Internationalising Higher Education

Germany has made an active response to the global competition in research and higher education which has involved national
stakeholders in the field, in particular DAAD, DFG and, most importantly, German universities themselves.
A process of reshaping the profiles of universities was initiated in 2004 by the 'Exzellenzinitiative' in the field of Research and
Development. The aim of this was to create top universities and research institutes that can compete with the global premier league
through nationwide competition. The initiative is considered to be a major success and has raised the visibility of German universities and
research worldwide. It will continue in 2012-13 with a new round of competition. To take part in the 'Exzellenzinitiative'
universities had to analyse their strengths and weaknesses, formulate goals and develop certain instruments to succeed in the future.