From September 17 to 26, the program titled "Macroeconomics, Trade, and Intercultural Business: Germany and the South Caucasus," funded by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), was successfully implemented as part of the ongoing collaboration between Caucasus University and HTWK Leipzig (Leipzig University of Applied Sciences).
The summer school was conducted in two parts: the first phase was held online and included lectures on Macroeconomics (delivered by Prof. Bodo Sturm) and Foundations of Trade Policy (delivered by Prof. Tatevik Vardanyan), as well as a workshop on Intercultural Business Communication. The second phase took place in Leipzig and included academic sessions, practical workshops, thematic group presentations, and educational excursions. Participants included undergraduate students from the School of Business and Economics at Caucasus University.
The program was led by Prof. Bodo Sturm (HTWK Leipzig) and Prof. Tatevik Vardanyan (ASUE – Armenian State University of Economics). From Caucasus University, the project was supported by Dr. Elene Jgarkava, Dean of the School of Business, and Ani Tavartkiladze, Deputy Director of the International Relations Department.
Additional sessions included:
- Intercultural Business Communication (Workshop) – Christine Orlowski, HTWK Leipzig;
- Sustainability and Consumer Protection: Challenges for Caucasian Products on the German Market – A Legal Perspective – Katharina Gelbrich, HTWK Leipzig;
- Unlocking Potential: Opportunities and Challenges for German–South Caucasus Trade and Investment(Keynote presentation) – Alena Akulich, Regional Director Eastern Europe, German Eastern Business Association
The project aimed to establish a strategic partnership in the fields of teaching and research—specifically in economics and business administration, business law, and intercultural communication—between HTWK Leipzig and two leading universities from the South Caucasus: Armenian State University of Economics (ASUE) and Caucasus University (CU).
