DAAD Australia Information Centre Sydney Rundbrief 25 Juni 2011
Transcription
DAAD Australia Information Centre Sydney Rundbrief 25 Juni 2011
DAAD Australia Information Centre Sydney Rundbrief 25 Juni 2011 Dear alumna, dear alumnus, dear friend of the DAAD, Welcome to the 25th edition of the DAAD Australia newsletter! Willkommen zur 25. Ausgabe des DAAD Australien-Rundbriefs! "Nothing is permanent except change", said Diogenes Laërtius in the 3rd century BC. Besides the wisdom in this sentence it is a good example that there always are great fitting quotes at hand to introduce one’s own agenda. In this case we have a number of changes to announce in this newsletter. Some of them concern DAAD representation in Australia; others have been introduced in Germany to make the country more welcoming to foreign students and researchers; amongst the latter are improvements in the recognition of foreign degrees as well as improved residency permits. You will find more information in this newsletter. In brief: Changes at DAAD in Australia Now on our website: Information for German students and researchers Apply now for our DAAD Hochschul-Winterkurs and Encounter Europe scholarships! RISE 2012 Results Former DAAD Secretary General Dr. Christian Bode key note speaker at the AC21 International Forum in Adelaide, 12-14 June DAAD Vice President Mukherjee to visit Australia in September Numbers of Australian students enrolled in German Studies Improvements for foreigners moving to and Germans returning to Germany: Rückkehrförderung für deutsche WissenschaftlerInnen Anerkennungsgesetz tritt am 1. April in Kraft – Start von Informationsportal und Hotline Residency improvements for foreigners Info brochure on gainful employment in Germany available Discover the EU Centres at three Australian universities Deutsche Rechtsanwälte in Sydney Alumni News – Events and Publications Alumnus Aidan Byrne new CEO of the ARC Hirschfeld-Mack Professor Anna Haebich Past Mentoring, Research Ambassadors and Alumni Meetings on 31 March/1 April Become a member of RAMP.au - become a research ambassador, a mentor or mentee! Are you already a member of the alumni association? DAAD Alumni Portal on social media Our regional alumni representatives By the way … We’d love to hear your feedback and comments on all aspects of the newsletter! Enjoy! Ahil, Elisabeth & Andreas Find us on Find us on and follow us on ! http://www.facebook.com/pages/DAAD-Australia/170919229617549 http://www.twitter.com/DAAD_Australia DAAD Australien-Rundbrief - 2 DAAD Information Centre Sydney, May 2011 Changes at DAAD Sydney My dear friends, colleagues, partners – after 6 ½ years, the end of my contract and of my time in Australia is close. I will be leaving my two positions as director of the DAAD Information Centre Sydney and as lecturer at the German Department of the University of Sydney at the end of June. While this is sad news, I also believe that every change generates fresh ideas and new approaches, and I am very confident that I'll be leaving you in the very best hands: Jörn Hausner will be my successor from July onwards. Please find below a brief greeting that he kindly sent us for our newsletter. In the meantime, I would like to thank you all for the wonderful and enriching experience of working with you. I already know that I will miss all of you, my jobs, and our life in Australia. At the same time, I am looking forward to new challenges for me and my whole family at the Schloss Schule Salem, close to Lake Constance in Southern Germany. I also would like to thank you for the support with which I am sure you will welcome Joern and make his first weeks and months easier. G’Day/ Liebe LeserInnen, gern nehme ich die Einladung von Herrn Dr. Andreas Jäger an, mich in dem letzten von ihm herausgegebenen Newsletter als sein Nachfolger vorzustellen. In gut sechs Wochen schon beginnt für mich das Abenteuer Australien und damit vor allem die Herausforderung, seine erfolgreiche Arbeit im besten Sinne fortzusetzen und auch weiter zu führen. Wie viel dazugehört, in Andreas’ Fußstapfen zu treten, können die LeserInnen dieses Newsletter anhand der Bandbreite der regelmäßig verhandelten Themen u.U. noch besser ermessen als ich im Moment. Zu meiner Person: Ich habe in Leipzig am Herder-Institut DaF studiert und war fünf Jahre in Chambéry als DAADLektor tätig. Nach meiner Rückkehr nach Berlin habe ich in einem Austauschprogramm der FU-Berlin als DaFKoordinator gearbeitet und mich in Neukölln im Rahmen von sozialpädagogischer Jugendarbeit engagiert. Ich freue mich auf die Zusammenarbeit mit meinen KollegInnen der University of Sydney, mit der Crew des IC-Büros, mit meinen DAAD-KollegInnen in Adelaide und Melbourne sowie allen anderen Multiplikatoren und Mittlern. Sonnige Grüße in alle Richtungen aus einem überraschend hochsommerlichen Berlin und auf sehr bald, Ihr Jörn Hausner I'm happy to accept Andreas' invitation to introduce myself in this newsletter. In about six weeks, my adventure in Australia and the challenge of continuing Andreas' successful work will begin. Considering the large spectrum of topics and issues that are regularly featured in this newsletter, you will probably have an even better idea of what this entails than I currently do. But let me introduce myself: I studied DaF (Deutsch als Fremdsprache, German as a Foreign Language) in Leipzig and then spent five years in Chambéry as DAAD lecturer. After my return to Berlin, I served as DaF coordinator for an FU Berlin exchange programme and was also involved in youth social work. I look forward to working with my colleagues at the University of Sydney, the IC team in Sydney and my DAAD colleagues in Adelaide and Melbourne as well as all the other advocates, alumni and more. With best regards from the surprisingly warm and summery city of Berlin, Jörn Hausner Thanks, Jörn, I wish you all the best down under! You might have read with surprise that Joern addressed a DAAD colleague in Adelaide – this is very exciting news indeed! In addition to Melbourne University, where our lovely and energetic Tina Stubenrauch works as DAAD lecturer, and Sydney University, the German Department at the University of Adelaide will get a DAAD lecturer, Stefan Hajduk, who will introduce himself in our next newsletter. Meanwhile, we have some biographical information for you: Dr Stefan Hajduk studied German Studies, Philosophy and Theatre Studies in Frankfurt, Munich, Rome, Naples and Baltimore. After gaining his PhD at Humboldt University, Berlin, in 1998, Stefan worked as a lecturer at the University of Poona (India) and the University of Limerick (Ireland). His main focus is on German literature from the 18th to the 21st century; apart from pulications on Goethe, E.T.A. Hoffmann, Fontane and others, Stefan has also published a book on Robert Musil (Die Figur des Erhabenen. Robert Musils ästhetische Transgression der Moderne; Würzburg 2000). His current research deals with the aesthetics and poetics of Stimmung ("mood" or "atmosphere") since Goethe's times. Stefan, all the best from us all! Andreas and the DAAD team Australia G’Day/ Dear readers, back DAAD Australien-Rundbrief - 3 DAAD Information Centre Sydney, May 2011 Now on our website: Information for German students and researchers As this is something we've been frequently asked in the past, we have now put together some information for Germans wanting to study or do research in Australia as well as information for German researchers wanting to return to Germany permanently. You will find all this and more on our website: http://ic.daad.de/sydney/StipendienfuerDeutsche.htm Apply now for our DAAD Hochschul-Winterkurs and Encounter Europe scholarships! Winterkurs In co-operation with the universities of Duisburg-Essen, Freiburg, Leipzig and the IIK Duesseldorf, the DAAD is once again offering scholarships to participate in a sixweek "Deutschlandkundlicher Winterkurs in January and February 2013. The programme is designed for bachelor, master and PhD students with a sound knowledge of German (at least B1, preferably B2) and some background in German Studies who are interested in improving their language skills and understanding of contemporary affairs and aiming for further (p/g) studies in Germany. The programme includes a course of six weeks (German language, German literature and Modern Cultural Studies of Germany) including study trips. For more information and an application pack, please visit http://ic.daad.de/sydney/winterkurs.htm. Encounter Europe In co-operation with the ASKO Europa Stiftung (AES) and other renowned partners in Germany and Australia, the DAAD is once again offering scholarships for a two-week course dealing with a variety of issues regarding the European Union. Two weeks full of exciting opportunities for students – from the fields of law, politics, international relations, European studies or similar subjects – wanting to improve their understanding of contemporary European affairs and legislative regulations, organised by the European Academy Otzenhausen, the University of New England and the DAAD. The course will be held in English. The programme consists of a course on European affairs as well as study trips to Trier, Luxembourg (European Court of Justice, city), Strasbourg (European Parliament, European Court of Human Rights, city with Christmas market), and Germany’s former capital, Bonn (visiting the DAAD). For more information, please visit http://ic.daad.de/sydney/encounter%20europe.htm back RISE 2012 – Results In addition to the first round, the second round of the new DAAD RISE research internship programme has been a resounding success: 241 German bachelor students (2011: 247) were selected for internship positions in 28 countries across the world (2011: 22). Even though numbers were slightly lower than for the first round, with a total of 557 internship offers (2011: 643) for which 373 applications were received (2011: 408). Australia ranked 3rd after the USA and Canada, with 150 applications received for 86 offers. In the end, 43 students were successful in gaining a scholarship for Australia. Most of the students, of which 120 were female and 121 male, are studying biology or physics, with engineering, earth sciences and chemistry featuring as well. The next RISE round will start later this years, and offers can be placed online from October 8 to November 25. More information will be available from July or August onwards. Former DAAD Secretary General Dr. Christian Bode key note speaker at the AC21 International Forum in Adelaide Recently retired but still more than active DAAD Secretary General Dr. Christian Bode, who was our guest down under at the Australia-wide DAAD Alumni Conference at Sydney University in 2010, will follow the invitations of University of Adelaide's Vice-Chancellor and President, Professor James McWha, and of also recently retired Pro ViceChancellor (International) Professor John Taplin to be a keynote speaker at the AC21 International Forum. The title of his talk will be "(Higher)Education in times of Globalisation - the universities' responsability". You’ll find an abstract on our DAAD Sydney website. Academic Consortium 21 is a consortium of 20 universities, including Freiburg, Strasbourg, Nagoya, Peking, SJTU, Chulalongkorn, Adelaide, Sydney. Every two years there is an AC21 International Forum. This year, it is being held from 12-14 June, hosted by the University of Adelaide (see http://www.adelaide.edu.au/ac21conference/). The theme of this year's conference is "Maximising the Benefits of Internationalisation". A spokesperson for the university is anticipating an attendance of about 100-200 people. When inviting Dr. Bode, Prof. Taplin was so thoughtful to add that he trusts Christian Bode should be able to see DAAD Australien-Rundbrief - 4 DAAD Information Centre Sydney, May 2011 the Holland/Germany match on TV on 13 June over here - an always important match rekindling decades of intense soccer rivalry. Dr Bode will also meet DAAD alumni and DAAD-AAvHF research ambassadors I Adelaide. DAAD Vice President Mukherjee to visit Australia in September The Group of Eight universities together with the German Embassy and the ANU Centre for European Studies are organising a talk by Professor Joybrato Mukherjee, Vice-President of the DAAD and President of the University of Gießen. The talk, entitled From egalitarian to elite and back: Recent policy shifts in higher education in Germany will be held at the ANU Centre for European Studies, 1 Liversidge Street (Bldg. 67C) in Canberra on Tuesday, 11 September, 12pm1.30pm. Please RSVP to europe@anu.edu.au by Friday 31 August 2012. Professor Mukherjee was elected President of the Justus Liebig University (JLU) in Gießen, Germany, in December 2010. In January 2012 he took on the role of Vice-President of the DAAD. At 39, Professor Mukherjee is Germany’s youngest university president. Professor Mukherjee’s research interests include computer supported corpus linguistics and English syntax. He is a member of the International Graduate Centre for the Study of Culture and the Centre for Media and Interactivity and participates in a variety of international research projects and collaborations. He will discuss the significant change in the traditional egalitarian approach to funding for higher education in Germany made in 2006: The “Excellence Initiative”, a competitive process based on peer review by international experts, has resulted in a relatively small number of institutions being singled out to receive large grants. The aims of this policy include the improvement of the global attractiveness and rankings of the “excellent” universities, a sustainable structural change in universities, the creation of thousands of high quality jobs, developing the specialists, experts and executives of tomorrow and improving the contribution of universities to innovation in business and industry. At the same time there has been a significant government emphasis on increasing access to higher education for those who have been under-represented at universities in the past. According to recent OECD data, Germany still has a relatively low proportion of university graduates (29%) compared to Australia with almost 40%. Is Germany aiming for an elite system or an egalitarian one and can both be achieved simultaneously with the right policies in place? The Canberra event is co-hosted by the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany as part of its Science Circle lecture series. The Science Circle is a joint initiative of the German embassy in Canberra and the Australian embassy in Berlin to promote mutual understanding of each country's research landscape, encourage discussion and through that provide a base for future collaboration. The Group of Eight universities have a long standing agreement with the DAAD. From 2007 to 2012 the two organisations have provided over A$ 5 million to research exchange between our two countries. The ANU Centre for European Studies is an initiative involving four ANU Colleges (Arts and Social Sciences, Law, Business and Economics and Asia and the Pacific). Professor Mukherjee is also invited to give his talk on shifts in the German higher education landscape at the University of Melbourne. All alumni are invited to listen to and meet him afterwards at our alumni reception, on 24 September from 5-7pm. We will send out an invitation with the location. Together with our DAAD and AAvHF research ambassadors we also will organise an information talk for graduates and researchers about opportunities for research collaboration with Germany and on our mentoring program for graduates, PhD candidates and young postdocs from 3 to 4pm followed by networking with refreshments (Kaffee und Kuchen) from 4 to 5pm, in the wonderful Griffin Gallery. Please also keep an eye on our website, Facebook page, Twitter feed or our next newsletter for more details! back Numbers of Australian students enrolled in German Studies If you have been following the statistics in recent years, you might have got the impression that learning and studying German is in a continuous decline. In many countries this is true, often because the interest in German waned in the years after the fall of the Berlin wall and because German has become just one of a bigger group of competing languages. In addition, German as a language taught in secondary schools experienced a certain downturn in Australia. However, things are different at the university level! A quick survey I undertook recently indicated a total of 2,923 students of German enrolled at one of 16 Australian universities (1st semester 2012). This means that numbers are actually pretty stable (cf. recent StaDaf resp. Netzwerk Deutsch surveys or University of Melbourne’s Dr. Leo Kretzenbacher's overview in GFL 2/2011). DAAD Australien-Rundbrief - 5 DAAD Information Centre Sydney, May 2011 All Go8 universities as well as MQU, UTAS, USQ, UTS, UNE and Newcastle University (the latter using their own tutors and UNE resources otherwise) offer German Studies or at least a German program. A similar program at JCU, however, was cancelled and is currently being phased out. There are some other universities participating at the existing German programs via cross enrolments. RMIT uses a different model, offering the first 2 stages of a beginners' language course taught by Goethe-Institut tutors. Improvements for foreigners moving to and for Germans returning to Germany There have been some recent improvements for foreigners wanting to study or work in Germany as well as for German academics interested in returning to their home country. Please see the following four articles for more information! Rückkehrförderung für deutsche WissenschaftlerInnen Seit Mitte 2009 kann der DAAD aus Mitteln des Bundesministeriums für Bildung und Forschung deutsche WissenschaftlerInnen im Ausland bei der beruflichen Wiedereingliederung in Deutschland unterstützen. Bewerbungsberechtigt sind deutsche DoktorandInnen einer ausländischen Hochschule in der Endphase ihrer Promotion (voraussichtlicher Abschluss der Promotion innerhalb der nächsten 12 Monate), PostdoktorandInnen und erfahrene WissenschaftlerInnen im Ausland, die nach einer Mobilitätsphase ihre wissenschaftliche Karriere in Deutschland fortsetzen möchten. Darüber hinaus sollen deutsche WissenschaftlerInnen, die im Ausland promoviert haben, in ihrem Bemühen unterstützt werden, Kontakte und wissenschaftliche Kooperationen mit deutschen Hochschulen einzugehen. Hierbei werden zwei voneinander unabhängige Fördermaßnahmen angeboten: Fahrtkostenzuschüsse für Vorstellungsgespräche oder Fachvorträge in Deutschland sowie bis zu sechsmonatige Stipendien. Weitere Informationen erhalten Sie unter www.daad.de/rueckgewinnung und bei Renata Dujmović (dujmovic@daad.de). Anerkennungsgesetz tritt am 1. April in Kraft – Start von Informationsportal und Hotline Viele Deutsche und nach Deutschland Zugewanderte haben im Ausland berufliche Qualifikationen und Abschlüsse erworben, die auf dem deutschen Arbeitsmarkt dringend Friedrich Hubert Esser (Präsident des Bundesinstituts für Berufsbildung, BIBB), Bundesbildungsministerin Annette Schavan und Manfred Schmidt (Präsident des Bundesamts für Migration und Flüchtlinge, BAMF) © Bundesregierung/Steffen Kugler gebraucht werden. Bisher konnten sie diese Qualifikationen in Deutschland aber oft nicht optimal verwerten, weil Bewertungsverfahren und Bewertungsmaßstäbe fehlten oder die Regelun-gen zur Anerkennung von im Ausland erworbe-nen Abschlüssen und Qualifikationen unzureichend und wenig einheitlich war. Um diese Situation zu verbessern, trat am 1. April 2012 das so genannte Anerkennungsgesetz in Kraft. Das Gesetz schafft erstmals einen Rechtsanspruch auf ein Verfahren zur Anerkennung ausländischer Berufsqualifikationen – und zwar für alle, unabhängig vom Herkunftsland, und innerhalb von drei Monaten nach Einreichen der erforderlichen Papiere. „Durch dieses Gesetz darf beispielsweise ein hochqualifizierter Arzt aus dem Ausland endlich auch als Arzt arbeiten – und muss nicht mehr länger Taxi fahren“, sagte Bundesbildungsministerin Annette Schavan. „Für mich ist das eine Frage der Gerechtigkeit und des Respekts vor der Qualifikation eines Menschen“. Zugleich sei die Anerkennung im Ausland erworbener Berufsqualifikationen ein Baustein bei der Behebung des Fachkräftemangels. Zum neuen Gesetz gibt es ein Informationsportal und eine Telefon-Hotline. Hier kann man erfahren, welche Papiere eingereicht werden müssen und wohin man sich konkret wenden muss. Das Portal wird vom Bundesinstitut für Berufsbildung (BIBB) im Auftrag des Bundesministeriums für Bildung und Forschung (BMBF) betrieben. Ergänzend zum Anerkennungsportal schaltet das Bundesamt für Migration und Flüchtlinge (BAMF) eine Telefon-Hotline frei, die für Interessierte aus dem In- und Ausland zugänglich ist. Anrufer erhalten hier in deutscher und englischer Sprache Auskunft über die einzelnen Schritte und Voraussetzungen der beruflichen Anerkennung. Die Hotline ist montags bis freitags von 9 bis 15 Uhr unter der Nummer +49 (0)30-1815-1111 erreichbar. Weitere Informationen: http://www.anerkennung-in-deutschland.de/html/en/32.php http://www.bmbf.bund.de/de/15644.php www.anerkennung-in-deutschland.de back Residency improvements for foreign students, graduates, scientists and researchers On 27 April 2012, Germany’s federal parliament (Bundestag) passed the Act Implementing the EU Directive on Entry and Residence of Highly Qualified Workers. The scope of this law exceeds EU targets and presents foreign students, scientists and researchers with new opportunities in Germany by making a number of important changes to residency rights in Germany. For example, it will allow foreign students casual work on 120 instead of previously 90 days per year; after graduation, they will be allowed to stay in Germany for 18 instead of 12 months to seek qualified employment. DAAD Australien-Rundbrief - 6 DAAD Information Centre Sydney, May 2011 They may work without time limits during this time and will no longer need to seek the approval of the German Federal Employment Agency (Bundesagentur für Arbeit, BA). In addition, they will be eligible for permanent residency after only two years. For foreign academics seeking employment, a residency permit for up to 6 months will be introduced. Anyone with an employment contract as an academic or qualified professional with a minimum salary of around €44,800 (or around €35,000 for certain occupations) may work in Germany for up to 4 years using the ''Blue Card''. Blue Card holders will already be eligible for permanent residency after 2 to 3 years. Family members of foreign skilled workers will also find it easier to take up employment, for example by no longer requiring BA approval. In addition to these changes, the maximum stay for students will be extended to 10 years for a course of studies including study preparation, with an additional five years for a PhD. The DAAD welcomes the new legislation which still requires the approval of the 2nd house of Germany’s federal parliament (Bundesrat). Info brochure on gainful employment in Germany available Many of our scholarship applicants as well as others interested in living in Germany are wondering about gainful employment in Germany: Will I be allowed to work? Are there any restrictions? Do I need a special type of visa? You will now find answers to these and other questions around working in Germany in a new DAAD leaflet, available from our website (http://ic.daad.de/sydney/faq.htm#10) – or simply email us at daad.australia@gmail.com. Discover the EU Centres at three Australian universities Did you know that three Australian universities feature "EU Centres" with talks, panel discussions and more, all open to the public and usually for free? Check out the links for more information! We also post many of their events on our Facebook page – "like" us if you don't want to miss out! European Union (EU) Centre at RMIT The European Union (EU) Centre at RMIT University was established in January 2010 to promote a better understanding of the EU and EU-Australia relations. The Centre provides a focal point for teaching, research and outreach activities with the EU, Australia and the Asia Pacific Region. It acts as an advocate for the EU in the region and facilitates the dissemination of information and knowledge from academia to industry and the community at large. The European Union Centre at RMIT is funded through a grant from the European Union and RMIT University. http://www.rmit.edu.au/eucentre ANU Centre for European Studies ANUCES is an initiative involving four ANU Colleges (Arts and Social Sciences, Law, Business and Economics and Asia and the Pacific). It focuses the talents of hundreds of researchers, teachers and students working on Europe on a single site. Its purpose is to create synergies, promote interdisciplinary dialogue, and generate collaborative research projects at home and abroad. The ANU Centre for European Studies takes over the role formerly played by the National Europe Centre. It is funded jointly by the ANU and the European Commission. http://ces.anu.edu.au/ Monash European and EU Centre The Monash European and EU Centre is a joint undertaking by the European Commission of the European Union (EU) and Monash University, led by the Faculties of Arts, Business and Economics and Law. It provides teaching, research and outreach on Europe and the EU. The Centre’s courses and units offer the opportunity to study in Europe and provide a portal to facilitate European and EU related activities across Monash University. http://www.monash.edu.au/europecentre/ back Deutsche Rechtsanwälte in Sydney Im März 2010 fand in den Räumen des Goethe-Instituts Sydney ein gemeinsamer Umtrunk des DAAD und der Deutsch-AustralischPazifischen Juristenvereinigung e.V. (DAPJV – http://www.dapjv.com) statt. Eines der Vorstandsmitglieder der DAPJV ist Michael Kobras, der Partner der Kanzlei Schweizer Kobras ist. Schweizer Kobras ist die einzige Kanzlei in Sydney mit Rechtsanwälten, die in Australien, Deutschland und der Schweiz zugelassen sind. Sowohl Michael Kobras als auch Norbert Schweizer, der Gründer der Kanzlei, sind australische Fachanwälte für Wirtschaftsrecht („accredited specialist – business law“) und australische Notare („public notary“), wobei Norbert Schweizer über eine mehr als 30jährige Berufserfahrung auf den Gebieten des Wirtschafts- und Erbrechts DAAD Australien-Rundbrief - 7 DAAD Information Centre Sydney, May 2011 verfügt. Michael Kobras ist darüber hinaus staatlich zugelassener Einwanderungsberater („registered migration agent“). Er wurde bereits mehrmals von australischen Gerichten als Sachverständiger für deutsches Recht beauftragt. Beide Partner, die meisten der angestellten Anwälte und fast alle anderen Mitarbeiter sprechen sowohl Deutsch als auch Englisch, und die Kanzlei ist Vertrauensanwalt des deutschen Generalkonsulats Sydney, des österreichischen Generalkonsulats Sydney, der schweizerischen Botschaft Canberra und des schweizerischen Generalkonsulats Sydney. Neben zahlreichen Wirtschaftsunternehmen gehören zu den Mandanten auch das Goethe-Institut Sydney, die German International School Sydney und der deutsch-australische Hilfsverein. Die Kanzlei befindet sich im Geschäftsviertel im Herzen von Sydney und bietet sowohl Unternehmen als auch Privatpersonen eine umfassende Beratung in nahezu allen Bereichen des deutschen, australischen und schweizerischen Zivilrechts an. So ist die Kanzlei insbesondere deutschen, österreichischen und schweizerischen Unternehmen bei der Erschließung des australischen Marktes behilflich, sei es durch den Abschluss von Verträgen mit australischen Vertriebspartnern, die Eröffnung einer australischen Zweigniederlassung oder die Gründung einer australischen Tochtergesellschaft. Privatpersonen nehmen die Dienste der Kanzlei überwiegend im Erbrecht in Anspruch. Wenn sowohl in Australien als auch in Deutschland oder andernorts Vermögenswerte vorhanden sind, können Vorsorgevollmachten und letztwillige Verfügungen erstellt werden, die in allen beteiligten Ländern als rechtsgültig anerkannt werden. Nur so ist sichergestellt, dass im Falle einer ernsthaften Erkrankung und nach dem Tode alle persönlichen Wünsche zur Geltung kommen. Ferner unterstützt die Kanzlei Erben, Testamentsvollstrecker und Nachlasspfleger bei der Nachlassabwicklung. Daneben sind die Anwälte bei Schweizer Kobras beim Kauf oder Verkauf von Immobilien und beim Einzug von Forderungen bis hin zur Führung von Prozessen tätig. Der DAAD und der australische Alumniverband sind Schweizer Kobras sehr dankbar für die ehrenamtliche fundierte und sehr nette Unterstützung und Beratung bei der Formung des australischen DAAD-Alumniverbands. Für weitere Informationen wenden Sie sich bitte an: Schweizer Kobras Level 5 / 23-25 O'Connell Street, Sydney NSW 2000 Telefon: +61 2 9223 9399, Telefax: +61 2 9223 4729 http://www.schweizer.com.au – info@schweizer.com.au Alumni News – Events and Publications Alumnus Aidan Byrne new CEO of the ARC DAAD Alumnus Professor Aidan Byrne was recently appointed as the new Chief Executive Officer of the Australian Research Council (ARC). The ARC, a government organisation, provides advice to the Government on research matters and manages $879 million of the Australian Government’s investment in high-quality research as well as the internationallyrecognised Excellence in Research for Australia (ERA) research evaluation exercise. “Professor Byrne’s appointment will ensure that Australia continues to be a leading example of an innovative and robust science and research system,” Minister for Tertiary Education, Skills, Science and Research, Senator Chris Evans, said. “Professor Byrne is a distinguished leader in research and research management at the Australian National University and has been for 20 years. He brings to the ARC a wealth of industry knowledge and expertise particularly in Nuclear Physics, Physical and Mathematical Sciences as well as Engineering.” Professor Byrne currently serves as Dean of Science at the ANU and as Director of the ANU College of Physical and Mathematical Science. He will commence as CEO on Monday, 23 July. ARC Executive General Manager Ms Leanne Harvey will continue to act as CEO until this time. Former CEO Professor Margaret Sheil left the ARC last month after almost five years. “I thank Professor Sheil for her tremendous stewardship of the ARC since 2007 and wish her all the best in her new position as Provost of the University of Melbourne,” Senator Evans said. DAAD Australia welcomes this appointment and would like to extend their heartfelt congratulations to Professor Byrne who is a von Humboldt Fellow and alumnus of the Germany Joint Research Co-operation Scheme of the Go8 and DAAD. back Hirschfeld-Mack Professor Anna Haebich Since 2008, the Institute for English Philology at the FU Berlin has featured the Visiting Hirschfeld-Mack Professor programme, supported by the institute, the DAAD and the Australian embassy in Berlin. Renowned academics will be awarded a guest professorship to further academic exchange between Australia and Germany. It is named after Ludwig Hirschfeld-Mack (born 1893 in Frankfurt, died 1965 in Sydney), a member of the Bauhaus movement, who was deported to Australia as an "enemy alien" in 1940. He later became the "Head of Art" at the renowned Geelong Grammar School, influencing post-war art and design in Australia. Professor Anna Haebich, John Curtin Distinguished Professor and Senior Research Fellow at the Centre for DAAD Australien-Rundbrief - 8 DAAD Information Centre Sydney, May 2011 Human Rights Education, Curtin University, also serves as the Vice President of the Australian Academy of Humanities and visited Berlin in 2011 as part of the Hirschfeld Mack programme. She kindly agreed to share her experiences with us: In April 2011 I started a four month teaching semester as the Visiting Hirschfeld Mack Professor in the Anglistik Department at Freie Universität in Berlin. Previous lecturers were specialists in Australian literature and I was the first historian. With my background in Australian history, Indigenous studies and history in art and museums I was able to add new perspectives to students’ reading of Australian literature. The students weren’t the only ones learning! The experience was a huge learning curve for me: the formality of German universities, finding my way around Berlin, meeting new people and of course trying to speak auf Deutsch. In my spare time I travelled to conferences in Koeln and Brussels, did family research at Dachau and in Poland and developed research plans with German colleagues. The experience of working with students at Freie who come from all around the world was really inspiring and made me realise how different and intriguing your own history can be for others. back Mentoring, Research Ambassadors and Alumni Meetings on 31 March / 1 April The DAAD-AAvHF-Research Ambassadors and Mentoring Programme turned one in April – a good reason to look back and reflect as well as make plans for the future! In cooperation with the AAvHF (Australian Association of von Humboldt Fellows), a meeting of all mentors / mentees / DAAD Research Ambassadors was held on Saturday, 31 March 2012. This event aimed at three different groups of experts in German-Australian research exchange, namely DAAD alumni, AAvH fellows and German lecturers and professors at Australian universities. From these groups, we have recruited about 50 "Research Ambassadors", with some of them acting as mentors as well. We also have a group of young, upand-coming scientists who are interested in a mentee opportunity. So far, we have matched up ten mentormentee pairings, with more to come! If you are interested, please email us: daad.australia@gmail.com! We will continue to match up mentees and mentors. Apart from getting mentors and mentees together and providing them with some background for their next steps, the event aimed at empowering and enabling all these individuals to act independently as Research Ambassadors, using their position to inform students and researchers in Australia about study exchange and opportunities for research collaborations in Germany. The DAAD is happy to announce that we can now provide some small funds to make it possible for our Research Ambassadors to organise small information gatherings at their university or research institution and e.g. pay for some finger food or cappuccinos. Two overseas guests enriched our event: Dr Ulla Toyka, head of our regional department at DAAD headquarters in Bonn, and Peter Kerrigan, deputy director of the DAAD’s New York office and director of marketing and development for the DAAD in North America. The exchange of experiences and ideas with the DAAD offices in New York, Toronto and San Francisco has been vivid for some time, because in some respects, Australia presents similar conditions to North America, such as a highly developed country with a corresponding education market as well as English as a native language. The DAAD in North America already has plenty of experience with the Research Ambassadors Program that was actually developed in New York, thanks to Peter Kerrigan. About 40 Research Ambassadors and speakers attended the meeting, among them A/Prof. Herman Beyersdorf, President of the Australian DAAD Alumni Association, as well as A/Prof. Kay Double, acting representative of the Australian Association of von Humboldt Fellows, AvH Ambassador to Australia and one of the main driving forces of the mentoring program. The intensive schedule was aimed at developing a joint programme for all Research Ambassadors and involved discussions about the North American program, Germany as a research destination, the internationalisation of the German university landscape including the excellence initiative and a comparison with Australia, as well as the principles and programmes of the DAAD and the AvH. Mentoring programme - results Attending mentors and mentees agreed on - the importance of face-to-face meetings, particularly at the beginning of the mentoring process; - the need for more events that bring people together to DAAD Australien-Rundbrief - 9 DAAD Information Centre Sydney, May 2011 exchange views and experiences; - the need for an annual meeting (alternating between Melbourne and Sydney, perhaps later expanding to other cities) and some teleconferences throughout the year to formalise the programme; - to inform newly awarded DAAD scholarship holders immediately about the scheme in order to recruit more mentees; - that providing an online list of the profiles of the mentors/mentees would be instrumental. This will also assist to see densities of people who could perhaps work together in a group. - that a person will need to run the website; - the need to expand the current management committee of Andreas and Kay. The following mentors, mentees and DAAD reps put up their hands: • Ana Beaumont, Macquarie University – (website) moderator; • Patsie Polly, UNSW – coordinator; • Claudia Möller, Macquarie University – coordinator; • Tina Stubenrauch, Melbourne – coordinator; • Trevor Finlayson, AAvHF secretary – will scan through the list of Humboldt members; • Kay Double – AAvHF, AvH; • Andreas Jäger and replacement Jörn Hausner – DAAD. Founding of RAMP.au meeting could be held following the AvH Symposium in October 2013 in Melbourne. Alumni Meeting The Sunday was reserved for the DAAD alumni, many of whom had participated on Saturday too. Board members, regional alumni representatives Geoff See, Chrischona Schmidt, and interested Alexander Daniel, Herman Beyersdorf members including Dr. Toyka sacrificed their early Sunday morning to attend the AGM of the Australian DAAD Alumni Association at 9am. After reports from chair, secretary, treasurer and regional reps the association’s executive was elected for the period of the next 2 years. There were no further nominees than the current incumbents which shows the great satisfaction with their jobs. Re-elected are Herman Beyersdorf as Chair, Alexander Daniel as Deputy Chair, Geoff See as Secretary and Chrischona Schmidt as Treasurer. Elected as further executive members, also representing the different local alumni groups were: Mary Hurwood, Claudia Moeller, Erik Beyersdorf, Ric Lowe, Anna Haebich, Elke Stracke and Leah Gerber. I’m sure all alumni will join me in congratulating the executive committee and in thanking them for their great work building up the alumni association. After intense discussions of the mentoring programme in the framework of the research ambassadors’ scheme during the first part of the afternoon, RAMP.au was founded. The acronym stands for Research Ambassadors and Mentoring Programme Australia. An Initiative of DAAD and AAvHF. It was also decided that regional Michael Abicht - die gute Seele core groups should be started des Goethe-Instituts everywhere on the continent and offer ten smaller-scale local information events by the end of 2012. The intention is also to involve German OrtslektorInnen, non-permanent German lecturers and researchers in Australia as well as the offices of the DVCs (International and/or Research). Dr Toyka has already conducted initial talks and discussions on the issue during her visits to Adelaide and Melbourne. There were more discussions, eg. on the desire to include professional activities in the associations meeting and activities, and reduce the academic emphasis, which was not appropriate for alumni who had moved into careers outside the education sector, on providing the possibility of a German-language environment for members, and the need for the association to advertise its activities either by publishing its own newsletter or through the DAAD newsletter. Please see the minutes of the 2012 AGM on the alumni sector of our DAAD Sydney website. Coordinators As there are many DAAD Alumni Clubs worldwide (North America 3, Central America 5, South America 38, Asia 39, Europe 50), it's important to apply for funding as early as possible as budgets are limited. Coordinator meetings and a public information talk are being planned in connection with Professor Mukherjee's visit to Melbourne on September 24. A larger After the old and then new president then welcomed the guests, Dr Toyka spoke about DAAD alumni networks in the Asia-Pacific region and in Germany, giving a lot of excellent advice to the rather new DAAD alumni formation. Drawing from years of experience especially in Japan (where the first alumni club was founded in 1985), Dr Toyka emphasised that headquarters in Bonn are there to help and always open to suggestions, questions, plans etc. Dr Toyka also presented special alumni services such as the DAAD Magazine, which provides information on developments and trends in higher education, science DAAD Australien-Rundbrief - 10 DAAD Information Centre Sydney, May 2011 and research in Germany as well as information on the DAAD’s support activities and programmes. The magazine is free of charge for international alumni and current scholarship holders. There's also an Alumni Internet Platform offering information for alumni and scholarship holders, including further education, job information and other services. Alumni can also open their own email account and set up their own homepage. The DAAD Alumni Calendar offers information about events in Germany and worldwide, organised chronologically as well as by region. Please remember to put in your dates and give an outline of events as this calendar is where for example travelling alumni will look for contacts and events! If you're an alumnus/alumna and interested in being connected, check out the following: Register yourself for the alumni forum and email account; Update your personal details; Inform other alumni about the activities of the DAAD; Keep contact with DAAD lecturers or the DAAD office; Inform yourself about events (alumni calendar); Check the alumni portal Germany – www.alumniportal-deutschland.org; Later, Peter R Kerrigan spoke about DAAD alumni networks in North America. Even though there are differences between Australia, the United States and Canada, there are also similarities, so it makes sense to take a closer look. The DAAD alumni association in North America recently celebrated its 15th birthday. The network is set up as a non-profit organisation and accepts not only DAAD alumni, but all Germany alumni. It has 600 active members in their database. There's a newsletter, networking events, a website, a lot of social media activities, fundraisers etc. Despite the abundance of alumni associations in the US, the DAAD alumni are united by a sense of identity and of giving back. The main schemes in North America are the DAAD Young Ambassadors and the Research Ambassadors. The Young Ambassadors are newly returned undergraduate students, having been sponsored through different organisations, not only the DAAD, who are willing to market and represent Germany on campus. They have spent a semester or year abroad. They are phenomenal in outreach and have become the most active members of our alumni associations. The Research Ambassadors are people who are at the PhD level or above who have had at least a year of research experience in Germany and are also very active. Later that day, H.E. Hans-Dieter Steinbach, ConsulGeneral of Germany, gave a talk about 60 Years of Australian-German Relations, explaining how different times were in 1952 when Australia decided to re-establish relations with Germany. There were two German states at the time, and diplomatic relations with Australia were renewed nine months after the German Foreign Ministry was re-established. In the sixty years since 1952, Australia and Germany have come a long way, sharing a set of common values, joining in peacekeeping missions together, cooperating in disaster relief operations and trying to tackle globalisation issues. There is a lot of exchange between Germany and Australia: Apart from tourism going both ways, more than 750 German companies have offices in Australia, creating more than 90,000 jobs. 350 university or research institute co-operations exist between Australian and German research units and universities. In addition, both governments have agreed to intensify their diplomatic relations and cooperation into a strategic partnership. In the afternoon, after a coffee with a perfect view from Bondi Icebergs, young DAAD alumni presented short talks about their recent experiences on collaborative projects on an "academic walk" on the beautiful BondiBronte coastal trail. - Denise Yu, who is a Research Officer with UNSW’s Lowy Cancer Research Centre, started with: Biology of enzymes in ageing central nervous systems. - Claudia Möller, a Business Development Manager with the Logistics Development Team at Woolworths and PhD candidate at Macquarie University, followed on Driving Innovation: How to make environmental sustainability an active & integrated part of today's business practices. - Isabel Ender, a German DAAD scholarship holder researching on the JCU Minke Whale Project, ended the DAAD Australien-Rundbrief - 11 DAAD Information Centre Sydney, May 2011 walk along the sea fittingly with: Dwarf Minke Whales in the Great Barrier Reef: a unique research experience…). For me personally this was an unforgettable completion of my collaboration with the DAAD alumni in Australia! Thank you all so much! worked or completed a course of advanced training in Germany. The portal is also open to companies and organisations as well as to foundations and institutions of higher education. By the way, many thanks to Wellett Potter and Tina Stubenrauch for their notes of these 2 jam-packed days, and to Ulla, Peter and Wellett for some very nice photos! A unique combination of services with a connection to Germany and an online community opens up entirely new opportunities for maintaining contacts and networks. Career opportunities, language services and both onand offline events complement the online community. RAMP.au - Become a mentor or mentee! You will find more information in the Alumniportal flyer. While we have a number of fantastic mentors available, we are still looking for more prospective mentees, so this is your chance to connect with someone in your field who can help you out with their experience and knowledge and give you pointers for your career. We are also looking for mentors, currently especially in the area of law – please email us if you are interested in mentoring a young, up-and-coming lawyer or law student! The DAAD Alumni Portal is now available across the social media – why not take a look? Facebook: www.facebook.com/alumniportal Twitter: www.twitter.com/alumni_de Youtube: www.youtube.com/alumniportal LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/groups/AlumniportalDeutschland-4026393?gid=4026393&trk=hb_side_g Google+: www.gplus.to/alumniportaldeutschland RAMP.au - Have you thought about becoming a Research Ambassador? If you are interested in passing on information on study and research in Germany and helping to draw the framework for a collaboration of someone in your department, school or faculty, please consider to become a DAAD-AAvHF research ambassador! If you are interested and would like to get more information, please give us a ring or drop us an email on daad.australia@gmail.com! We would ask you whom at your university we should officially inform about your position on this scheme. Usually this would involve the vice chancellor, the DVC research, your dean and HOS. When sending these official nominations we also would send you all necessary information brochures and useful links to obtain information at any time. Are you already a member of the alumni association? The Australian DAAD Alumni Association keeps growing, but it still needs more members! With a low membership fee of $30 per annum and a concessional fee of $20 for students, the unwaged and retirees, the association would like to appeal to you to join as a member. back DAAD Alumni Portal on social media The Alumniportal Deutschland is a free, editorially supported social online network connecting people from all over the world who have studied, researched, back Our Regional Alumni Representatives Adelaide Carolin Plewa, carolin.plewa@adelaide.edu.au Donna Nicholls, donna.a.nicholls@gmail.com Armidale Herman Beyersdorf, hbeyersd@une.edu.au Brisbane Mary Hurwood, mary.hurwood@qut.edu.au Chrischona Schmidt chrischona.schmidt@anu.edu.au Canberra Alexander Daniel, alexander.daniel@daad-alumni.de Newcastle Geoff See, Geoffrey.See@newcastle.edu.au Northern Queensland Bobby Kannan Mathan, bobby.mathan@jcu.edu.au Perth Rebecca Meegan-Lowe, ricle@westnet.com.au Enid Sedgwick, e.sedgwick@graduate.uwa.edu.au Ric Lowe, r.k.lowe@curtin.edu.au Melbourne Erik Beyersdorf, Erik.Beyersdorf@monash.edu Leah Gerber, leah.gerber@monash.edu.au Sydney Eva Heidhues, eva.heidhues@gmail.com Sandy Mihaljevic, sandymihaljevic@googlemail.com Claudia Möller, clamoeller@gmail.com back By the way … All things German in Australia This website has a collection of German services, shops and societies – just search by region or category! DAAD Australien-Rundbrief - 12 DAAD Information Centre Sydney, May 2011 http://www.deutsche-im-ausland.org/adressen-imausland/address/australienozeanien/australien.html#id_ 34 There were 474,249 international students studying on a student visa in Australia in 2011. A fall in international student numbers in all other sectors except in the HE sector contributed to a decrease of 9.5 per cent on 2010 figures. The HE sector recorded a slight increase (0.1%). Nonetheless, the 2011 international student numbers were still at about the 2008 levels. Humboldt Rankings reveal Germany’s prime locations for researchers from abroad More information The Humboldt Rankings, published on 20 April, reveal which German universities and research institutions are particularly popular with researchers from abroad. They are based on the number of research stays in Germany conducted by leading international academics and junior researchers as fellows or award winners of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation. The five topranked institutions were Freie Universität Berlin (FU), followed by Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin (HU), the Universities of Munich and Bonn, and TU München (TUM). ERASMUS feiert 25 Jahre mit Rekordzahlen To avoid statistical distortions resulting from the varying sizes of the host institutions, the Humboldt Rankings relate the number of stays to the number of professorships at a university. Despite this weighting, the highest-rated universities of Berlin, Munich and Bonn are also amongst those registering the largest number of research stays overall. The success of host institutions that have been recognised as Excellence Universities is also notable; six of these are amongst the top ten. Humboldtians’ choices thus validate the large and successful universities as well as the appeal of major cities and smaller, attractive locations with a long tradition, such as Heidelberg (ranked 6th) and Freiburg (ranked 7th). In addition to the overall list, rankings were also drawn up for individual disciplines. In the humanities, the first three places went to FU and HU Berlin and the University of Freiburg. In the life sciences, FU Berlin came first ahead of the University of Potsdam and TU Kaiserslautern. In the natural sciences, the Universities of Regensburg, Munich and Bielefeld were ranked highest. The top 20 non-university research institutions, which for the first time were also compiled using the weighted system, were dominated by institutions in the Max Planck Society, led by the Fritz Haber Institute in Berlin and institutes in Heidelberg and Potsdam. News from Kooperation International Kooperation International is an initiative of the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research. You can subscribe to their newsletter here. International students in Australia 2011 Das ERASMUS-Programm der Europäischen Union feiert 2012 seinen 25. Geburtstag. Und pünktlich zum Jubiläum meldet der DAAD neue Rekordzahlen: 2010/11 haben mehr als 25.000 Studierende aus Deutschland mit dem ERASMUS-Programm in 30 anderen europäischen Ländern einen Teil ihres Studiums absolviert. Dazu kommen über 5.000 Studierende, die mit ERASMUS ein Auslandspraktikum machen konnten. Mit insgesamt 30.274 geförderten Studierenden (1.420 mehr als im Vorjahr) erreicht das Programm damit in Deutschland einen neuen Höchststand. Außerdem haben 3.000 deutsche Dozenten mit ERASMUS an einer ausländischen Hochschule unterrichtet und fast 700 Hochschulvertreter nahmen an einer Weiterbildungsmaßnahme im Ausland teil. ERASMUS ist das weltweit bekannteste Mobilitätsprogramm der Europäischen Union. Es ermöglicht Studierenden ein Auslandsstudium und Praktika von drei bis zwölf Monaten in bisher 31 Teilnahmeländern (27 EU-Länder sowie Island, Liechtenstein, Norwegen und Türkei); nun auch in Kroatien und in der Schweiz. Zum Jubiläum erscheinen zwei Publikationen des DAAD, die hier heruntergeladen werden können. Best Student Cities in the World 2012 QS is proud to announce the first ever QS Best Student Cities ranking. Based on a complex set of measures taken from public information, surveys and data submitted as part of the QS World University Rankings, the results provide a new way of comparing the best cities around the world in which to be a student. Paris takes the top place, followed by London and Boston. Melbourne made 4th place, Sydney 6th, Berlin 8th. 09 June - 16 Sep in Kassel, Germany dOCUMENTA (13) just recently opened to the public in Museum Fridericianum, 2012, Klinger © dOCUMENTA (13) Foto: Nils DAAD Australien-Rundbrief - 13 DAAD Information Centre Sydney, May 2011 Kassel, Germany, on June 9, 2012. For 100 days, over 150 artists from 55 countries and other participants from around the world will gather and present artworks, including sculpture, performance, installation, research, archiving and curatorial projects, painting, photography, film and video, text and audio works as well as other objects and experiments in the fields of art, politics, literature, philosophy, and science. LORE And last but not least we’d like to draw your attention to an Australian-German co-produced film, Lore. The longawaited follow-up to her exquisite Somersault, Australian director Cate Shortland's adaptation of the novel The Dark Room by Rachel Seiffert is a sensual and complex story that explores the tribulations faced by the young in the aftermath of World War II. The film premiered at the Sydney Film Festival (sorry that this newsletter didn’t come in time to announce that), but will be shown to a wider audience in Australia and Germany soon. Elisabeth Meister, our long-serving colleague at the DAAD Information Centre Sydney and author of major parts of this newsletter has wonderfully translated this opus. For further interest in excellent English-German-English translations: Elisabeth Meister Translation & Proofreading Ph 0413 470 354 EMTranslations@gmail.com For further information, comments or to unsubscribe from this newsletter, please email us at daad.australia@gmail.com You can download previous issues from http://ic.daad.de/sydney/newsletter.htm Yours