Dear DAAD Friends and Alumni,


This is our April edition of the DAAD Australia Newsletter in 2021. We hope this newsletter finds you well. Stay up to date with what has been happening and what to look out for in regard to DAAD's activities in Australia and Germany!

We hope you enjoy the newsletter!

With kind regards from Sydney,


Katharina McGrath, Silke Schoppe & Stefanie Herta

DAAD NEWS

Welcome to the DAAD!
Dr. Sicks, the new DAAD Secretary General takes up his office

Dr Kai Sicks officially has taken up his office as new DAAD Secretary General on 1st April 2021.

He succeeds Dr Dorothea Rüland, whose time in office at the world’s largest organisation for academic exchange came to an end in January.(...) "I consider the post as DAAD Secretary General to be one of the most exciting that the German science system has to offer," says Dr Kai Sicks.

"DAAD’s task of bringing people together from all over the world is a great responsibility for me, but also an extraordinary opportunity in light of the many challenges we currently face."
He, therefore, looks forward to collaborating with all DAAD employees in Germany and in the global regional offices. In addition, he is eager to actively engage in exchange with the DAAD committees, the member institutions & student bodies, the federal ministries as well as our partner institutions around the world.
Read more here.

2021 German Federal Election
21st of September
Please Note: Germans living abroad who do not have a registered domicile in Germany will not be entered ex officio into the voters’ register.

If German expatriates wish to participate in Bundestag elections, they have to submit a written application for entry into the voters’ register before each election.



"Research in Germany" Newsletter

In this new edition, you will find out how Germany’s UNESCO City of Music (involving the promotion of music & creativity) has a positive impact on a city’s development. The edition also features a multi-award-winning cell & molecular biologist, including his research at the Max Planck Society.

Regarding funding opportunities, there is even more to discover than usual! Please have a look at our current calls and the recently updated brochure “Funding your research in Germany”.

Last but not least, don’t miss out on our upcoming events. We look forward to (virtually) seeing you there!

Read more here.
Academic Freedom Index - Promoting Academic Freedom & Exchange

Academic freedom is a universal right and essential to quality education, teaching and research. It is a driver of innovation, enhances the capacity of scholars and students to acquire and generate knowledge, and thereby protects societies’ capacity for self-reflection. While states and universities throughout the world have long committed to respecting academic freedom, it remains poorly understood – and is under attack in many places.
Read more here
See the latest report at Global Public Policy Institute
New Erasmus+ 2021 – 2027
Enriching Lives, Opening Minds through the EU Program for
Education, Training, Youth, and Sport
Have you heard?

The new Erasmus+ 2021 -2027 will create opportunities for more than 10 million people of all ages and backgrounds. It has an estimated budget of €26.2 billion, nearly double the funding compared to its predecessor program (2014-2020).

The 2021-2027 program places a strong focus on social inclusion, green and digital transitions, as well as the promotion of young people’s participation in democratic life.

It supports priorities and activities set out in the European Education Area, the Digital Education Action Plan, and the European Skills Agenda.
The programme also:
  • Supports the European Pillar of Social Rights
  • Implements the EU Youth Strategy 2019-2027
  • Develops the European dimension in sport

Erasmus+ offers mobility and cooperation opportunities in
  • Higher Education
  • Vocational Education and Training
  • School Education (Including Early Childhood Education and Care)
  • Adult Education
  • Youth
  • and Sport

Further information can be found here and here

DAAD Research Ambassador Meeting in Sydney
Towards the end of April, our DAAD Research Ambassadors came from all over Australia to meet at the DAAD Information Centre (Goethe-Institut) in Sydney.

For most of our Research Ambassadors, it was the very first face-to-face event in 2021 since the beginning of the pandemic.

Besides exchanging individual experiences as DAAD representatives, and their networking activities during 2020 at their home university, the event also focused on topics such as funding programs for German - Australian Research collaboration. Additionally, the future outlook for these collaborations in times of ongoing travel restrictions was also discussed in depth.

We look forward to meeting you all again next time!

Further information regarding the DAAD Research Ambassador Program

Upcoming Scholarships, Grants & Programs

Call for Applications
IVAC
Second Round of DAAD funding opportunities for International Virtual Academic Collaboration (IVAC).

Within the framework of international teaching cooperation, the IVAC program promotes and supports the integration of digital collaboration formats in study programs through a number of objectives. These include the development of digital competencies of students and teachers, the cross-university digitisation of processes in study, teaching, and blended mobility, the extended access to international university programs of specific target groups (e.g. non-traditional students or students who are unable to travel), as well as the formation of a community of practice.
 
Application deadline: 25 May 2021
Further information here.
Call for Applications
Research
Germany-Australia Joint Research Cooperation Scheme
The Australia–Germany Joint Research Cooperation Scheme is an initiative of Universities Australia and the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD).
It fosters research collaboration of the highest quality and supports exchanges of researchers from member universities to spend time at partner institutions in Germany, and for collaborating German researchers to spend time at Australian universities.

Application deadline: 15 June 2021
Further information here.
Research in Germany:
A Note on the Coronavirus Pandemic

The rapid spread of COVID-19 has had and still has a huge impact on Germany as well as the entire world. We are currently faced with the situation of not being able to act as host to thousands of international students and researchers as we were doing before the crisis.

Universities and all educational institutions in Germany remain in reduced operation and use virtual formats to comply with the current rules of social distancing. However, we remain a welcoming destination for talented students and researchers from around the world. Travel restrictions within and to the EU are slowly being lifted. Yet, the dynamics of the pandemic are unpredictable.

Therefore: If you intend to apply for research positions, please make sure to get in touch with the respective institution to inquire about the current situation. Read on here
Australia-Germany Research Network Conference 2020

Platform still online until May 2021!
Recordings of all panels and keynotes are accessible via the platform (after registration):

Stay Tuned for the Announcement of the Conference in 2021!!

Podcast: Academic Freedom and Democracy

Campus Europa - DAAD's Interview Podcast on Topics of European Higher Education.
DAAD-Alumnus Dr. Christian Freudlsperger, political scientist at Hertie School Berlin speaks about 'democray in crisis'.

You can listen to the interview here. (in German)
University Advertisements
Hochschule der Künste Berlin
From June to October 2021, the Berlin University of the Arts presents an international workshop programme aimed at artists, senior students, and graduates from all artistic disciplines. We offer inspiring courses in the field of Fine Arts, Design, Music, Performing Arts, as well as interdisciplinary workshops, both as online and face-to-face events.

Further information here.
Bayreuth International Summer School
From 5 - 16 July 2021, the Bayreuth International Summer School will be hosting students from all over the world for our interdisciplinary online program. The Summer School consists of eight individual courses, each one specialized in a different area and in line with the research areas of the University of Bayreuth. Join us from anywhere in the world or directly on our campus in Bayreuth and earn up to 6 ECTS points!

Further information here
Hochschule Fulda - University of Applied Sciences
You want to work or study in Germany, but don´t meet the requirements?

Fulda University´s Pre-College & Pre-Study prepare you for Bachelor´s and Master´s programmes as well as vocational training.

They include subject-related, practical, and German language courses as well as introductions to living, studying, and working in Germany.

FU-BEST: Online Courses Autumn 2021





This European Autumn 2021, Freie Universität Berlin European Studies Program (FU-BEST) offers online courses, featuring 10 subject courses taught in English and 8 German language courses.
All courses feature 30 contact hours and 6 ECTS credits and can be combined with one another.

Please visit http://www.fubest.org/online or contact fubest@fu-berlin.de for more information.

Join Us!
For further information or comments, please email us at info@daad-australia.org.
You can also download previous newsletters from our website.