Country Profiles: Germany - Institute for Cultural Diplomacy

6.: Application of Cultural Diplomacy in the Public Sector
In this part, the report will consider programmes and organisations of the public sector,
meaning organisations or programmes initiated or currently directed by public institutions and
offices.
6.1 Deutscher Akademischer Austausch Dienst (German Academic Exchange
Service)
Agent of Cultural Diplomacy: DAAD
Agenda: Further academic exchanges between Germany and other countries in the world
Vehicle of Cultural Diplomacy: Different programmes to promote the internationalization of
German Universities promote German studies and the German language abroad and assist
developing countries in establishing effective universities
Target Audience: Students and scientists open for international, academic exchange
Since its establishment in 1925, the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) has
granted scholarships and financial aid to over 1.5 million students and academics both in
Germany and abroad, making this the largest funding organisation of its kind in the world.
Not only does it provide grants and scholarships for academic exchanges abroad, but it is also
involved in supporting the internationalisation of German universities, and working for the
advancement of German studies and German language abroad. Furthermore, the DAAD
offers assistance and expertise to developing countries in improving their own educational
systems. The DAAD's budget is composed of funding from various German ministries and the
European Union, as well as numerous enterprises, organisations, and foreign governments.
The DAAD was founded in 1925 when a student organised scholarships for 13 German
students in cooperation with the New York Institute of International Education. An exchange
service was founded as a part of the University of Heidelberg before being moved to Berlin
shortly after with the goal of supporting student and academic exchanges abroad. After
closing for a period during World War II, the DAAD reopened in 1950 and soon expanded its
work to include funding internships abroad. Since then, the work of the DAAD has
continued to expand, covering more than 250 programmes today. These range from
funding six-month study-abroad stays to supporting doctorate programmes abroad spanning
several years. Each programme is open to students from all over the world, regardless of their
country of origin or their field of study. The DAAD has gone from supporting 400 students in
1950 to assisting nearly 60,000 students and academics in 2008. In addition to its central
office in Bonn and its office in Berlin, the DAAD is represented on every continent in the
world through 14 offices and 50 information centers. 92
One of the programmes that has been administered by the DAAD for the past forty years is the
Berlin Artists-in-Residence programme. Each year, this programme enables 20 artists in the
areas of visual arts, literature, music, film, dance and performance to live in Berlin for one
year. It is considered to be one of the world's most prestigious scholarships for artists. The
programme's main goal is to encourage exchanges centred on art as well as on the
involvement in cultural questions that are being discussed in other countries. It also aspires to
further cultural and artistic diversity in Berlin. To meet these goals, the DAAD organizes