BTU professor takes over as board chairperson of a new German-Arab health and education forum

The forum will serve as a long-term platform for dialogue and cooperation, with the aim of developing joint solutions to key challenges. It is intended to be established as a flagship conference that brings together academia, politics and business and facilitates new partnerships. 

An organising committee comprising prominent representatives from academia, politics and business is preparing the forum. The forum has a board chairperson, Professor Dr Sven Michel of the Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus-Senftenberg (BTU). Members include Michael Müller, former Governing Mayor of Berlin, and Abdulaziz Al-Mikhlafi, Ambassador and Secretary-General of the Ghorfa. The forum builds on existing dialogue formats of the Ghorfa and will be closely linked to economic policy initiatives such as the Arab-German Business Forum. A member of the Federal Government will act as patron.

Professor Michel emphasises: “Cooperation between Germany and the Arab world in the fields of health and education holds enormous potential. With this forum, we aim to establish a lasting dialogue that combines scientific cooperation, innovation and social exchange.”

The first conference of the German-Arab Health and Education Forum is planned for 2027 in Berlin. In addition to high-level panel discussions, the programme will include specialist medical workshops, innovation forums and the presentation of the DAHK Grand Award. Interested researchers, companies and institutions are invited to contact Professor Michel to contribute to the programme’s content.

About the researcher

Prof. Dr. habil. Sven Michel is Professor of Therapy Sciences at the Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus-Senftenberg and Head of the corresponding chair. He is also President of the German-Arab University Conference (DAHK) and is actively involved in international university cooperation. He completed his degree in Sports Science and teacher training at Friedrich Schiller University Jena, where he obtained his doctorate and habilitation. Following his habilitation, he was appointed to a professorship in Physiotherapy at the University of Applied Sciences Lausitz.
He has been working at BTU Cottbus-Senftenberg since 2013, where he is involved in the establishment and further development of health-related study programmes. In addition to his university work, he has held senior positions in the education and health sectors, including as Manager of an education centre. Internationally, he is involved in various university and cooperation projects and contributes to the development of their content. His key research areas are the fields of training and Therapy Sciences, as well as the analysis of muscular compensation mechanisms.