Informationen für deutsche Hochschulen

10th Anniversary of the DAAD Visiting Professors’ Program

Conference on the internationalization of academic teaching in Bonn

For ten years now, professors from all over the world have brought new ideas, methods and ways of thinking into German Institutions of Higher Education. On June 29 and June 30 2007 the academics from abroad teaching in Germany this summer term within the DAAD Teaching Professorships Scheme and their hosts met in Bonn to discuss on a variety of topics and to exchange experiences. The guests from abroad gave their impressions on how German Universities are facing the challenge of internationalization. Their German counterparts added their perspectives on the ongoing process of change. The debate focused on how the presence of academic teachers from other countries enhances the quality of scientific reflection and the creation of international networks.

How do the visiting professors from abroad perceive their stay at German Institutions of Higher Education? In which way do they contribute to enhancing the international profile of the Higher Education system in Germany? Which is the linguistic, disciplinary and intercultural benefit students gain from their presence? How can a temporary stay as visiting professor be used to start long-term co-operation? In which way is the international profile of an institution connected to its excellence? What can professors from abroad do to help making the Bologna reforms in Germany a success?

These are some of the questions which were discussed during the meeting. The visiting professors’ program of DAAD was created in 1997 in order to give non-mobile students in Germany the opportunity to gather international experience. During the ten years of its existence, more than 1,100 professors from almost 80 countries spent a period from three months to two years in Germany. From the start in 1997, a total amount of 30 Mill. Euros has been invested into the program by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF).

The participants of the conference agreed that the Visiting Professors’ Program is a useful tool among the variety of instruments available for making stays of academics from abroad possible. Its unique profile is made up of two elements, the focus on teaching rather than research, plus the fact that it applies to well-established academic teachers more than to early-stage researchers. At the same time, there was a general feeling that the day-to-day reality lying behind the program needs to be facilitated. German bureaucracy tends to be quite a hassle and the amount of money cut from the salary for social security and taxes is, in many cases, unexpectedly high. Mr. Ignaz Bender, former head of administration (Kanzler) at Trier University, pointed out how complex the legal and administrative situation is. His statement led to a lively discussion on the options for a simpler and more transparent way of dealing with the administrative burdens of the visiting professors’ stays.

A visit at Bonn University showed how the international activities, in particular in the field of doctoral training, in the mathematics as well as in the economics department, has led to success in the application procedure of the “Excellence Initiative” (Exzellenzinitiative). At the same time, it became obvious that the German style “Graduiertenschule” differs, in many ways, from its US-American model. For example, the master phase which is quite generally integrated into American Graduate Schools, is rarely part of the German “Graduiertenschule” and one major advantage of the American system, the research-based teaching of small groups of graduates, tends to be absent in Germany due to capacity problems.

The second day’s discussion revolving around the Bologna process showed that, within the new two-tier structure of studies, chances for making international experiences and for going abroad are needed more than ever. Everyone agreed that the presence of guest professors is particularly important to counterbalance some of the reverse effects of Bologna. The teaching of the visiting professors adds an international perspective to the new modular structure and encourages the creation of exchange programs. Though the participants’ opinions on the usefulness of the Bologna process were quite split, the appreciation of the visiting professors’ program was unanimous. This program was perceived as having enormous potential for avoiding over-regulation in the reform process and guaranteeing the amount of open-mindedness needed to make Bologna a success.

Presentations and speeches may be downloaded as pdf files.

Friday, 29 June 2007

• Welcoming address and introduction (in German only)
  Dr. Dorothea Rueland, head of the “Supraregional Programmes” department at the DAAD
  
  
• A look back on 10 years of support for foreign guest lecturerships at German institutions of higher education
  Christiane Schmeken, Head of Section 221 “Internationalisation of Study and Teaching“ at the DAAD
  
  
• Personal experience: guest lecturing at a German university
  
  • Masayo Ave, Industrial Design, University of Arts, Berlin;
    
  • Prof. Dr. Gaudenz Assenza, Political Sciences, University of Jena;
    
  • Amos Hetz, Dance, Free University of Berlin;
    
  • Prof. Dr. Boris Sadovsky, Mathematics, University of Würzburg;
    
    
• Discussion: Managing the guest lecturers programme and working out proposals for further development
  Presenter: Dr. Christian Thimme, Head of the “Internationalisation of Higher Education Division” at the DAAD
  Lecture: Ignaz Bender, Former Registrar of the University of Trier
  
  
• Panel discussion: Guest lectureship and what next? – Ways of continuing and deepening contacts
  Presenter: Prof. Dr. Joachim Metzner, Vice-Chancellor of Cologne University of Applied Sciences
  Participants in the discussion: Prof. Dr. Juergen Appell, University of Würzburg; Prof. Dr. Gabriele Brandstetter, Free University of Berlin; Prof. Dr. Crister Garrett, University of Leipzig; Prof. Dr. Eva-Maria Hey-Hawkins, University of Leipzig; Dr. Dorothea Rueland, head of the “Supraregional Programmes” department at the DAAD
  followed by a discussion in the plenary group
  
  
• From internationality to excellence: the example of the University of Bonn
  Presenter: Dr. Birgit Kluesener, Head of Section 222 “Internationalisation of Research and Junior Researchers” at the DAAD
  Speaker: Prof. Dr. Carl-Friedrich Boedigheimer, Mathematics; Prof. Dr. Michael Hoch, Biomedicine; Prof. Dr. Urs Schweizer, Economics, University of Bonn;

Saturday, 30 June 2007

International via Bologna? 3 parallel workshops

1. International Cooperation in the spirit of Bologna: opportunities and risks of the switchover to the two-tier structure of studies
   
   • Presenter: Prof. Dr. Holger Militz, University of Goettingen
     
   • Case study: Prof. Dipl. Psych. Barbara Tietze, University of the Arts, Berlin
     
   • Report by Prof. Dr. Crister Garrett, University of Leipzig
     
     
2. The contribution of guest lecturers to internationalizing studies at German universities or: how can one reach those students who resist mobility?
   
   • Presenter: Prof. Dr. Jürgen Deller, Leuphana University of Lueneburg
     
   • Case study: Prof. Dr. Matthias Theodor Vogt, University of Applied Sciences, Zittau/Goerlitz
     
   • Report by Prof. Dr. Sonat Hart, Humboldt University Berlin
     
     
3. Teaching professorships: A panacea to deal with masses of students or a sell-out of the Humboldtian unity of teaching and research?
   
   • Presenter: Christiane Schmeken, DAAD
     
   • Case study: Prof. Dr. Immaculada Martinez-Zarzoso, University of Goettingen
     
   • Report by Christiane Schmeken, DAAD
     
     

Plenary group: reports from the working groups and discussion

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

• Afrika
• Asien
• Europa
• Nord- und Mittelamerika
• Ozeanien
• Südamerika