The Hessen-Wisconsin Consortium grew out of a proposal made by Erika Mueller-Blass, a delegate from the Hessian Ministry of Science and Art, during a visit to Wisconsin in 1998. The idea was to increase student mobility between the two sister states and enhance mutual cooperation among higher education institutions. The Governor of the State of Wisconsin, Tommy Thompson, was very receptive to this idea. In December 1998 the Wisconsin Governor and Hessen officials signed a "Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)" creating the Hessen-Wisconsin student exchange program.

In June 2001 a four-person delegation from the State of Hessen, (including Professor Dr. Stephan Hormuth, President of Justus Liebig Universitaet Giessen, Frank E. Portz, Vice-Minister of Hessian Ministry of Science and Art, Erika Mueller-Blass and Petra Biedermann, Hessen coordinator of the exchange), came to the Board of Regents' meeting to sign the Implementation Agreement to the MOU. This agreement formally established the mechanism for this exciting new student exchange between Germany and the United States.

Memorandum of Understanding between the University of Wisconsin and Hessisches Ministerium fur Wissenschaft und Kunst concerning a program of cooperation in higher education

In the spirit of the partnership agreement concluded between the State of Hesse and the State of Wisconsin signed in 1976; in the belief that the citizens of both states shall directly profit from the furtherance of the exchange of individuals from the fields of education, science, art and culture;

And desiring to expand scholarly ties, facilitates academic cooperation, and promote mutual understanding between the Ministry of Science and Art of the State of Hesse and the University of Wisconsin System (hereinafter, the Partners);

Objectives

The objectives of the Hesse-Wisconsin Consortium shall be to create a framework for student exchange, to encourage faculty and administrative contacts, and to promote the mutual discovery of knowledge.

Participating Institutions

The participating institutions in the Hesse-Wisconsin Consortium shall be agreed upon and designated by the partners in consultation with, and subject to the agreement of, the participating institutions.

The rest of this Memorandum is not shown due space limitations but available upon request.