The German Language, Literature and Culture: Institutional Partnerships Worldwide (GIP) programme uses Federal Foreign Office funds to promote cooperation between institutes that offer German studies and/or German as a foreign language at German higher education institutions and at their partner institutes abroad.

Background

The DAAD has funded German Language, Literature and Culture: Institutional Partnerships (GIP) between higher education institutions in Germany and other countries since 1993. The GIP have become established as a proven instrument for promoting the German language abroad: in addition to promoting academic exchange and the internationalisation of higher education institutions, the programme makes a significant contribution to maintaining and strengthening the status of the German language and culture abroad – as confirmed by the evaluation carried out in 2019.

The programme began with partnerships in the countries of Central, Eastern and South-Eastern Europe as well as in the USSR succession states. Since 2008, the programme has also been available for projects in countries in Asia, Latin America, Africa, with the addition of Israel and the Palestinian Territories in 2017. As of 2021, partnerships will be possible worldwide.

The Vladimir Admoni Programme (VAP) was launched in 2006 to extend the foundations laid by the German Language, Literature and Culture: Institutional Partnerships (GIP) Programme to include the promotion of early career academics in the form of ‘Small Doctoral Schools’. The VAP is aimed at graduate students (with a master’s degree) who are seeking to obtain a doctorate and who – based on their own personal ambition and aptitude and with the support of the higher education institution concerned – represent the future generation of academics. As of 2021, the Vladimir Admoni Programme will be integrated as a funding line in the ‘German Language, Literature and Culture: Institutional Partnerships (GIP)’ programme.

Programme objectives

The ‘German Language, Literature and Culture: Institutional Partnerships Worldwide’ (GIP) programme forms part of the DAAD’s concept for the promotion of German: ever since it was first established, it has aimed at strengthening the internationalisation of German studies, both in Germany and worldwide. This includes the training of a new generation of early career academics as well as cooperation in the area of curriculum development in partner countries. At the same time, the German Language, Literature and Culture: Institutional Partnerships (GIP) seek to achieve a feedback effect on teaching and research at the German partner institute in that the students and teaching staff involved can develop a fresh perspective on their subject through international cooperation.

The long-term goals of the programme (impacts) are, firstly, for cross-regional partnerships between German and one or more foreign institutions to be established and for higher education institutions in Germany to intensify relations with their partner regions, thereby forming networks. Furthermore, the programme aims to support the maintenance and expansion of the teaching of German language and culture in the target regions and promote the development of innovative, demand-oriented and socially relevant formats in research and teaching.

The programme also aims to contribute to increasing the appeal of the subject of German Studies and German in other countries. Finally, German Language, Literature and Culture: Institutional Partnerships (GIP) seek to contribute to the communication of language, culture and literature from Germany to other countries and promote cultural exchange.
The following programme objectives (outcomes) are derived from these impacts:

• Partner institutes offer practically oriented and socially relevant degree programmes that meet local needs and reflect the academic state of the art.
• In the field of German Studies / German as a Foreign Language (DaF), contemporary content is researched using current and innovative research methods and taught according to current didactic standards.
• Joint research/teaching projects are pursued and/or publications are produced.
• Doctoral candidates successfully complete their doctorates at the partner institutes abroad and in Germany.

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