“We are living in an era of profound change, characterised by shifts in the international order and accompanied by major global challenges,” said DAAD President Prof. Dr Joybrato Mukherjee in Bonn. “This state of change is challenging us: we need to think in a science-based and transnational way in order to secure the standing of Germany and its universities in the global academic system. At the same time, we want and need to work with as many international partners as possible to find evidence-based solutions to the pressing challenges facing our planet,” continued Mukherjee. The DAAD, as an association of German universities and their student organizations, aims to contribute to the successful development of these changes through its central strength and expertise: international academic exchange.

© DAAD

Priorities until 2030

Over the next five years, the DAAD will therefore be focussing on four priorities: strengthening Germany as a location for science, innovation and business; finding solutions to global challenges; expanding science diplomacy; and promoting democracy and social cohesion. According to the DAAD President, these priorities form the basis for the strategic goals until the end of the decade.

Skilled Talents, Innovation and International Cooperation

To achieve its goals, the DAAD is focussing on attracting international students as future specialists and strengthening Germany as a location for innovation. To this end, the international visibility of German universities is to be increased and their networking with international innovation drivers expanded. In times of geopolitical change, the DAAD also promotes the maintenance and expansion of strategic partnerships from the perspective of foreign science realpolitik. In this context, region-specific advice for German universities for organising international cooperation in challenging contexts is becoming increasingly important. Furthermore, the DAAD’s European identity will be strengthened, even beyond its involvement in the EU Erasmus+ programme.

DAAD Strategy 2030: A Compass for the Future of Internationalisation

For the launch of the new 2030 strategy, the DAAD’s President emphasized that “Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the coronavirus pandemic have shown how quickly the framework and conditions for foreign science policy can change. Our new strategy therefore offers orientation and flexibility to respond to such dynamics. „The strategy serves as a compass for internationalisation and academic exchange in geopolitically turbulent times. With this compass, the DAAD is optimistic about the future: “One hundred years after our foundation, we still want to contribute to the personal development of open-minded people and successfully shape global change in line with our motto ‘change through exchange’,” said DAAD President Joybrato Mukherjee.

Further Info

You can read the English version of the DAAD strategy 2030 here.

The landing page of the DAAD strategy 2030 can be found here.