Important changes are to occur in the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD). On 1 January 2008, Professor Stefan Hormuth will take office as the organisation’s new President. Hormuth is the President of Justus-Liebig-Universität in Giessen  and a professor of social psychology there. Hormuth, who started his research career in the USA, has held professorships at various German universities and is a strong supporter of internationalisation of German higher education. He has been a member of the American Psychological Society since 1999, and he has a seat on the German Fulbright Commission.

Hormuth replaces Professor Theodor Berchem, who stood at the helm of DAAD for 20 years. He served as a President of his own university, Würzburg, for 28 years and was, at some stage, also the President and the Vice-President International of the German Rectors’ Conference (at the time: Westdeutsche Rektorenkonferenz). During Berchem’s period as President, DAAD doubled both its budget and its number of scholarships. Berchem speaks 15 foreign languages.

We wish Stefan Hormuth success and luck in his new office. And we are confident that the ever-active Theodor Berchem will soon be seen on new hunting grounds.

DAAD