Alumni Associations

Associations for Returners from Cultural and Academic Exchanges in German Institutions

 

The many measures undertaken by German institutions to support cultural and academic exchanges (through mediating organisations) - such as awarding research grants and research prizes to students, researchers and academic staff – are accompanied by a whole range of follow-up activities. These are intended to promote longterm contact with individuals formerly sponsored by the mediating organisations, to give them support in their work and in their present institutions as well as to promote lasting contact and wide-ranging collaboration with German colleagues in their own field. Under certain circumstances the follow-up work and initial support connected with programmes within the same or different mediating organisations can be linked, leading to longterm contact with a number of different partner organisations in Germany. The intention is that through a combination of follow-up work and extensive data banks with information on former award holders, not only should mediating organisations manage to maintain regular contact with former visitors from all over the world, but that, beyond this, former award holders will evolve a network amongst themselves which can give them valuable professional support.

 

The follow-up work begins as soon as an individual’s first award comes to an end and can – depending on the mediating organisation – continue for many years. The follow-up work is only carried out with respect to individuals who have been supported by the mediating organisation in the past.

 

The follow-up support by the mediating organisations ranges from the provision of journals, the approval of book and equipment grants, repeat invitations for award holders or subsequent awards for professional follow-up events (professional symposia), to support for the so-called returners’ associations in the award holders’ country of residence. The returners’ organisations are a point of contact both for those who have formerly held awards from the mediating organisations and for those who have financed their training or further education in Germany themselves: in other words, these associations generally operate an open-door policy. These associations perform important out-reach work locally. Thus these associations may serve, for instance, as points of contact available to give advice to new award holders before they leave for Germany. They also often successfully take care of German students and scientists abroad and can be an extremely useful resource for the visitor.

 

At the present time there are over 350 returners’ associations for foreign holders of awards and prizes given by Alexander-von Humboldt-Stiftung (AvH), the DAAD, Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst, the InWEnt gGmbH and the addresses of the 144 Goethe Institutes all over the world you can find in this address index.

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