Strengthening Belgian-German higher education cooperation in a European context
In his welcome address, Ambassador Kotthaus highlighted the high quality of higher education in both countries, noting the considerable untapped potential in bilateral academic exchange and underscoring DAAD’s pivotal role as a key enabler of these partnerships.
DAAD President, Professor Joybrato Mukherjee, who also serves as Rector of the University of Cologne, emphasised that strong internationalisation has always been part of DAAD’s DNA, and will remain central to its mission. Due to the success story of academic collaboration in the context of international exchange, he underlined its growing importance and contribution to democracy and peace in the world in turbulent times.
From the Belgian side, a key concern raised by many universities is the decline in Belgian students choosing Germany as a study destination, despite the high quality and geographical proximity of the German higher education system. While student exchange numbers remain low in both directions, research collaboration is identified as a strong and consistent element of bilateral academic relationships. The Belgian rectors appreciated the large number of formal agreements with German partners as a clear indicator for the strong foundation of institutional cooperation based on mutual trust.
A growing focus on European university alliances has been identified by the participants as strategic platforms for both student mobility and collaborative research, despite persisting challenges such as accreditation processes and the complexities involved in implementing joint degrees. They emphasised the need to institutionalise bilateral collaboration more deeply, ensuring it is embedded across the entire university, involving institutional leadership, faculties, and administrative structures.
Professor Mukherjee also noted a significant difference between Germany and Belgium. All Belgian universities participate in the EU flagship initiative, while in Germany – given the size of the system – only a fraction of higher education institutions are a member of a European University Alliance. The meeting also addressed the different approaches to strategically benefiting from the membership of such alliances. Looking ahead, the president of DAAD envisages an increased student mobility numbers and a stronger research component between Belgium and Germany within university alliances.
Michael Hörig, Director of DAAD Brussels, shared the recent development of upgrading DAAD’s regional branch in Brussels as a fully-fledged third DAAD office, complementing its headquarters in Bonn and its capital office in Berlin. This move marks a logical next step of strengthening DAAD’s European mission and ambitions, as laid down in the DAAD Strategy 2030. Following the organisation’s recent accreditation as a pillar-assessed entity by the European Commission, DAAD is eligible to implement European projects worldwide through indirect management – as status that opens up new opportunities for deepening bilateral academic cooperation between Belgium and Germany.
