What should I be aware of if I am planning to conclude an international cooperative agreement? Who can help?

For an overview of existing exchange programmes, please consult the exchange programme database. that is managed by the International Office. Any formal cooperation with a partner institution abroad has to be built on mutual trust. Any cooperation must be actively supported by a dedicated departmental coordinator. The International Office can provide sample cooperation agreements for reference, can support the consultation phase with the partner institution and can arrange for the Legal Department to review any provisional agreements made.

If you would like to cooperate with one of our partner universities in the University of the Greater Region network (UniGR), please contact the UniGR coordinator (unigr@uni-saarland.de). A list of existing cooperation projects is published on the UniGR website.

If you are interested in establishing an academic exchange programme, you can contact the International Office for assistance. The IO can provide sample documents such as statements of intent, cooperation agreements, inter-institutional agreements (Erasmus+) as well as student exchange agreements. A new university cooperation requires the consent of the faculty (in the case of an Erasmus+ exchange agreement, the faculty is represented by the Erasmus subject coordinator) and comes into force when signed by the University President. If a new cooperation agreement differs from existing agreements, the agreement will need to be reviewed and assessed by the university’s  Legal Department erforderlich.

If you would like to set up or extend cross-border cooperation within the ‘Greater Region’, you are welcome to get in touch with the team at the Coordinating Office for International Affairs and the University of the Greater Region.

If you would like to organize an international academic meeting/conference, you can submit a funding application to the university’s Internationalization Fund. Decisions regarding funding for projects that promote internationalization at Saarland University are made by the Internationalization Committee of the University Senate, which is formally chaired by the Vice-President for Internationalization and European Relations.

The Franco-German University (Deutsch-Französische Hochschule – DFH) also provides funding for research conferences and meetings, particularly for doctoral research students. Other funding may be available through support programmes managed by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD).
If you are planning an academic meeting/conference with partners from the University of the Greater Region network, you can apply for financial support from the Internationalization Fund.

The  Internationalization Committee of the University Senate has representatives from all of the university’s faculties and these members are elected every three years. The committee, which meets at regular intervals, initiates strategically relevant internationalization projects. The elected members of the committee act as the internationalization officers in their respective faculties and can advise you on your internationalization initiatives.

As part of its staff-development objectives, Saarland University supports staff seeking to improve and enhance their international skills and intercultural awareness. The  International Office offers advice and assistance on planning and funding work- or study-related stays abroad. The EU’s Erasmus+ programme offers funding opportunities for university employees who wish to undertake a training or study period at an education institution or relevant organization within the EU or at an Erasmus partner university outside the EU. The Erasmus+ programme also provides funding for university staff interested in spending time teaching at a higher education institution abroad. Additional funding opportunities can be found in the DAAD scholarship database.