higher education institutions do not charge
programmes leading to double degrees.
tuition fees gives them a further advantage.
Many higher education institutions are involved in the development of German study
The Federal Government and the states are
courses and the founding of higher educa-
tackling the increasing numbers engaged in
tion institutions based on the German
academic study together: In late 2014, as
model, which exist in Egypt, China, Jordan,
part of the Higher Education Pact 2020, they
Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Oman, Singapore,
resolved to finance up to 760,000 additional
Hungary, Vietnam, and Turkey.
university entrants in the coming years. For
the entire duration of the Higher Education
Increasing foreign mobility among Ger-
Pact from 2007 to 2023, the Federal Govern-
man students is likewise being funded.
ment will provide 20.2 billion euros, and the
Among 30 percent already spend time
states 18.3 billion euros.
studying abroad. In future it is intended
that every second German graduate of a
Initiatives for more excellence and greater
higher education institution gain experi-
internationalisation
ence abroad while studying. Scholarships
such as the Erasmus+ programme support
Since 2005 the Federal Government and the
these valuable study visits.
states have been funding particularly outstanding research projects and facilities
through the Excellence Initiative. In the
current stage of the programme (2012–2017)
45 graduate schools, 43 clusters of ex cellence and 11 institutional strategies spread
across 44 universities are receiving funding.
The volume of funding in this period totals
2.7 billion euros. A similar level of funding is
intended after 2017 as well.
Internationalisation remains an important topic. A 2014 joint study by the German
Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), the
German Rectors’ Conference, and the Humboldt Foundation identified around 31,000
international cooperation agreements concluded by almost 300 higher education institutions with 5,000 higher education partners in 150 countries, among them many
INFO
Programme for Women Professors
Women in Germany are nowadays more
likely than men to study, and write
almost half of all doctoral theses – but
only 21.3 percent of professors are female. This is why in 2008 the Federal
Government and the states launched the
Programme for Women Professors.
With a budget of 300 million euros up
until 2017, the programme is designed
to increase the number of women
professors and promote equality.
May 2015 saw the appointment of the
400th woman professor whose position
is funded by the programme.
→ bmbf.de/de/494.php