Freie Universitaet Berlin Director Elected Executive Committee Member of the German Academic Exchange Service
The director of Freie Universität Berlin’s Division of International Affairs, Dr. Herbert Grieshop, has been elected as a member of the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD)’s Executive Committee. The twelve newly elected committee members will begin their term in office on January 1, 2024.
In his new role, Grieshop will represent Freie Universität Berlin on the DAAD Executive Committee for an initial period of four years. Grieshop and his eleven fellow Executive Committee members were elected at the DAAD General Assembly as part of a vote cast by the 243 higher education institutions and 104 student bodies represented there.
The DAAD is the world’s largest funding organization for the international exchange of students and researchers. “Over the past decades, Freie Universität has become one of the DAAD’s top-funded universities in Germany. In our role as ‘International Network University,’ it makes sense to include Freie Universität Berlin in the development of new programs and the Executive Committee,” says Grieshop, reflecting on his election to the Executive Committee.
The Executive Committee is responsible for determining the strategic orientation of the DAAD programs, setting up selection committees, and appointing their members. The Executive Committee is also obliged to present an annual budget, confirm the annual financial statement and annual report, approve the use of any of the association’s assets that exceed marginal amounts, and appoint the Secretary General upon the President’s recommendation.
The German Academic Exchange Service
The German Academic Exchange Service (Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst, DAAD) is an association of German higher education institutions and student bodies. Since it was founded in 1925, around 2.8 million scholars in Germany and abroad have received DAAD funding.
Division of International Affairs at Freie Universität Berlin
The Division of International Affairs is responsible for the strategic planning and management of all international activities at Freie Universität Berlin. For example, it is responsible for student, employee, and researcher mobility; managing the liaison offices; and cultivating Freie Universität’s strategic partnerships and international memberships. The division also organizes programs such as “Scholars at Risk,” advocates for the needs of students who are refugees, and is home to the university’s Studienkolleg preparatory course. Since 2018, one of the division’s key tasks has been the development of the “Una Europa” network of European universities.