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SDG Alumni Projects: Knowledge and Practice for Development

Internationale Alumni auf dem Weg zu einer Fachmesse auf dem Uni-Campus.

SDG (Sustainable Development Goals) Alumni Projects by universities and the DAAD for Germany Alumnae and Alumni* from the Global South combine active learning in seminars with practical experience at trade fairs and conferences.

In the SDG Alumni Projects (formerly: Alumni Special Projects) professionals from the Global South who have been trained in Germany have the opportunity to come into contact with German and international representatives from academia and business at important trade fairs and conferences.

Background

As decision-makers in their home countries with close ties to Germany, they are important contacts: academics and executives from the Global South who have studied or done research in Germany, the so-called Germany Alumni.

The DAAD supports these experts with the SDG Alumni Projects where they receive further training at a German university / research institution and then get in touch with companies when they participate in a trade fair, an industry convention or a specialist conference.

Their new contacts and enhanced expertise enable the Alumni to contribute to the economic development in their own countries.

Programme Objectives

The programme aims to extend the skills of Alumni to resolve development-related issues. It also helps Alumni engage with other Alumni in academic networks both in their own country and internationally. At the same time, Alumni often play an active role as disseminators for knowledge transfer. Ideally, they maintain long-term ties to Germany and cooperate with higher education / research institutions and companies in Germany.

Finally, the programme is designed to further strengthen the expertise of the host universities / research institutions in Germany in matters of development cooperation.

Planned and already implemented SDG Alumni Projects

(until 2021: Alumni Special Projects)

    • Global Forum for Food and Agriculture & International Green Week
      Berlin, January 2026
      Topic: Nutrition / food security
      Participating German universities: U Göttingen, U Kassel
      Call for Germany ALUMNI: expired
       
    • re:publica
      Berlin, May 2026
      Topic: Education / lifelong learning / ICT
      Participating German universities: TU Dresden
      Call for Germany ALUMNI: expired
       
    • Intersolar Mexico
      Mexico City, September 2026
      Topics: Renewable energies / climate protection & water / water management / wastewater / waste / recycling
      Participating German universities: 
      BTU Cottbus-Senftenberg, Hochschule Weihenstephan-Triesdorf (HSWT), Uni Stuttgart
      Call for Germany ALUMNI: expired

*For better readability, only the generic masculine form “alumni” is used on this page, but it refers to all genders.

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