DIES Training Course – “Management of Internationalisation”

Leibniz Universität Hannover, the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), and the German Rectors’ Conference (HRK) jointly organise the DIES Training Course “MANAGEMENT OF INTERNATIONALISATION” in cooperation with the partner universities  Universidad Católica San Pablo – UCSP (Arequipa, Peru), Manipal Academy of Higher Education – MAHE (Manipal, India), and Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology – JKUAT (Nairobi, Kenya).

Since 2001, the training course has been part of the programme Dialogue on Innovative Higher Education Strategies (DIES), which has been jointly coordinated by the DAAD and the HRK (German Rectors’ Conference) with financial support from the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation (BMZ). DIES offers a bundle of measures – training courses, dialogue events, projects and partnerships – that foster the professionalisation of institutional management processes, the alignment of education to international quality standards and the strengthening of research capacities.

The key objective of the three-part training course is to qualify university staff (either International Office staff or higher education managers responsible for coordinating international activities) from universities in Africa, Latin America and Asia to manage internationalisation processes and tasks in the area of higher education. The programme enables participants to build up improved and more effective internationalisation structures at their home universities.

The main topics of the course are internationalisation, strategic management, management of partnerships, mobility at home and abroad, and counselling and marketing. The programme does not target universities already at a very developed stage of internationalisation, nor is its main purpose to provide knowledge about proposal writing for third-party funding.

On September 23^rd-24^th 2024, we came together and proudly marked the 10^th anniversary of the DIES Training Course "Management of Internationalisation". This significant milestone celebrated a decade of transformative impact, jointly coordinated by Leibniz University Hannover (LUH), the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), and the German Rectors' Conference (HRK), with the generous support of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).

The event was a testament to the course's influence in fostering internationalisation competencies among professionals from Africa, Asia, and Latin America. By 2024, 172 alumni across six cohorts have been instrumental in transforming over 160 academic institutions worldwide.

The Course has guided participants to assess, reform, and enhance internationalisation management within their universities, putting an emphasis on sustainability, continuous quality management, and extended networking.

Over the past decade, participants have developed and implemented projects addressing key areas such as international recruitment, structuring international offices, formulating strategic plans for internationalisation, enhancing student mobility, and integrating international dimensions into research and curricula.

The 10^th anniversary celebration provided an opportunity to reflect on our journey, honour our achievements, and anticipate future innovations and collaborations. The event featured several highlights, including:

Commemorating this significant milestone, we extend our deepest gratitude to everyone who has contributed to the program's success: First of all our invaluable partners - Universidad Católica San Pablo – UCSP (Arequipa, Peru), Manipal Academy of Higher Education – MAHE (Manipal, India), Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology – JKUAT (Nairobi, Kenya), and Dedan Kimathi University of Technology (Kenya), as well as dedicated donors, inspiring instructors, passionate participants – all of this would have been impossible without you! We look forward to building on this strong foundation to ensure continued success and innovation in internationalisation for higher education.

Thank you to all who joined us and made this celebration memorable. Here's to another decade of excellence and progress in internationalising higher education!

DeKUT has been co-hosting the Dialogue on Innovative Higher Education Strategies (DIES) Africa Regional Workshop on Management of Internationalization Training Programme jointly organized by the Leibniz University of Hannover, Germany, the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) and the German Rectors Conference (HRK).

This year, the event was scheduled from 29th February 2024 to 1st March 2024 at the DeKUT Wildlife Conservancy. The workshop has drawn participants from eleven countries within Africa and beyond. It brings together University managers to equip them with skills to manage processes and tasks of internationalization in higher education and enable participants to build up improved and more effective internationalization structures in their home Universities.

The event’s culmination will be a Cultural Extravaganza presented by DeKUT with the theme “I am an African” on 29th February 2024 to be held in the Conservancy Campsite. The extravaganza promotes African culture through traditional dances, costumes, cuisine, and music. Hosting this workshop is tremendous progress for the University in fostering regional and global internationalization.