Special Projects to Internationalise Research in Germany

More international than ever, research is subject to fierce competition between global locations. In order to recruit the best of the best, and thus strengthen research in Germany, we are continuously working to improve our offers for researchers who are being courted worldwide. We work with different partners to market Germany as a research location internationally. We rely on our traditional strengths, but also on new ideas and initiatives, to help ensure that Germany is one of the primary destinations for the international research elite. Initiatives such as the Welcome Centres Award for Cosmopolitan Universities or the Award for the Friendliest Immigration Office are part of our commitment to help German research become more international.

Our brochure "Willkommenskultur in Deutschland schaffen - 10 Jahre Ideenwettbewerbe" ("Creating a culture of welcome in Germany – 10 years of ideas competitions") contains the most important information on these three successful initiatives from the last ten years. You can discover more about the individual competitions by clicking on the links below.
 

• Research Alumni
  International Research Marketing

  “International Research Marketing” is a project funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research in which the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) and the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft pool their resources to focus international attention on the potential and opportunities offered by Germany as a destination for research, and enhance the visibility of top-class German research abroad. The Humboldt Foundation has taken on special responsibility for promoting research alumni activities at universities in Germany.

• Welcome Centres
  Start-up service for internationally mobile researchers

  To help make Germany a research location where researchers from abroad feel welcome, the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, the Deutsche Telekom Foundation and the Stifterverband für die deutsche Wissenschaft (Donors’ Association) organised an ideas competition between 2006 and 2010 to find Germany's cosmopolitan universities. In three rounds, thirteen universities were awarded the title “Welcome Centre for internationally mobile researchers”. 

• You are welcome!
  Award for Germany's Friendliest Immigration Office

  Between 2003 and 2005, the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation and the Stifterverband für die Deutsche Wissenschaft invited entries for the Award for Germany's Friendliest Immigration Office a total of three times.