(Osnabrück, February 4th, 2021)

For the third time, the participants from Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Thailand, Timor Leste and Vietnam dealt with the tasks and challenges of university management for several days. Topics such as diversity and human resource management were addressed and the results of the individual change projects implemented at the home institutions of the participants were jointly evaluated. Programme director Prof. Dr. Peter Mayer, Professor for International Economics at the Osnabrück University of Applied Sciences in Germany, shared with the conference guests his experiences with the practical dimensions of internationalization of universities. Mayer was highly enthusiastic about the group's commitment: “The reality of the universities in Laos, Cambodia and Myanmar is completely different from that as we know them. The IDC provided for an online forum, however, which is clearly an exciting opportunity for all who cannot meet and discuss the present challenges in person”.

Prof. Dr. Khaing Khaing San from Myanmar who is one of the current IDC participants shared her impression on the programme: “Before IDC I was a regular researcher and a university lecturer. Discussions and exchange with my colleagues during the IDC expanded my knowledge of the Higher Education Systems in Southeast Asia and in Germany. I also acquired new management skills and competencies which substantially contributed to my recent promotion as a Pro-Rector of the Mawlamyine University. I am very happy to become part of the IDC family now and to further strengthen the development of the Higher Education in my country".

The IDC is a joint initiative of the German Rector’s Conference (HRK), the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation (AvH), the Centre for Higher Education Development (CHE), the Freie Universität Berlin and the Osnabrück University of Applied Sciences. The DAAD funds the project with means of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).

For more information, contact:

Professor Dr. Peter Mayer

Phone: +49 (0)541 969-3466
E-mail: p.mayer(at)hs-osnabrueck.de