Round Table Event: "Choosing Europe - How to attract global minds to Europe and EU Member States"

On 2 December 2025, the DAAD Office in Brussels and the German Research Foundation (DFG) jointly organised a round table event entitled ‘Choosing Europe – How to attract global minds to Europe and EU Member States’. The event report has now been published. It summarises the results of the discussions and provides a comprehensive overview of the programmes presented.

27 February 2026

In response to geopolitical challenges and rising threats to academic freedom globally, the European Commission introduced the “Choose Europe for Science” initiative in 2025, including a pilot call under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA).

Several countries – notably Germany with the Global Minds Initiative Germany, funded by the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space, which is run by DFG, Alexander von Humboldt Foundation (AvH), and DAAD, as well as countries like France, the Netherlands and the UK – have recently rolled out new or updated existing schemes to strengthen Europe as a research hub and make it more attractive for international talent. Europe now offers 101 national and regional funding programmes aimed at attracting, retaining, and supporting researchers.

Against the background of these developments, the round table event brought together representatives from European institutions, national research organisations and stakeholder organisations for an initial discussion on the programme priorities, expected impacts, and opportunities for tailored development.