HSWT celebrates 20 years of the Franco-German dual degree programme

HSWT marked the 20th anniversary of the Franco-German dual degree programme in Horticulture, Landscape Architecture & Ecological Planning and Landscape Construction with a ceremony at the Weihenstephan campus. The programme was launched in 2006 – at that time as a ‘double diploma’ – and has been successfully running since 2007. To date, 110 students have obtained the double degree, and seven students are currently enrolled. 

German-French friendship 

At the start of the celebrations, Prof. Dr Carsten Lorz, Vice-President for International Affairs at HSWT, welcomed the guests. Among them was the French Consul-General in Munich, Alexandre Vulic, who emphasised the programme’s significance for Franco-German friendship. In his address, he paid tribute to the close cooperation between HSWT and L’Institut Agro, as well as to the ‘Exposition Florale’ garden show, organised every two years by students, in which HSWT participates with its own show garden. 

Dominique Vollet, Deputy Director of L’Institut Agro Rennes-Angers, then joined the event via video message. He introduced the institute’s departments, emphasised the role of Expo Flo and praised the long-standing cooperation with HSWT.

Axel Honsdorf from BayFrance then congratulated the programme on its exceptionally stable and successful track record. Drawing on personal anecdotes from the early days of the dual degree programme – including his collaboration with Prof. em. Dr Frieder Luz – he painted a vivid picture of the Franco-German partnership. His hope is that the programme will continue to thrive as it marks its 30th anniversary.

From the past to the present

Prof. em. Dr Frieder Luz and Andrea Raby, lecturer in German and coordinator of the language programme in Angers, offered a special retrospective. With photographs spanning 20 years of the programme’s history and personal recollections, they paid tribute to the groundwork laid by the programme’s founders, including the former HSWT president, Prof. Dr Hermann Heiler, who was also in attendance.

Natalia Romano Brandt, Head of the HSWT Language Centre, provided insights into current collaboration formats, including two Blended Intensive Programmes, which took place in Freising in 2025 and in Angers in 2026. From a student’s perspective, Romane Fabrès, a French student, and Michael Vogl, a German student from Angers, shared their experiences via video message. Both emphasised the academic and personal opportunities offered by the double degree – ranging from cultural insights to lifelong friendships.

Bank with a View

The event concluded with the ceremonial inauguration of the new ‘German-French Bank with a View’ in the Hofgarten, funded by Erasmus+ grants. With a view of the Alps, the event came to a close, having impressively demonstrated the close partnership between HSWT and L’Institut Agro. 

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