The DAAD presented its annual report for 2021 in Berlin and reflected on the current year. According to the DAAD, 2021 heralded a return to normality in Covid-19 academic mobility, although at the same time the influence of geopolitics on academic exchange has increased significantly.

In the past year, the DAAD's work was strongly influenced by crisis management, especially in Afghanistan. For Afghan academics at risk, protection programmes such as the "Hilde Domin Programme" were expanded. Currently, the focus is on Ukraine.

The year 2021 was also marked by a resurgence in international academic mobility. Germany remains  a popular destination to study, and is ranked fourth internationally after the U.S., the United Kingdom, and Australia. Further, the number of all DAAD funding recipients rose again last year to a much-appreciated increase of 22% after the declines in the Covid year 2020.

The network of DAAD regional offices also continued to grow in 2021 with the opening of two new offices in Colombia and Jordan.

You can read the full press release here.