Internationalization: No. 1 in BaWü  [24.07.19]

Study and research networks, an international center, lively exchanges between lecturers and students: In the opinion of the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), the University of Hohenheim is the most active university in the state when it comes to its international orientation. This is reflected in the DAAD's current funding atlas. In the atlas, the DAAD lists which universities have qualified for the largest funding per student with their activities. In previous years, Hohenheim was already number 1 in Baden-Württemberg. Nationwide, the university is in 7th place with a funding amount of 374 euros per student.

In the current issue of the DAAD Funding Atlas, the University of Hohenheim has successfully defended its first place in Baden-Württemberg with a total funding of 3.46 million euros. "The University of Hohenheim attaches great importance to providing students and lecturers with targeted support for international projects and establishing long-term partnerships," said Franziska Schenk, Director of the Office of International Affairs. "DAAD funding goes directly into such projects."

 

Internationalization projects with the highest financial volume

Food Security Center (FSC)

The University of Hohenheim's FSC makes an innovative and impact-oriented scientific contribution to reducing hunger and improving food security in the world. In 2018, the FSC received 850,000 euros as part of exceed - Hochschulexzellenz in der Entwicklungszusammenarbeit. In 2017, the FSC started the research training group "Climate Change Effects on Food Security (CLIFOOD)" at the University of Hohenheim with the Hawassa University in Ethiopia, which is intended to contribute to achieving the UN's sustainability goals ("Sustainable Development Goals" - SDG). In 2018, the DAAD supported the project with a total of 450,000 euros.

 

Erasmus+ exchange program

Last year alone, around 250 students, lecturers, and staff members received Erasmus+ funding to go to other European countries and to partner countries outside Europe. The DAAD provided around 424,000 euros in funding in 2018.

 

Strategic Network Bioeconomy (BECY) and Thematic Network "Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Finance" (INEF)

Since 2013, BECY and four international partners have been researching new ways to new products, new production processes, and a modern, sustainable economy with bio-based raw materials (bioeconomy). The project was ceremoniously concluded in the year of the University' s anniversary in 2018. Since 2015, INEF has also been conducting research with five international partners on topics such as corporate finance, innovative start-ups, and the implementation and financing of innovations. DAAD funding for both networks amounted to around 201,000 euros in 2018.

New project to support international students: (Ex-)Change your Perspectives

In 2018, a new project was launched in the STIBET II program line - model projects to improve the welcome culture, which is scheduled to run for three years. In this way, the University of Hohenheim aims to promote contact and exchange between students from all over the world and Hohenheim students and, of course, among the international students themselves. 

On the one hand, the orientation phase before the start of the winter semester was restructured. Established programs for students of all faculties have been expanded and new modules developed, e.g. English for English-taught programs. On the other hand, "(Ex)Change your Perspectives" offers students the opportunity to prepare for a globalized labor market. In the sense of Internationalization@home (I@home), students should be prepared interculturally for their task as buddies and thus be given the opportunity to prove their acquired competence with a certificate for their application portfolio.

Hohenheim received a total of 84,000 euros in the program line Scholarship and Supervision Programs (STIBET) in 2018.

 

DAAD Prize

The DAAD not only honors student projects, but also individual student achievements. This year's DAAD prize for outstanding achievements by foreign students at the University of Hohenheim went to Saeed Jamshidi from Iran, who is doing his doctorate in economics.

With the DAAD prize, the DAAD aims to contribute to giving the large numbers of international students at German universities a face and linking them with stories. This illustrates that all foreign students take a piece of Germany home with them and leave something of themselves in Germany - an enrichment for both sides. The DAAD prize is endowed with 1,000 euros per university and has been awarded for more than ten years.

 

The DAAD Funding Atlas

The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) is the world's largest funding organization for academic exchange. It is supported by the German universities and student bodies. Since 2000, the DAAD has been drawing up Förderbilanzen (funding atlases) for its member universities. These contain information on individual funding and on program and project funding.

The DAAD lists the 100 HEIs with the highest funding amounts (based on the total number of all students at the HEI). In Baden-Württemberg, Hohenheim is in first place with 374 euros per student, followed by the Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg with 249 euros per student. The leading institutions in Germany are the Staatliche Hochschule für Bildende Künste - Städelschule in Frankfurt am Main (1st place) and the Hochschule Schmalkalden (2nd place).

 

Text: Dannehl / A.Schmid / Translation: Neudorfer