8th DAAD Communication Network Conference

The 8th DAAD Communication Network Conference was held on 7–8 July 2016 in Bonn, Germany, with participation from the Technical Assistance Team of the Jean Monnet Scholarship Programme (TDE). Within the framework of the EU-funded Jean Monnet Scholarship Programme Technical Assistance Project, the initiative aims to strengthen academic relations between Germany and Turkey, increase the number of personnel trained in the EU acquis, and contribute to Turkey’s EU accession process.

To expand and strengthen the network with higher education institutions in Germany and enhance cooperation between the Jean Monnet Scholarship Programme and German universities, the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) invited the programme team to its headquarters in Bonn. DAAD is an organization composed of higher education institutions that promote and support international academic cooperation.

The visit presented an excellent opportunity for the Jean Monnet Scholarship Programme to participate in both the 8th DAAD Communication Network Conference and the networking activities with German member institutions. Through this participation, TDE introduced the Jean Monnet Scholarship Programme as a key tool to foster academic mobility between Turkey and Germany. The visit enriched the programme’s portfolio of collaboration opportunities and contributed to establishing a sustainable communication network for future partnerships, while also enabling DAAD member institutions to explore potential areas of cooperation with Turkey — creating a mutually beneficial outcome for both parties.

The conference brought together representatives from the German Universities Excellence Initiative, the International Association of Universities (IAU), the Network on Humanitarian Action (NOHA), and the German Rectors’ Conference (Hochschulrektorenkonferenz, HRK), as well as distinguished professors and administrative staff from prestigious German universities.