Development co-operation

Alumni Special Projects

Alumni of German higher education institutions are partners for German science and economy. With the Alumni Special Projects, the DAAD aims at supporting experts educated in Germany through furthering education, and through providing opportunities to establish contacts with the representatives of German science and economy.

The Alumni Special Projects are characterised by a combined project structure. First, alumni participate in a one-week sommer school and/or training course at a German university. Following this seminar, the participants will attend a trade fair or congress in order to update their knowledge about the latest developments and technologies in their field of expertise. Furthermore, contacts with exhibitors and potential partners can be established.

In these projects, the Millennium Development Goals create the framework for our activities. The specific structure of the Alumni Special Projects has so far focussed on six essential topics:

• Water
• Food Sciences
• Medicine / Health Management
• Renewable Energies
• Education / Lifelong Learning 
• Biodiversity

After the application for a summer school or expert seminar of a German university, Germany-Alumni (according to the DAC-list) can apply. A former funding by the DAAD is not necessary. More information to the summer schools and application contacts can be found in the above mentioned current announcements.

Within the UN-World-Decade of  "Education for Sustainable Development", the Alumni Special Projects of the DAAD have been honored as an official project  for the period 2009 / 2010. The projects have been granted again for the period 2011 / 2012.

Alumni Special Projects in 2012 (others following):

• In March at the IE expo Shanghai
• In April at the Hannover Messe
• In June at the Intersolar Europe in Munich
• In June at the geofora

Alumni Special Projects in 2011:

• In May at the Wasser Berlin International
• In June at the Intersolar Europe in Munich
• In November at the Agritechnica in Hannover

 Alumni Special Projects and Expert Seminars in 2010:

• In July at the Intersolar Europe in Munich
• In July at the international symposium "Sustainable Land Use and Rural Development in Mountainous Regions of Southeast Asia" in Hanoi (Vietnam)
• In September at the IFAT 2010 in Munich
• In November at the Medica in Düsseldorf and the OnlineEduca in Berlin
• In December at the 2nd Arabian European FoodTec Days in Ismailia (Egypt)

With financial support by:

• Africa Sub-Sahara
• Asia, Australia, New Zealand, Oceania
• Central and Eastern Europe
• Latin America
• North America
• Northern Africa and the Middle East
• Western Europe