This month, the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), one of ACA’s founding members, has unveiled its new strategy guiding the organisation’s work until 2020.

Three main objectives were outlined in the strategy: the provision of scholarships for high quality German and international students and scientists to give them the possibility to study abroad; the development of new programmes to support the internationalisation strategy of German higher education institutions (HEI); and the expansion of the DAAD network and the expertise of its employees.

Germany intends to attract 350 000 international students by 2020 and to ensure that half of the German university graduates will have an international experience in the course of their studies (a target that DAAD has been pursuing for a number of years already). The new DAAD strategy thus aims to incentivise programmes and actions that will foster the international profile of German HEIs.

As part of this new strategy, DAAD and the Federal Ministry of Education and Research decided to promote cross-border cooperation in German higher education through the largest offering of funding to German universities. The new programme is entitled “Strategic Partnerships and Thematic Networks” and, as the name suggests, aims to support German universities in establishing strategic partnerships and thematic networks with institutions abroad.

A first selection round has resulted in 21 projects, involving institutions from 29 countries.  Each project will receive a total of EUR 1 million (EUR 250 000 per year for up to four years), and the possibility to apply for additional project completion funding. The development of similar programmes in the future will depend on the outcome of this one.

DAAD – Strategy 2020

DAAD – Strategic Partnerships and Thematic Networks