Dear DAAD Friends and Alumni!🎓

Welcome to the June edition of the DAAD Australia Newsletter in 2025!

A special commemorative stamp has been issued to mark 100 years of the DAAD - a symbolic recognition of a century dedicated to fostering academic exchange and international cooperation.This milestone, recently honoured by Federal President Steinmeier, invites us to reflect on the DAAD’s legacy and its continued role in connecting students, researchers, and institutions across the globe.

DAAD President Prof. Joybrato Mukherjee’s visit to Sydney and the Pacific region highlighted our ongoing efforts to strengthen regional partnerships. In line with this, the DAAD Annual Report 2024 confirms that academic exchange remains resilient and relevant, even in challenging times.

At the National Learning Abroad Fair Circuit 2025 in Sydney, we had the pleasure of meeting many engaged students and future scholars interested in studying and researching in Germany. This month’s Research in Germany newsletter focuses on marine science, showcasing just one area where international research collaboration continues to thrive.

Our recent alumni event in Sydney also offered thoughtful conversations on AI and human connection, reflecting the strong engagement of our community here in Australia.

Looking ahead, our ‘Deutschlehren.International’ program continues to support German teaching assistants at universities in Australia, reinforcing language learning as a bridge between cultures.

In this edition, we highlight the following key topics and updates:

Steinmeier marks DAAD’s 100th Anniversary
DAAD congratulates Friedrich Merz on his election as Chancellor
DAAD President Prof Mukherjee's visit to Sydney and Pacific region
DAAD Annual Report 2024: Academic exchange thrives amid global uncertainty
DAAD Australia at Learning Abroad Fairs 2025 in Sydney
Research in Germany - June Newsletter: spotlight on marine science
International Students - an Economic Gain for Germany
DAAD Australia Alumni News: Inspiring Evening on AI and Human Connection
DAAD Alumna: Professor Andrea Schäfer’s visit to the DAAD IC in Sydney
‘Deutschlehren.International’ - DAAD Teaching Assistant Scholarships for German at Universities in Australia
Scholarships, Grants & Funding Programs
University Advertisements

Enjoy the read!

We’d love to hear from you—connect with DAAD IC Sydney!

With kind regards,

Silke Schoppe and Michael Rieke

DAAD Australia Information Centre Sydney Contact Details

For enquiries and information, please contact the DAAD Information Centre in Sydney:

Telephone: +61272088119

Email: info@daad-australia.org

Teleconferencing: please contact us via email, and our friendly staff will arrange an appointment and provide you with an access link.

President Steinmeier marks DAAD’s 100th Anniversary

‘If the DAAD didn't exist, it would have to be invented today’

The DAAD celebrated the highlight of its anniversary year with a festive ceremony at the Humboldt Forum in Berlin on 6 May 2025. Around 500 guests from academia, politics and society, including numerous DAAD alumni, came together to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the world's largest organisation for international academic exchange.

‘If the DAAD didn't exist, it would have to be invented today’, said Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier.

Read more about the special celebration on the DAAD Jubilee Website here.

DAAD congratulates Friedrich Merz on his Election as Chancellor

Opportunities for international educational and scientific exchange

The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) congratulates Friedrich Merz on his election as the 10th Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany and the members of his cabinet. The DAAD sees the new government's coalition agreement as providing forward-looking impetus for international academic exchange and further enhancing Germany's attractiveness as a centre of higher education in the global competition.

Press Release here.

DAAD President Prof Mukherjee's visit to

Sydney and Pacific region

Celebrating 100 Years of Academic Exchange in Sydney

In May we had the pleasure of welcoming DAAD President Prof. Joybrato Mukherjee to Australia to mark the 100th anniversary of the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD).

During his visit to Sydney, Prof. Mukherjee met with representatives from the diplomatic, cultural, and education sectors to reflect on DAAD’s century-long legacy — and to explore new opportunities for academic exchange and future collaboration between Germany and Australia.

At the DAAD Centennial Networking Reception, he highlighted the strong and growing academic ties between our two countries, and the vital role education plays in shaping a shared future.

A sincere thank you to the German Embassy Canberra and the German Consulate General in Sydney for their support of the celebration, and to the Goethe-Institut Australia for kindly hosting this memorable event.

Germany and Australia have strong ties in research collaboration and academic exchange. There are currently 547 research agreements between Australian and German higher education institutions, with 138 German scientists funded by the DAAD last year to work with their project partners in Australia as part of the Australia–Germany Joint Research Cooperation Scheme.

To strengthen the connections and to extend research cooperation DAAD President Prof Mukherjee met leaders of various universities in Sydney as well with Universities Australia – the governing body of Australian Universities. It was a great opportunity to discuss the current developments in the Australian and German higher education and science sector but also to see latest developments in technology and learning powered by AI.

DAAD Report 2024:

Academic Exchange Thrives

Academic exchange defies global uncertainty - DAAD draws a positive balance for 2024

The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) presented its Annual Report 2024 recently in Bonn. DAAD President Prof Joybrato Mukherjee emphasised the role of academic exchange for German universities and Germany's unwavering attractiveness as a location for science and research.

Despite major global challenges, 2024 was a successful year for the DAAD.

"The past year was not an easy one for international academic exchange and the DAAD - and yet it was a successful one," explained Mukherjee at the presentation of the report. "The geopolitical situation has changed, cooperation with China has become more challenging and more consultation-intensive, Russia's war against Ukraine continued and the re-election of Donald Trump as US President was a signal for unforeseeable developments in the future. At the same time, we at the DAAD were able to grant funding to 104 universities for their specialist projects, launch an EU programme for threatened researchers together with partners and look back on the successes of a quarter of a century of Bologna reforms," said the DAAD President.

Find the German language version here.

DAAD Australia at Learning Abroad Fairs 2025

In April, the DAAD Information Centre Sydney (IC) proudly participated in the National Learning Abroad Fair Circuit in Sydney 2025!

We had the pleasure of meeting many enthusiastic students, alumni, and university staff at the Think Global Fair at the University of Technology Sydney. We were amazed by the strong interest and engagement!

The DAAD Information Centre Sydney (IC) also attended the Go Global Fair at Western Sydney University. We were glad to share insights about Germany as a top destination for study and research.

Thinking globally? Study in Germany!

If you're a student in Australia exploring international study opportunities, the DAAD Information Centre Sydney is here to help.

Find out how you can study in Germany — get in touch with us here.

Research in Germany - June Newsletter

A Spotlight on: marine science

Happy Ocean Day!

On June 8, people all over the planet celebrated World Ocean Day. While the ocean is the biggest ecosystem on Earth and central to the balance of the planet, only a very small part of it has been explored. Marine science is not only vitally important to understand and protect this system but also to harness the great potential for innovation and technological advances that lie in the depths of the sea – from medical discoveries to sustainable food and energy sources to climate regulation.

Germany plays a pivotal role in global marine science, contributing through cutting-edge research institutions, international collaborations and active participation in global initiatives like the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development. The country’s new government has confirmed its commitment to marine science and sustainability research in its coalition agreement, with the new Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR) in charge. In this newsletter issue, we present important players, resources and research news from marine science in Germany.

Read the Research in Germany June Newsletter here .

International Students -

an Economic Gain for Germany

Every year of international students contributes around eight times more to the revenue of public budgets in the long term than the state invests in them on balance. These are the findings of a study conducted by the German Economic Institute (IW) on behalf of the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD). The approximately 80,000 international students alone who began their studies with the intention of graduating in 2022 will pay almost 15.5 billion euros more in taxes and duties over the course of their lives than they receive in benefits from the German state. If the retention rate remains stable, this effect will be repeated with each new intake.

"The new IW study impressively demonstrates the economic importance of international students for Germany. Although most universities do not charge tuition fees, international students make significantly higher contributions to our society over the course of their working lives than Germany invests in their studies and beyond. International students are an asset to our country in many ways, academically of course, but also economically," said DAAD President Prof. Joybrato Mukherjee.

Read the Press Release here .

DAAD Australia Alumni News

Inspiring Evening on AI and Human Connection

The DAAD Australia Alumni Association recently hosted an engaging event at the Goethe-Institut Sydney on “Artificial Intelligence in Today’s World – The Impact and Importance of Human Interaction,” with special guest Mr. Felix Schwarz, Consul General of the Federal Republic of Germany.

Alumni, academics from UNSW and the University of Sydney, and DAAD Australia representatives, Michael Rieke and Silke Schoppe gathered for an evening of thought-provoking discussion, including remarks from Mr. Christoph Mücher (Goethe-Institut) and DAAD Alumni President Claudia Nelson.

As part of the “DAAD Alumni Life Journeys” series, Professor Anthony Welch reflected on his DAAD experience in Berlin, both before and after the fall of the Wall. A dynamic panel followed, exploring AI's impact and the enduring role of human connection.

Key insights emphasized that AI cannot address the “unknown unknowns,” reaffirming the value of creativity, critical thinking, and collaboration. Speakers stressed the need for intention of how we use AI—particularly in education, where over reliance may risk cognitive growth and engagement. The conversation underscored the importance of human-centered leadership, strong values-based cultures, and ethical implementation as central to innovation in the age of AI.

DAAD Alumna: Professor Andrea Schäfer

During her visit to DAAD IC Sydney, Prof Schäfer shares how a DAAD scholarship changed her life

"As a first in the family to go to University, doing a PhD was beyond imagination and being a Chair professor in Edinburgh (the first ever engineering professor there) 5 years after PhD out of this world. DAAD made it possible. I had fallen in love with research (and my future husband) during a research internship in New Zealand in 1994, during my masters in France. The following year we tried to figure out how to make a super-long-distance relationship work and decided Australia had more ‘dual-career’ options than NZ. I considered some 26 scholarship options, and DAAD made this move possible. The training I received in Australia was astonishing, eventually funded with an OPRS fee waiver and a generous CRC Water Quality and Treatment scholarship. I still remember the director raving about the Black Forest (cakes) and I told him if he invited me to his lab, I would bake him one. I was flown to Adelaide very swiftly, made a cake and much like DAAD, cakes have become an integral part of my career. Thank you DAAD!"

Read more about Prof. Schäfer’s journey and how DAAD shaped both her professional path and personal life here.

‘Deutschlehren.International’

DAAD Teaching Assistant Scholarships for German at Universities in Australia

‘Deutschlehren.International’ is the new name of the DAAD Language Assistant Programme. It is designed for recent university graduates who are eager to gain hands-on teaching experience in German as a foreign language while engaging in intercultural exchange. The programme offers the opportunity to teach German at a university abroad — including in Australia — for a period of 10 to 12 months, supported by a DAAD scholarship. Full programme details, including a list of global placement locations, contact information, and a link to the application portal, will be available in the DAAD Scholarship Database from early July 2025.

Meet the DAAD Teaching Assistants in Australia 2025: Lale Bilgili, Leonie Rotsche and Luisa Bier by visiting our website here.

Scholarships, Grants and Programs

Call for Applications

Funding opportunities from the

German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) for the German academic year 2026/2027

Would you like to study or do research in

Germany? The DAAD offers a wide range of opportunities for international students, doctoral candidates and early career researchers!

The DAAD scholarship programme for the 2026/2027 academic year in Germany has been updated and is now available. The DAAD portal for the new application round is already open.

Find scholarships and other funding opportunities for applicants from Australia here.

Call for Applications

DAAD Study Scholarships - Postgraduate Studies in the Field of Architecture

This scholarship offers funding for projects in the area of design and planning. Lasting 10-24 months, the scholarship is suitable for foreign applicants who have gained a first university degree in the areas of Architecture, Interior Design, Monument Conservation, Urban Planning/Urban Development, Regional Planning, Landscape Architecture & Landscape Planning.

Application deadline: 24 September 2025

(Start of funding in September 2026)

Find further information is available here.

Call for Applications

DAAD Study Scholarships - Postgraduate Studies in the Field of Music

This scholarship programme offers students with a first degree the opportunity to continue their academic education in Germany with a postgraduate or continuing course of study in the field of music. The scholarships also promote the exchange of experience and networking amongst colleagues.

Application deadline: 25 September 2025 (Start of funding in October 2026)