Internationalization:
Once again top spot in the DAAD funding ranking [04.08.22]
In 2021, the University of Hohenheim received 335 euros in funding per student: No. 3 in Baden-Württemberg / 2.92 million euros for scholarships and international projects
International – despite the pandemic: The interest of prospective students from all over the world continues unabated, the desire among German students to spend time abroad is growing once again, and numerous international programs for researchers are being successfully extended at the University of Hohenheim in Stuttgart. In 2021, the university received a total of around 2.92 million euros from the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) for scholarships and internationalization projects. That was shown in its current funding list. In this list, the DAAD shows which universities qualified for the largest amounts of funding with their activities. Hohenheim can be pleased with its top ranking in the funding amounts per student: With a sum of 335 euros in 2021, it ranked 3rd in Baden-Württemberg and 19th in Germany.
In the DAAD's overall funding atlas, the University of Hohenheim is thus among the top 3 universities in the state for the eighth time in a row. "For a relatively small university like Hohenheim, this is remarkable," said Franziska Schenk, director of the University's Office of International Affairs.
"The University of Hohenheim uses the DAAD funding to advance its internationalization in a targeted manner," stated Prof. Dr. Andreas Pyka, Vice President for International Affairs. "We place great emphasis on building and maintaining long-term partnerships. In this way, we can use DAAD funding to support lecturers and students who come from abroad or would like to go abroad. The consistently high level of funding in programs and projects confirms that we are on the right track."
Another bit of good news: The international appeal of the University of Hohenheim has not been diminished by the pandemic. For the 2021/22 winter semester, around 1,300 young people from abroad applied for a place at the university. This is a similar number to the previous year. Of these, 160 applicants from non-EU countries began their studies in Hohenheim.
Cuts feared
However, Prof. Dr. Pyka is looking ahead to the next few years with concern: "Overall, the DAAD's financial situation is very tight due to the current budget decisions of the Federal Cabinet. There will be large cuts to the funding from the Federal Foreign Office and in projects that are funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF); some of these cuts even take effect in 2022.”
"For example, the awarding of long-term study and doctoral scholarships for foreign students, doctoral candidates, and researchers already has to be reduced by half, which means that around 50 long-term scholarships are likely to be eliminated each year," he stated. In addition, the DAAD expects further cuts to its budget from the Federal Foreign Office in 2023.
He said the cut in funding from the combined STIBET scholarship and mentoring program is particularly bitter. These were used to support international students in need. Although the added difficulties resulting from Covid had almost returned to normal, it was likely that the funds would be needed elsewhere.
This is because, in the face of advancing inflation, it would likely be necessary to support students whose families would not be able to do so. "Very few international students come from wealthy families," explained Prof. Dr. Pyka. "Students from developing and emerging countries make up a particularly high proportion at Hohenheim. They have to work part-time to even afford tuition and living in Germany."
Internationalization projects with the highest funding volume in 2021
Exchange program Erasmus+:
The Erasmus+ exchange program increased by 170,000 euros in 2021. As a result, an increasing number of students left Hohenheim to study abroad in Europe. 168 decided to stay at one of the partner universities in Europe. In contrast, the number of students who chose to come to Hohenheim for their stay abroad remained almost the same at 131. The DAAD estimates around 653,000 euros for Erasmus+ in the current funding ranking.
Bilateral SDG Graduate School CLIFOOD
At the beginning of 2021, the DAAD-funded German-Ethiopian Research Training Group "Climate Change Effects on Food Security" (CLIFOOD) of the Universities of Hohenheim and Hawassa in Ethiopia entered a five-year extension period, funded with 2.25 million euros from the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). 450,000 euros of this was allocated to 2021.
The main objective of the project, which started in 2016, is to train African PhD students and postdocs to address the threats of climate change to food security in the East African region, thus contributing to the achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Food Security Center (FSC)
The University of Hohenheim’s FSC makes an innovative and effective scientific contribution to decreasing hunger and improving global food security. After a successful ten years, the FSC entered a three-year transfer phase at the beginning of 2020, during which all activities, grants, and research projects that have been started will be completed. Until the end of this phase in December 2022, the FSC will still receive around 100,000 euros in funding under exceed - University Excellence in Development Cooperation.
PRIME Program
The Postdoctoral Researchers International Mobility Experience (PRIME) funding program supports research stays abroad by outstanding postdoctoral researchers. The funding comprises a twelve-month phase abroad and a six-month reintegration phase at a German university, where the grantees are employed as postdocs for the entire funding period. Instead of traditional scholarships, international mobility during this phase is thus supported by temporary positions at German universities.
In 2021, Dr. Zeynep Atamer from the Department of Dairy Science and Dairy Technology was supported and spent a two-year research stay at Oregon State University in the USA.
International doctorate program IPPAE
The "International PhD Program in Agricultural Economics, Bioeconomy and Sustainable Food Systems" (IPPAE) will also be funded by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) for another eight years after a very successful record so far. The two universities of Giessen and Hohenheim will each receive more than two million euros for this from 2022 to 2030. In addition, around 480,000 euros are allocated for supervisory tasks.
The joint program between the two universities enables professionals and leaders from developing and emerging countries to better realize the potential of the agricultural sector for poverty alleviation and food security, achieve more sustainable use of natural resources, and tap into new opportunities arising from the bioeconomy.
Turkish-German University
The Turkish-German University (TDU) in Istanbul is a Turkish state institution established in 2013 on the basis of a German-Turkish intergovernmental agreement. Since 2015, the University of Hohenheim has been a member of the consortium "Turkish-German University" (K-TDU) e.V. It is in charge of establishing an economics Bachelor's program, which started in September 2018 with 16 students. In the meantime, the third cohort has already begun their studies in economics at the TDU. In 2021, the DAAD supported the establishment of the program with around 80,000 euros.
DAAD Prize
Every year, the DAAD awards 1,000 euros to exceptionally committed and academically outstanding foreign students nationwide. With this award, the DAAD wants to help put faces to the large numbers of international students at German universities and connect them with stories.
At the University of Hohenheim, this year's special achievement award goes to Holly Martin from the USA. She is enrolled in the Organic Agriculture and Food Systems Master's program and has excelled in both her outstanding performance in the Global Agri-Food Systems module and her community involvement in sustainable food systems. Among other things, she is an active member of Slow Food in the USA and the student group FRESH in Hohenheim.
BACKGROUND: DAAD funding atlas
The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) is the world’s largest funding organization for academic exchange. It is supported by German universities and students. Since 2000, the DAAD has provided funding atlases for its member universities. The atlas contains information on individual funding as well as program and project funding.
The DAAD lists the 100 universities with the highest amount of funding (in relation to the total number of all students at the university).
DAAD Funding Atlas 2021: https://bit.ly/3O9xUyt
Text: Stuhlemmer
Contact for press:
Prof. Dr. Andreas Pyka, University of Hohenheim, Vice President for International Affairs
T +49 (0)711 459-24481, E a.pyka@uni-hohenheim.de
Franziska Schenk, University of Hohenheim, Office of International Affairs
T +49 (0)711 459 22020, E franziska.schenk@verwaltung.uni-hohenheim.de
