Professor Broder J. Merkel from Freiberg University of Mining and Technology visited UMA.

Professor Broder J. Merkel, the Vice-Rector for Strategy Development of TU Bergakademie Freiberg (Freiberg University of Mining and Technology), paid a 2-day visit to UMA. He travelled to our university after a formal invitation and as coordinated by Mr. Alireza Arab, his Iranian PhD student. He visited UMA laboratories and then addressed about 150 interested faculty members, authorities and students attending his workshop on Challenges in Hydrogeological and Hydrochemical Research which was organized to discuss water crisis and the suitable exploitation of undergrounds waters. Experts from Regional Water Management Company also took part in the workshop.

In a formal meeting with university authorities on the 19th of October, 2015, Prof. Merkel signed a Memorandum of Understanding with UMA which paves the way for collaboration between the two universities, mostly on handling hot mineral waters and geothermal energies. Accompanied by university officials, he also met the provincial governor of Ardabil Province, where the potential areas of cooperation were further discussed. As Dr. Reza Abdi, the Head of International Office of the University of Mohaghegh Ardabili pointed out, that the two universities will soon consider operationalizing the MOU, predominantly through developing joint research projects and exchange of graduate students already oriented to choose their research topics from the potentially needed areas. Prof. Merkel also had a field assessment of the region’s potentials by visiting some sites of Sarein mineral waters.