DAAD reports positive development of academic exchange

More than 127,000 students and academics supported by the DAAD in 2015

Bonn/Berlin, 31/05/2016. DAAD President Prof. Margret Wintermantel and Secretary General Dr. Dorothea Rüland reported a positive development at the annual press conference of the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD). In 2015, the DAAD funded stays abroad for 75,412 German and 51,627 international students and academics. This represents an increase of five per cent compared to 2014. The programmes range from semesters abroad for students to PhD studies, from internships to guest lectureships, from information visits to setting up degree programmes and establishing German universities abroad.

“The high demand is a sign of the increased interest of students and academics in international studies and research stays. Worldwide recognition of the fact that innovative power is dependent on academic cooperation means that special significance must be given to academic exchange. The growing number of international students in Germany also indicates the attractiveness of the German higher education system,” said DAAD President Prof. Margret Wintermantel.

321,569 international students were enrolled at German higher education institutions in 2015, making Germany one of the five most popular host countries in the world. The DAAD received a large number of applications from prospective international scholarship holders, particularly from Russia, the USA and Ukraine as well as for Master’s programmes relating to developing countries.

The most important target regions for German DAAD applicants are Western Europe and North America. One pillar of international mobility is the new Erasmus+ programme generation that the DAAD has implemented as the National Agency for EU Higher Education Cooperation. Erasmus+ has made stays abroad for one to two semesters more flexible and allows for several stays abroad during the Bachelor’s, Master’s and PhD degree phases. Erasmus+ moreover allows an exchange beyond European borders. A total of 42,000 students, university staff and lecturers were able to benefit from funding for stays outside Europe.

With the campaign “Study worldwide – EXPERIENCE IT”, the DAAD reaches out to the target group – ever younger due to the Bologna reform, reduction in years of schooling and phasing out of mandatory military/civilian service – to spend a period of time abroad. German students studying abroad report from their host countries as correspondents for the campaign via social media.

“The DAAD has developed from a scholarship organisation to a driving force for internationalisation. Through university cooperations, we support the global trend of internationally successful universities to cooperate with universities abroad that meet their needs best. International networking fosters image building, which also plays a crucial role in the continuation of the Excellence Initiative and the competitiveness of German universities,” says DAAD Secretary General Dr. Dorothea Rüland. The “Strategic partnerships and thematic networks” programme is particularly successful in this area. Since 2013, the DAAD has supported 49 projects with funding from the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF).

Two hundred young Syrians are currently studying at German universities within the scope of the “Leadership for Syria” programme funded by the Federal Foreign Office. The aim is to train future professionals and leaders for the reconstruction of Syria. With resources from the BMBF, the DAAD is also funding 300 projects for refugees at German universities. These offer language instruction and subject-specific preparation, test procedures to verify academic aptitude and subject-related competence as well as student initiatives providing buddy, mentoring and tandem programmes in addition to specific language buddy programmes. In this way, help with orientation and advice regarding everyday university life is made available to the refugees. The DAAD has also assumed responsibility for the EU-financed sur place scholarship programme “Higher and Further Education Opportunities and Perspectives for Syrians” (HOPES). In conjunction with European partner organisations, 300 to 500 full scholarships will be awarded to Syrian refugees based in countries bordering on Syria within the scope of this programme.

Background

The DAAD is the internationalisation agency serving German universities and their students. It maintains a network comprising 71 offices and information centres worldwide. The DAAD is mainly financed by the Federal Foreign Office (AA), the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and the European Union (EU).