DAAD opens new information centres in Tel Aviv, Israel and Kazan, Russia

On 18 March the president of the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), Margret Wintermantel, inaugurated the new information centre of the DAAD at the University of Tel Aviv in Israel. The focus of the centre’s work will be on higher education cooperation with academic partners in Israel as well as the promotion of studies and research in Germany. Germany is becoming more attractive for students from Israel. According to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) 10% of Israeli students who go abroad for studies choose to go to Germany. 

The DAAD has also opened a new information centre in Kazan, Russia. Alongside the offices in Moscow, St. Petersburg and Novosibirsk this is the fourth centre in Russia. It will be attached to the Kazan Federal University, one of the oldest higher education institutions in Russia. The centre will provide information about studying and research possibilities in Germany and promote cooperation between German and Russian universities. It will also have a role in setting up a German-Russian university in Kazan, called German-Russian Institute of Advanced Technologies (GRIAT). Cooperation between German and Russian higher education institutions has a long tradition. In the winter semester of 2012/2013 almost 11 000 Russian students studied in Germany. 

The DAAD maintains 55 information centres worldwide. They are part of an international network, which also includes 15 branch offices.

Press release (in German)

DAAD and Technical University of Berlin open new data centre in Afghanistan

Since 2002, the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) has promoted the development of higher education in Afghanistan. Together with the Technical University of Berlin and with financial support from the German Foreign Office, the DAAD opened the youngest of five planned national data centres at the University of Kandahar. The five data centres will contribute to a nationwide academic IT network. The centres serve as training providers and aim to set-up a regional network. Training and education play a vital role in reconstructing the country. Over the past years the DAAD and the Technical University of Berlin have trained more than 4 500 Afghan university representatives in information and data processing, and nine faculties of computer science have been established.

Press release (in German)

Germany more attractive for foreign students

Germany is becoming more attractive for foreign students. In the winter semester 2013/2014, the number of foreign students enrolled at German higher education institutions rose by 6.6% to 300 909 compared to the previous year. In total 507 124 students have enrolled at German institutions of higher education. The increase is considerably higher for international students (+5.8%) than for domestic students (+1.6%). DAAD President Professor Margret Wintermantel therefore sees Germany on a good way to achieve its target to increase the number of foreign students in Germany to 350 000 by 2020. This goal has been formulated in the DAAD 2020 strategy and is also reflected in the internationalisation strategy from federal and state governments as well as in the government’s coalition agreement.

Press release (in German)