German officials from the southwest state of Baden-Württemberg signed a five-year agreement in the Multipurpose room at CSUEB on Friday May 22, to continue the international exchange program with the California State University system.

For 20 years the CSU system has worked with universities in Germany through a partnership that has given students from either country the opportunity to study abroad. According to Leo Van Cleve, CSU Dean of International Programs, over 2,000 students have participated in the program since 1967, and the signing of the agreement will extend the opportunity for another five years. Former chancellor, Charles Reed, signed the last agreement in 2005 for a 10-year commitment.

During the signing event, Minister-President of Württemberg, Winfred Kretschmann remarked on the partnership and why California is an ideal location for their students.

“Point five percent of the [Gross Domestic Product] in Württemberg is spent on education, a top value that we see in California where 4.8 percent of the state’s GDP goes to research” said Kretschmann. He added that the state is a force for innovation, especially in green technology for climate change. Earlier this year he signed a global pact with Governor Jerry Brown where the state of California pledged to reduce greenhouse gases by 80 percent by 2050.

Kretschmann added that a fourth of college graduates in California received a degree from the CSU System and that 23 sites were allocated for their 400 students in the program from Germany.

After his address, Cleve presented a history of the program that included testimonials from CSU students who attended German universities. He stated that 103,000 degrees are awarded annually from the CSU system, and all of the campuses participate in the exchange program except for California State University, Maritime, due to their criteria being geared towards marine engineering.

According to the CSU international program website, the German exchange program allows students to take classes like International Marketing and Management, International Business and German Language. Students who would like to be a part of the program must be in their junior or senior year with a minimum GPA of 2.75. The CSU IP handles housing arrangements for students who will be traveling abroad.