Press release: Award for Göttingen University’s “Research Alumni Strategy”

Nr. 126/2013 - 01.07.2013

University receives € 30,000 for collaboration with international visiting fellows

(pug) The University of Göttingen ranks among this year’s award winners in the first round of the "Research Alumni Strategies” competition, sponsored by the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation. The prize is endowed with € 30,000. The Humboldt Foundation has granted this award to Göttingen University for its concept to intensify collaboration with international researchers and visiting fellows even after they return to their home countries. These “research alumni” can support their former host university in its strategic internationalisation work and use their own specialised networks to pass on information about opportunities and calls for fellowships in Germany to young researchers and academics. In the first round of the competition, the Humboldt Foundation also recognised seven other universities in addition to Göttingen.

Göttingen University will use the prize money to further expand the support its Welcome Centre gives to international visitors and to systematise collaboration with Alumni Göttingen. “As an integral part of our internationalisation strategy, the Welcome Centre creates a culture of hospitality that accompanies our guests in Göttingen throughout their entire stay and which is continued by Alumni work after their departure,” notes Professor Hiltraud Casper-Hehne, Vice President for International Affairs at Göttingen University. “The funding from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation enables us to develop and foster emotional and organisational ties to future research alumni right from the beginning.”

The Welcome Centre is the point of first contact for researchers and academics arriving at Göttingen University from abroad. The services offered extend from personal consultations and assistance in dealings with government agencies to arranging German courses and help with finding apartments, schools and places in daycare or kindergartens. In addition, the Welcome Centre offers special activities and events that not only help foreign guests kick their research off on the right foot, but also assist them in getting integrated faster in the day-to-day life on the Göttingen Research Campus. Further information can be found on the web at www.uni-goettingen.de/welcome.

Contact address:
Nadine Dreyer
Georg-August University of Göttingen
The International Office – Welcome Centre
Von-Siebold-Straße 2, 37075 Göttingen
Phone +49 (551) 39-21331
E-mail: nadine.dreyer@zvw.uni-goettingen.de
Internet: www.uni-goettingen.de/welcome