The Minister of Science and Technology, Derek Hanekom, today visited the German academic exchange institution in Berlin today, as part of efforts to expand cooperation in selected human capital development programmes between the two countries.
The Minister is in Berlin to attend the closing ceremony of the German-South African Year of Science 2012/13 on 16 April 2013, which celebrates 16 years of scientific collaboration between the two countries.
The Year of Science is a joint initiative between the Department of Science and Technology and the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research. Opened in Cape Town last year, this initiative celebrates the two countries’ intense relations in science and technology and sought more innovative ways to strengthen the relations even further.
The German Academic Exchange Services (DAAD) is one of the largest funding organisations in the world supporting international students’ and scientists’ exchange programmes between Germany and other countries.
Since its founding in 1925, DAAD has supported more than 1.5 m scholars in Germany and abroad. Through an in-country scholarship programme, DAAD has made bursary awards to 310 doctoral and 295 master’s students in South Africa over the last four years, in an effort to increase the qualification profile of the research and teaching staff in universities and research institutions.
Minister Hanekom and DAAD President Prof. Margret Wintermantel jointly committed to increase staff and postgraduate student exchanges within varied research cooperation programmes as well as facilitate the placement of South African students in strategic research institutions in Germany as part of DAAD’s practical traineeship programme.
Building on the established momentum and strengthened relations in science and technology, Minister Hanekom and Prof. Wintermantel identified South Africa’s participation in the post-doctoral exchange programme (the new Leibniz-DAAD Research Fellowship) as a strategic priority.
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