Officials from Armstrong Atlantic State University have signed a memorandum of understanding with representatives from Martin Luther University in Halle, Germany, underscoring the growing relationship between the two universities.

AASU president Linda M. Bleicken signed the memorandum of understanding with Martin Luther University professors Jens Marggraf and Adrezej Morky. The event marked the delegation’s first visit to Savannah and to the Armstrong campus.

Halle, Germany, is one of Savannah’s international “sister cities,” part of an official cultural exchange organized by the city of Savannah. Halle is the third and final Savannah sister city with which AASU has forged an educational partnership. Armstrong has developed formal relationships with Jiujiang University in Jiujiang, China, and Linnaeus University in Vaxjo, Sweden.

The Savannah area has a sizeable German population, including the historic Salzburger community in Effingham County, which was originally established by Austrian immigrants in 1734.

The partnership between Armstrong and Martin Luther University has included video conferences, student research symposiums and meetings between department heads. Both universities plan to add faculty and student cultural exchanges in the future.

Martin Luther University was originally founded in 1817 and is a thriving public research-oriented university in Halle, Germany. The college is named after Protestant reformer Martin Luther, who was a professor in the nearby city of Wittenberg.

“We value our continuing partnership with the city of Savannah and continue to develop important connections with international universities of distinction,” said Bleicken.