topic Education

Internationalization of Higher Education

The Federal Government is supporting German institutions of higher education in their efforts to assert themselves in growing international competition. Higher education marketing is to attract students, young scientists and researchers worldwide to studies and research at German institutions of higher education. The institutions of higher education are moving towards a European Higher Education Area.

Increasing globalization requires a stronger specialization of institutions of higher education in a global education market, more exchanges of students and scientists as well as a further internationalization of our institutions of higher education. International exchanges are, more than ever, a precondition for modern institutions of higher education, for cutting-edge research and innovations. Some future-oriented activities of the programme for investment in the future (Zukunftsinvestitionsprogramm) of the Federal Government will therefore be continued in 2004:

Within the framework of the "Hi!-Potentials" campaign for education and research in Germany, institutions of higher education in particular have tried to attract more students and young scientists under the motto "International Careers made in Germany" since 2001. As a result, considerably larger numbers of students and researchers from abroad have been interested in enrolling in German institutions of higher education. Higher education marketing will be focused more on selected target countries in the future. At the same time, the network of bodies providing information and counselling abroad (mainly of the DAAD) is being extended.

German institutions of higher education have been supported since 2001 in developing their own study programmes abroad. The range of currently 29 projects covers all areas from summer schools to the establishment of new institutions of higher education. The single largest project is the "German University in Cairo", which was officially opened in early October 2003 in a ceremony attended by the Egyptian President of State, Hosni Mubarak, and Federal Chancellor Gerhard Schröder. It is the first foreign institution of higher education worldwide which is oriented to German standards and content of teaching. 3,000 students can attend five different technical study courses. In autumn 2003, the second call for the programme was published (www.daad.de).

Attracting top scientists from abroad for scientific work at institutions of higher education and research in Germany is an important objective of the BMBF. The Sofja Kovalewskaja Award for excellently qualified young scientists, who will be able to work with their own working group for a period of three years in a research area of their own choice, will be awarded once again in 2004, and this time for four years.

Bologna Process

The objective at European level is to establish a European Higher Education Area by 2010 and to further increase cooperation in higher education and research policy in Europe and to increase its orientation to common principles ("Bologna-Prozess").

Young German Scientists in the US

 
Many highly qualified young scientists from Germany are conducting research in the US. We are interested in convincing as many of them as possible to continue their career in Germany. Topics to be addressed are questions of their life situation, US experience, career plans, plans to return and the perceived return obstacles for young German scientists living in the US as postdoctoral scholars.