As part of the special #wasser_umwelt_technik (“water, environment, technology”) programme funded by the Wilo-Foundation, a group of pupils from Moscow visited the Wilo plant in Noginsk on 10th December in the context of the Studienbrücke (“study bridge”) programme. The Studienbrücke is organised by the Goethe-Institut Moscow in collaboration with its German partner universities Ruhr University Bochum, University of Duisburg-Essen, TU Dortmund University and the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) and is intended to prepare pupils from abroad for their studies at a German university.

The ten scholarship holders, who were 10th graders when they first applied for the programme, have achieved excellent school marks in the STEM subjects, are highly motivated to study in Germany and take a particular interest in the topics of water, environment and technology. The programme is aimed at building and further increasing awareness of these topics, based on sound professional knowledge. The visit to the Wilo plant in Noginsk was thus an ideal opportunity for the participating pupils to gain insights into relevant professional fields of a German company that operates sites in Russia. After having welcomed the guests, Pavel Speranskiy, Technical Training Director of Wilo Russia delivered a presentation on the company. Afterwards, Artem Alexandrov, Deputy Technical Director for Production Development, gave the young guests a tour of the plant. At the end of their visit, the pupils were presented with Wilo backpacks and useful Wilo souvenirs so they always remember this very special day.

Background:

The Russia Studienbrücke programme is a language training programme of the Goethe-Institut. Under the programme, talented 10th graders from Moscow are given the opportunity to gain the necessary linguistic and technical skills and get familiar with the learning culture in Germany so they can directly embark on a bachelor’s programme at a German partner university. Participants must have a B1 proficiency level in German, above-average school marks in the STEM subjects and a high level of motivation to explore the topics of water, environment and technology.

The Wilo-Foundation and the Goethe-Institut have worked together as partners in the education sector for many years, with projects in Berlin (2012-15) and Bulgaria (2019). Funding projects in Uzbekistan and possibly in Brazil are currently in the preparation stages. The research camp on environment, energy and water for students from Germany and Eurasia in Tashkent, which had originally been planned for 2020, had to be postponed twice due to the coronavirus pandemic. The goal for the coming years remains unchanged: giving the participating students an opportunity, through workshops and field trips facilitated by experts from academia and the business sector, to explore the topics of environment, energy and water and to enable them in this way to get to know the cultural environment and infrastructure of the region.