At the end of September 2026, the Rector of the TU Bergakademie Freiberg, Prof. Dr Jutta Emes, and the Rector of the East Kazakhstan Technical University (EKTU), Prof. Saule Rakhmertullina, signed a joint doctoral programme agreement between the two universities. The signing took place during Kazakh President Tokayev’s visit to Berlin.
The Vice-Chancellor of TU Bergakademie Freiberg commented: “TU Bergakademie Freiberg and EKTU are already collaborating in the fields of raw materials technology, geosciences and sustainable resource use. With this dual PhD agreement, we are strengthening our partnership and, in doing so, our international network in the resources sector.”
The dual PhD agreement follows on from a Memorandum of Understanding signed by both universities in Freiberg in January 2025. The universities are currently in talks to develop a joint degree programme in the field of metallurgy.
Kazakhstan is a country rich in natural resources and, as Germany’s most important trading partner in Central Asia, is of great strategic importance, as demonstrated by the visit by the Kazakh President to Berlin demonstrated.
