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Mission Statement

Internationalization enhances the quality of teaching and research and permeates the Faculty. International networks ensure winning young academics. They provide a basis for excellence in research and improve students' qualification for the national and international labor markets.

Based on the University Development Plan 2014-2018, the Faculty focuses its internationalization activies on studies and interships abroad, international courses of study, international students, cooperation of academics, and the development of related services and support structures at the university.

The Faculty of Human Sciences contributes to enhancing internationalization in:

  • Internationalization of teaching and studies
  • Internationlization of research
  • Internationalization of management and support structures

They result in the goals and measures below.

1 Internationalization of Teaching and Studies:

The internationalization of teaching and studies focuses on three areas: promoting the mobility of the Faculty's students (outgoing), facilitating the integration of international students at the Faculty (incoming), and the resulting internationalization of programs.

(a) Mobility of the Faculty's Students:

A major criterion for studying abroad is the compatibillity of such a stay with the course of studies.Foreign exchange semesters or interships abroad should, therefore, be integrated into the syllabus. In order to facilitate a smooth course of studies, academic achievements and credits, earned abroad and interships are recognized in a transparent and uncomplicated way. Erasmus coordinatiors are the central point of contact for students: they are in contact with the examining board regarding study and exam achievements.

(b) Integration of International Exchange Students:

Integration into the course of studies is anohter major aspect of promoting international study visits. Increasing transparency of the courses offered and the academic requirements for international and prospective students are a first step towards this goal. For this purpose, all relevant courses of a semester taught in English are linked to the Faculty's website. Transfer credits are awarded in a way that facilitates their recognition at the home university. This includes alternative examination dates and the timely issuance of certificates. Erasmus coordinatiors are there to assist students and steaching staff.

(c) Intensification of International Teaching and Study Offerings

In order to promote internationalization of teaching and studies, the Faculty welcomes international teaching units of faculty members in recognized international degree programs (e.g. teaching at international winter and summer schools and abroad). The proportion of English-language programs and courses will be increased; the aim is to offer English-language courses in all Master's programs. The establishment of inter- and binational degree programs can be supported upon application to the Commission for Research and Young Academics (FNK) - e.g. funds for assistens, travel grants, additional funds for visiting scholars who offer courses, etc. The Faculty also endeavors to invite guest lecturers through the Erasmus teaching staff exchange or similar programs, to expand Erasmus+ partnerships, and to make the corresponding cours offerings visible on the Faculty's website.

2 Internationalization of Research

The Faculty supports measures towards the internationaliszation of research. This includes organizing international conferences (e.g. conferences of binational or international committees or societies), supervising final theses and dissertations in international degree programs as well as in Cotuelle-de-thèse procedures with foreign universities, attracting international scholarship holders (e.g. Humboldt Foundation, DAAD, Fulbright), inviting international guests (e.g. for consultations), and promoting international cooperation (evidenced by joint applications with academics not working full-time in Germany). At the same time, the Faculty will support measures to prepare for the acquisition of international third-party funding, which specifically includes intensifying the cooperation with partners in the priority regions of the University of Potsdam. Upon request, these international activities can be financially supported by the FNK (focus promotion of young academics) or the Faculty's structural units.

3 Internationalization of Management and Support Structures

Internationalization of the Faculty also includes making information accessible, promoting the internationalization of mangement, and anchoring the subject in the Faculty's structures.

(a) Internationalization of Mangement:

The international exchange of faculty members will be intensified and facilitated. The transparency of international exchange programs such as the Erasmus exchange program for lecturers and technical and administrative staff (Erasmus Teaching and Staff Mobility) will be increased. The relevant information will be provided on the Faculty website as well as the offers of the Center for Languages and Key Competences (Zessko) and the State Academy for Public Administration of the State of Brandenburg for promoting language competences of the faculty members. The International Teaching Professionals program of the Potsdam Graduate School ist also available for foreign or internationally working scholars.

In order to recruit more international, qualified staff (students, young academics, and professors), all job postings will be also published in English if possible and are usually advertised internationally. Relevant online portals will be identified for these international job postings. The Faculty's international goals are taken into consideration by including internationalization criteria for the appointments.

(b)Internationalization of Support Structures:

International students are to have access to information published at the Faculty. Therefore, the websites of the Faculty and its structural units and departments as well as essential documents are to be available in English. Relevant information about internationalization - such as documents, courses, links, events, contacts to Erasmus coordinators and partner universities - is to be accessible via the Faculty's website.

An internationalization coordinator at the Deans's office was appointed to further develop the concept of internationalization and to be a contact person at the Faculty. The coordiantor is a member of the Advisory Board for Internationaliszation at the University of Potsdam and regularly informs faculty members about international activities, job postings, and calls for proposals. In addition, international activities of faculty members are systematically collected and disseminated. The number of international publications by faculty membvers is requested via LOM.

The Commission for Research and Young Academics (FNK) includes activities in their catalog of measures that promote internationalization. The Deans's office is the contact point for planning, steering, and the conceptual development of international activities at the Faculty.