How can universities establish sustainable networking relationships with visiting international researchers once they have returned to their home country? In an attempt to find the best answer to this question the Alexander von Humboldt-Stiftung recently invited universities to join in a competition called “Forscher-Alumni-Strategien” 2014 [Researcher-Alumni Strategy 2014]. The University of Bremen impressed the jury with its concept for making visiting researchers feel at home and creating binding long-lasting relationships – via a structured “friend-raising” program that stretches over the whole period of their stay, from “Welcome Day” up to “Farewell Day”. The winning concept for recruiting international “ambassadors” across all levels of their academic careers will subsequently be supported by the Humboldt-Stiftung in an amount of 30,000 euros.
Bremen scores a double success
And that’s not all: Another institution in Bremen, the Leibniz Center for Marine Tropical Ecology (ZMT), will also receive 30,000 euros to help build up their own researcher alumni network. All in all, a total of 16 universities in different parts of Germany were selected for this special funding, which will be financed by the German Ministry for Education and Research.
Diverse strategies
The strategies employed by the winning institutions to recruit international alumni as ambassadors and foreign-based talent scouts are quite diverse: They range from organizing virtual colloquia to formally appointing alumni representatives. This last round of calls for the foreseeable future has shown that universities have taken the importance of alumni activities to heart. Since 2011 a total of 25 universities and extra-mural research institutions have successfully competed for funding.
Different levels of funding
Universities and extra-mural research institutions in the early stages of their alumni activities receive 30,000 euros. Those institutions which have already put initial strategies in place receive up to 60,000 to support alumni meetings held abroad. Moreover, established alumni activities entailing successful and sustainable strategies are rewarded with a further 30,000 euros. You can find a list of the award-winning institutions under www.humboldt-foundation.de/presse
The “Researcher-Alumni Strategies” competition
The “Researcher-Alumni Strategies” competition is part of the “International Research Marketing” project, a shared initiative run by the Alexander von Humboldt-Stiftung, the German Academic Exchange Office, the German Research Foundation and the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft. The project is financed by the German Ministry for Education and Research and is part of an initiative titled “Research in Germany”. More information under: www.forscher-alumni.de
The Alexander von Humboldt-Stiftung
Year for year, the Humboldt-Stiftung makes it possible for over 2,000 researchers from all parts of the world to come to Germany for research stays. The foundation maintains a world-wide network spread across all disciplines in over 140 countries. The alumni network encompasses more than 26,000 Humboldtians – 50 of whom are Nobel laureates.
If you would like to obtain more information on this topic, please contact:
University of Bremen
International Office
Dr. Annette Lang
Phone: 0421 218 60361
email: annette.langprotect me ?!vw.uni-bremenprotect me ?!.de
