of the cooperation were Professor Rudolf Haug, who has since passed away, and Honorary Consul Hasnat Mia, who established the contacts in Bangladesh.

"Through this cooperation between the two universities, both countries will benefit not only in the textile sector. Bangladesh can also develop in many other areas through the exchange. Germany is one of the most important partners for Bangladesh in the textile and education sector," Honorary Consul Hasnat Mia said happily.

The ceremony took place within the framework of a visit and sightseeing program. Numerous discussions were held and laboratories and lectures at the faculty were visited. An exchange with students was also on the agenda.