Higher education institutions have social responsibility. In view of global challenges, greater integration of academic research and teaching is more important than ever. The DAAD study “Internationalisation in Higher Education for Society (IHES) – Concept, Current Research and Examples of Good Practice” examines the role that internationalisation at higher education institutions can play for society.
The British Council's latest study, entitled “The Shape of Global Higher Education: International Comparisons with Europe” compared the national regulatory frameworks and higher education internationalisation results of 20 countries and showed that Germany performs very well in this respect. Michael Peak, Head of Higher Education Systems Research at the British Council, explains this conclusion from the German perspective.
Prof. Dr. Joybrato Mukherjee took office as president of the DAAD in January 2020. In addition to promoting academic exchange, he sees the core tasks of the DAAD as providing advice to the higher education sector and serving as a think tank for internationalisation. In the following interview, he explains why studying abroad in virtual space could be an important topic in the future and why universities will have to assume more responsibility in countering anti-scientific worldviews.
The EU Commission’s European Universities Initiative is designed to promote excellence, innovation and inclusion in higher education across Europe. 15 German universities are partners in the higher education networks selected in the first pilot call for proposals, among them Freie Universität Berlin and Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz. The DAAD is moreover supporting the German higher education institutions with an accompanying national programme in the pilot phase.
The keyword “Third Mission” is doing the rounds. The argument is that, in addition to research and teaching, universities have a social responsibility for society. The German Academic Exchange Service or DAAD is currently investigating how universities can take this responsibility into account in their internationalisation initiatives. General Secretary Dr. Dorothea Rüland and Director of Studies Uwe Brandenburg, PhD., talk about the contents and aims of the study.
