Bilateral Cooperation in Education

Enlarge image Students of Goettingen University in the state library (© dpa - Report) In 2009, the German Foreign Office made education and academic cooperation one of the priority area of its foreign policy. 

Four main agencies are active in this framework of educational cooperation:

–  The Central Agency for Schools Abroad promotes a network of more than 500 schools – German schools abroad and national schools having the German Language Certificate – offering qualifications recognised in Germany.

–  The Goethe-Institut, called Max Mueller Bhavan in India, helps the schools it supports to introduce or develop German as a subject. It offers teachers further training on instruction methods and language courses and equips schools with modern teaching materials and multimedia instruction.

–  The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) has a scholarship programme for graduates of German schools abroad and partner schools. DAAD has been active in India since 1956 and has, in addition to its main office in Delhi, several support centres at major Indian universities.

–  The Educational Exchange Service (PAD) promotes school exchanges and partnerships within the context of the initiative. The international award programme for foreign students gives learners of German the opportunity to get to know Germany first hand during a four-week trip to the country.

In India, German as a foreign language has become increasingly popular as a subject in schools. A number of groups from schools all over India have visited Germany on exchange programmes, and vice versa. This exchange of students has been of great interest and benefit, not only in terms of increasing language skills, but also in terms of widening their horizons.