The DAAD has set-up a new “competence centre for international scientific cooperation” with support from the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The centre aims to support higher education institutions in various stages of cooperation with international partners. Institutions will receive support and advise on opportunities and challenges in foreign higher education systems, identification of potential partners, information on funding strategies and sustainable implementation of cooperation schemes abroad.

In the current pilot phase, the competence centre brings together already existing offers; it will further develop these offers in close cooperation with the higher education institutions for subjects, such as initiating cooperation and funding possibilities. Later on, questions that come-up in the implementation of cooperation schemes, such as judicial frameworks, risk and security management as well as advice on specific challenges in research cooperation are to become part of the competence centre.

The implementation of the competence centre follows a recommendation by the German scientific council from July 2018, who has called for a counselling centre, which can provide up to date knowledge on countries and foreign scientific systems.

DAAD