Cooperating with and without Formal Agreements
There are numerous ways for international cooperation at the University of Göttingen, in formally agreed as well as informal collaborations. Formal collaborations are generally concluded through an agreement that defines a legal framework for the collaboration. In non-formal collaborations, researchers work together without such a contractual basis.
In both formal and informal collaborations, researchers at the University of Göttingen are obliged to inform themselves about their personal accountability, the legal framework as well as the risks of the respective cooperation in order to protect themselves, the reputation of the University of Göttingen, the cooperation partners and their research results.
Against the background of the right to academic freedom, researchers are free to choose their cooperation partners and enter into a non-formal collaboration. However, we recommend formalizing the collaboration in writing in order to define the framework conditions for both sides, especially if the collaboration is long-term.
- Process and responsibilities
- Drafting a partnership agreement
- Procedure
- the President, co-signature by Vice President(s) if necessary
- co-signature of the partnership officer Exchange agreement at faculty level is signed (by circulation procedure electronically by e-mail) by
- the President, co-signature by Vice President(s)if necessary
- co-signature of the Dean (of each participating faculty)
- co-signature of the partnership officer Exchange agreement at department or institute level is signed (in circulation procedure electronically by e-mail) by
- the President, co-signature by Vice President(s)if necessary
- co-signature of the Dean (of each participating faculty)
- co-signature of the director of the department or institute
- co-signature of the partnership officer
- Duration from drafting the agreement to signing
Non-Formal Cooperation: without a Formal Agreement
Non-formal collaborations are not based on a legal framework defined by a memorandum of understanding or an agreement.
Not every collaboration needs to be formalized. For shorter collaborations where no data or research results are exchanged and which take place in areas that are not relevant to export control, a non-formal collaboration may be appropriate.
For non-formal collaborations, researchers are responsible and, in certain cases, even personally accountable for identifying potential risks and hazards.
It should be noted that even trusted collaboration partners must comply with the regulations of their home country.
Formal Cooperation: with an Agreement
There are a number of different formal collaborations in the international field. The following is a brief overview of how international partnership and cooperation agreements (e.g., memoranda of understanding, cooperation agreements, student exchange agreements) are developed.
If you would like to establish a formal cooperation, please contact your dean’s office and the relevant department first.
In the university administration, there are different points of contact depending on the cooperation format you are seeking:
- International partnership agreements: Contact the International Relations Team at Göttingen International, which supervises and coordinates the initiation process and the drafting of formal cooperations.
- In all matters relating to Erasmus+ and the Key Actions, as well as the DAAD and its funding programs and Marie Skłodowska-Curie Action (MSCA) please contact Göttingen International.
- In all matters relating to international research cooperation supported by national and European funding bodies, please contact the Research and Transfer Services Department, except in matters relating to the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Action (MSCA) (mobilty and career development of early career researchers), where you can contact Göttingen International.
- In all matters relating to international degree courses, Cotutelle agreements and other forms of international teaching cooperation, please contact the Student and Academic Services Department.
The following information refers to international partnership agreements.
Depending on the purpose of the cooperation, there are various types of documents that can be considered:
- Letter of Intent (LoI)
- Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)
- Student-Exchange Agreements (SEA)
- Exchange Agreements for Researchers and Staff
- Partnership agreements can be concluded at university, faculty or institute level.
Agreement at central level: With the approval of the Presidential Board, agreements can be concluded at central level if the student exchange is to include at least three faculties, but the partnership is not directly assigned to an institute or faculty.
Agreement at faculty or institute level: The conclusion of an agreement at faculty or institute level is recommended if only one faculty or institute is interested in cooperating with the international partner or a faculty or institute of the international partner.
For each cooperation agreement, both parties shall nominate a person to be appointed as a representative for the agreed cooperation. The partnership officer determines the prioritization of the partnership in consultation with colleagues involved in the exchange and allocates any available funds (if applicable).
The language for partnership agreements is English or German. In the event that other language versions are available, only the English version is legally binding (or the German version, if the partner accepts this).
The International Relations Team at Göttingen International provides templates that have been legally checked and, if the partner agrees, can be used immediately.
If documents are used that do not correspond to Göttingen University templates, these must undergo a legal review and, if necessary, be negotiated with the partner university. The International Relations Teams coordinates this process and obtains the necessary signatures once the negotiations have been successfully concluded.
The Göttingen University is always the partner in an agreement with another university. Each agreement must therefore be signed by a member of the University management, usually the President.
A digital contract document is sufficient for many partner universities. If paper versions are also to be created, a different number of copies will be required depending on the level of cooperation and the partner university. One copy always remains with Göttingen International.
Agreement at central level: 2 copies (1 per partner)
Agreement at faculty level: 4-6 copies (max. 3 per partner)
Agreement at institute level: 4-6 copies (max. 3 per partners)
The following signature regulations apply to the signing of standard agreements:
Exchange agreement at university level is signed (by circulation procedure electronically by e-mail) by:
Note: We recommend that you inform your dean's office about your cooperation project and the intended agreement at an early stage to ensure that the dean's office approves the intended agreement and that signatures can be obtained at short notice if necessary.
If the University of Göttingen templates are used, it is possible to conclude a letter of intent, a MoU or agreement within a few days, provided the partner institutions agree to the template and the Dean's Office signs at short notice (the latter is usually only possible if advance notice of the required signature has been given).
If the University of Göttingen's templates are not used or are changed in such a way that a legal review becomes necessary, experience has shown that the preparation process takes several months. The duration of the preparation process also depends on how much coordination and negotiation effort is required with the partner university in order to develop a joint document.
We urgently ask you to take this into account when planning.
If you need consultation on safeguarding against misuse of research or data by the other partner, you can contact:
Questions can be addressed to: international@uni-goettingen.de