Samara State University has been establishing international cooperation with the foreign educational organizations for a long time.

Stuttgart Media University provides the following programs: e-Learning, Multimedia-Didaktik, Informationsdesign.

In May 2007 professor Frank Thissen from Stuttgart Media University visited Samara State University on the invitation of professor S.Dubinin, the head of German philology Department. This visit fell on the 15th anniversary of established relations between Samara and Stuttgart. Frank Thissen is a specialist in distance learning. He has a great working experience in Siemens, SAP. Since 1997 he is a lecturer of the following programs in Stuttgart Media University: e-Learning, Multimedia-Didaktik, Informationsdesign. He is also the chief of Distance Learning Centre and the author of several books and manuals.

In 2008 Dr. Frank Thissen visited Samara for the second time. Within the scope of the meeting several activities, dedicated to developing innovation educational techniques in Samara State University, were held. The first two days were devoted to activities with the students of the German philological department on the problems of independent work in the Internet. Mr. Thissen made a country-specific lecture for the students of “Interpreter in the sphere of professional communication” program. Then a seminar for IT-specialists, students of journalist faculty and philological faculty was held. During the seminar Frank Thissen introduced his own technical tools and answered all the questions of SSU specialists in the sphere of innovation and distance techniques. There was also a videoconference between the students of Samara State and Stuttgart Media Universities.As a result, the agreement on international cooperation was signed.

In the period from October 27 to October 31, 2008, under the agreement on international cooperation Samara specialists visited Stuttgart Media University. The trip was devoted to exchanging the experience in the sphere of distance learning techniques and discussing shared projects in the same sphere. During the trip Samara specialists communicated with the chancellor of Stuttgart Media University Prof. Dr. Alexander W. Roos, the chief of Distance Learning department of Stuttgart Media University Prof. Dr. Frank Thissen. Samara specialists gave a lecture for the German students within the framework “Intercultural Communication” on topic “Stereotypes of the German culture from the Russians’ point of view”. This trip made a closer relations between our university and Stuttgart Media University.