DAAD congratulates Friedrich Merz on his election as Federal Chancellor - Opportunities for international educational and scientific exchange
“I warmly congratulate Friedrich Merz on his election as the tenth Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany. In view of the coalition agreement, we expect the new federal government to provide trend-setting impetus for the internationalisation of German universities, global academic exchange and the strengthening of Europe as a leading scientific area,” explained DAAD President Prof. Dr Joybrato Mukherjee.
“The clear commitment to foreign cultural and educational policy as a strategic instrument of German foreign policy and the planned financial strengthening of the DAAD and the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation form an encouraging basis for cooperation over the next four years,” said Mukherjee. We are therefore looking forward to working together with the Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs, Johann Wadephul, the Federal Minister for Research, Technology and Space, Dorothee Bär, and the Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development, Reem Alabali-Radovan.
Clear signals for internationalisation and foreign science policy
“At various points, the coalition agreement emphasises the importance of foreign science policy in geopolitically challenging times and the opportunities of internationalisation for Germany as a location for science and business,” says the DAAD President. “In concrete terms, the DAAD can submit proposals to the new federal government on expanding expertise in China, strengthening scientific cooperation in the Weimar Triangle and the planned ‘1,000 Heads Programme’.”
The DAAD particularly welcomes the coalition agreement:
1. The strengthening of external science policy,
2. Facilitating the immigration of skilled labour and strengthening the retention rate for international graduates in Germany
3. Improving the housing situation for students,
4. The continuation and expansion of Erasmus+,
5. The promotion of research security and China expertise,
6. and the strengthening of European scientific cooperation, particularly within the framework of the so-called Weimar Triangle.
Coalition agreement and DAAD Strategy 2030
The goals formulated in the coalition agreement coincide in many respects with the DAAD’s strategic priorities from its Strategy 2030. The DAAD stands ready to contribute to strengthening Germany and Europe as a centre of science and business, to attract skilled workers for the future and to use science as a bridge in a multipolar world order, said the DAAD President.
