German and Indian universities step up cooperation

Michael Gardner 07 October 2015

The German Academic Exchange Service, DAAD, and the Indian University Grants Commission, or UGC, are stepping up cooperation. A new higher education partnership programme has been signed during a visit by a German delegation headed by Chancellor Angela Merkel.

The DAAD and the UGC are to invest €3.5 million (US$3.9 million) each in the new programme, which will run over a period of four years. Funding is to be provided by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research, or BMBF, and India’s Ministry of Human Resource Development.

The programme will focus on promoting mobility among students and teachers between the two countries. Joint teaching and research projects are envisaged in particular. With the number of Indian students at German higher education institutions having doubled over the past four years to reach a present 11,800, India is now fifth among the countries that foreign students come from.

“India is an important partner for German universities,” says DAAD President Margret Wintermantel. “With the new programme, we are intensifying long-standing cooperation that has already been very good, and we are creating new opportunities for cross-disciplinary collaboration.”

The agreement was signed by UGC Chairman Ved Prakash and DAAD Vice-president Joybrato Mukherjee in the presence of German Education and Research Minister Johanna Wanka.

Mukherjee maintains that the student statistics reflect Germany’s popularity among Indians as a country to study and do research in, while also demonstrating the strengths of Indian higher education. “Intensive cooperation in research and teaching is creating a win-win situation for both countries, and with the new programme, we can provide significant support for the institutions involved,” he says.

German industry is also keen to cooperate with India, which is set to attain a growth rate of 7.5% this year, according to the International Monetary Fund. “India is going to grow faster than China for the first time in 30 years,” says Volker Treier, deputy chief executive of the Association of German Chambers of Industry and Commerce.

Treier emphasises that a recent survey by the Indo-German Chamber of Commerce shows that two thirds of the 30 largest German employers in India intend to invest around €1.4 billion over the next three years. He puts their optimistic mood down to the Indian government having announced economic reforms conducive to foreign investment.

Michael Gardner Email: michael.gardner@uw-news.com

Receive UWN's free weekly e-newsletters

Sponsored Article

Getting to net zero, one community at a time

University of Victoria staff

Accelerating Community Energy Transformation is a University of Victoria-led collaborative initiative that brings together over 40 partners, including Indigenous knowledge keepers and community leaders, to create innovative place-based solutions for energy system transformation.

Promoted by the University of Victoria.

Sponsored Article

Africa pays a premium for global climate change sluggishness

Stellenbosch University staff

Africa needs to stop paying the price for the rest of the world’s recalcitrance to act fast enough in response to the irrefutable conclusions that climate change is real and that the impact of global warming could be devasting, says Professor Guy Midgley, interim director of the School for Climate Studies at Stellenbosch University, South Africa.

Promoted by Stellenbosch University.

Sponsored Article

Innovations to ensure energy savings in a hot, arid climate

UAE University staff

Researchers from the United Arab Emirates University have shown that the potential benefits of building energy savings and a cooler indoor environment, as well as improved cooling effect on air temperature at pedestrian level, strongly indicate that a cool roof with high solar reflectance and albedo is a promising strategy for buildings in regions with hot, arid climates.

Promoted by United Arab Emirates University.

Sponsored Article

A new global university ranking with an ethical mission

Aftab Dean

A new university ranking system aims to serve as a catalyst for positive transformation in higher education, ensuring that universities create an environment grounded in integrity and sustainability that inspires and supports students and staff in the development of novel solutions to global challenges.

Promoted by Globethics.net.

Sponsored Article

SDG progress report launches university into new territory

University of Pretoria staff

In the publication of its first progress report on its contribution to the Sustainable Development Goals, the University of Pretoria is navigating new territory at the same time as it is acknowledging its clear stewardship role in protecting the environment and biodiversity.

Promoted by the University of Pretoria.