On 1 July, Professor Sabine Kunst took office as the first ever female president of DAAD, the world’s largest agency for international exchange and cooperation. Professor Kunst is also the current president of the University of Potsdam, a mandate that she will continue to exercise in parallel with the DAAD presidency. Prior to her appointment at the University of Potsdam she served as the Vice-President for Teaching, Studies, Continuing Education and International Affairs at the University of Hanover.  Professor Kunst studied biology and political science and later went on to earn a D.Eng. in the area of environmental technology.  She has been a member DAAD’s Vorstand (executive committee) since 2008 and has amassed ample international experience though such experiences as research trips to China, South Africa, Mexico and Brazil.

At a press conference in Berlin on 5 July, Professor Kunst presented her priorities for the years to come. First she re-confirmed the ambitious DAAD target “that at least 50 percent of German students go abroad for a while during their studies,” as well as endorsed the objective to raise the number of foreign students and faculty in German higher education.  Professor Kunst also signaled intent to put additional emphasis on development cooperation for educational opportunities and the addressing of urgent global challenges.

We wish Sabine Kunst success and luck in her important work.

DAAD – Announcement

DAAD – Press Conference