The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), the German Rectors’ Conference (HRK), the Osnabrück University of Applied Sciences and the Centre for Higher Education (CHE) are jointly organising the DIES International Deans’ Course Southeast Asia 2024/25. This intensive Training Course is part of the DIES programme (Dialogue on Innovative Higher Education Strategies) has been coordinated by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) and German Rectors’ Conference (HRK) since 2001 and is funded by the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).

The key objective of the training is to bring together a group of about 30 newly elected university deans, vice-deans and heads of departments from Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Thailand, Timor Leste and Vietnam and to prepare them for the challenges of holding a dean’s position in a changing higher education landscape. Issues such as strategic faculty management, financial management, quality assurance and leadership will be key parts of this course. A soft skills training and exchange with German university leaders about higher education reforms will be included as well.

The course starts in June 2024 with Part I held on-site in Germany. Active participation will be required and the participants are expected to reflect on their respective working environment and to develop a Project Action Plan (PAP) at the end of this first contact phase. The milestones and progress of the individual PAPs will be further discussed during the intermediate virtual workshop (Part II). Finally, Part III offers the opportunity to assess the results of the respective projects and to discuss lessons learnt among the group.

Part I: ten days seminar in Osnabrück and Berlin, Germany from June 24th to July 5th, 2024
Part II: five days online seminar from November 4th to 8th, 2024
Part III: five days seminar in Thailand from February 3rd to 7th, 2025

In order to start your application process, please, complete first the online registration form https://www.hs-osnabrueck.de/en/international-deans-course/application. Upon submission, you should receive an automated confirmation message sent to the email address you used in the online form. Make sure, you received it. We also advise you check your email spam filter if this notification fails. Next, kindly submit the full set of the application documents via email idc(at)hs-osnabrueck.de

•    application form (incl. curriculum vitae)
•    letter of motivation (incl. draft of the PAP)
•    organisational chart of your home institution showing the section where you are working in
•    letter of support from the university leadership indicating that you will receive financial support from the university
•    one additional letter of recommendation e.g. of a DAAD alumnus or alumna, if possible

Please, take notice of the official announcement letter.

Applications for the next DIES International Deans Course Southeast Asia will be accepted until October 31st, 2023.