“We have had a fruitful relationship with our Australian partner universities for years,” said Uni President Oliver Günther. “Many students and doctoral candidates from both countries have benefited from this, and the results of joint research projects are impressive. We want to build on this – because we are sure that we can achieve even more together. Particularly in view of the current political turmoil, international partnerships that connect and break down barriers are becoming increasingly important.” The universities want to open doors for each other, not least in the transfer of knowledge and technology, as Günther explains: “As an established start-up university, we can facilitate market entry in the EU for start-ups from Australia through exchange, and on the other hand, through our collaborations, we can offer Potsdam-based start-ups an ‘entry ticket’ to the Asia-Pacific market.”
Katharina Schmitt adds: “It has long been apparent that universities that consistently approach internationalization as a cross-sectional task, maintaining and promoting it in all areas and disciplines, are more successful. That is why we are continuing to pursue our efforts to maintain strong and vibrant relationships with Australian partner institutions.”
For example, there are long-standing student mobility partnerships with La Trobe University, Macquarie University and the University of Technology Sydney. The cooperation agreement with the latter was renewed during the visit. In the future, students from even more disciplines than before will have the opportunity to complete part of their studies in Sydney. But existing research collaborations with the University of Melbourne and Macquarie University, for example in doctoral training and joint projects, are to be continued and intensified where possible. There were effective discussions with the other universities about possible starting points for joint research and transfer projects.
Strategic priority countries and regions
Australia is one of the priority countries of the internationalization strategy, with which the University of Potsdam maintains intensive relations. The priority countries and regions combine the university's international experience and activities with the aim of facilitating international exchange and cooperation and increasing the number of university members who benefit from it. Strategic partnerships are also directly linked to the university's development goals. They offer institutional support in establishing a regulated exchange of knowledge and experience, in acquiring third-party funding and in forming networks.
Further information: https://www.uni-potsdam.de/en/international/profile/partnerships/priority-countries