Internationalization Concept of the Faculty of Arts

Mission Statement

In living networks and in cross-border meeting spaces in which cultures of knowledge reinforce each other, internationalization at the Faculty of Arts takes place on a continuous basis as an integral part of academic life. Considered a strategy of the faculty's own profile development, internationalization serves to maintain and enhance the quality and diversity of the institutional and personnel-related aspects of research, studies and teaching. Effectively implemented, the internationalization concept increases the visibility of the faculty's areas of research and the attractiveness of the Faculty of Arts for dedicated students, outstanding scientists, and as a cooperation partner in European and global contexts.

The Faculty of Arts supports the internationalization strategy of the University of Potsdam and, in accordance with it, works towards enhancing a “culture of welcome" and "internationalization at home". Its internationalization activities can be categorized into three fields of activity:

Field of Activity 1: Studies and Teaching

Field of Activity 2: Research and Junior Academics

Field of Activity 3: Steering and Services

Field of Activity: Studies and Teaching

The Faculty of Arts aims to create awareness of intercultural contexts among its students and enable multi-perspective thinking. Of fundamental importance for this purpose is student mobility, which is to be measurably increased in a meaningful way in the scope of internationalization activities. Potsdam students (outgoing) are to enjoy the greatest possible flexibility in order to complete a stay abroad in the form of at least one semester or a two-month internship. One central way of achieving this is the reliable recognition of credits obtained abroad in the scope of ERASMUS+, which is why the high number of outgoing students in this program is to be maintained.

An increased number of international students and doctoral candidates (degree-seeking or program students) are to be won over for studies at the Faculty of Arts, and the number of degrees awarded to this group is to be increased. Of particular relevance in this context is an expansion of the range of courses offered in foreign languages within the language spectrum of the Faculty's own subjects, as well as an increased offer of e-learning courses.

The Faculty of Arts commits to establishing suitable measures and touchstones for quality assurance for the studies and support of foreign students. In so doing, the Faculty pays heed to the "National Code of Conduct Regarding International Students" and works closely with the relevant faculty-internal and university level institutions (e.g. Coordinator for Internationalization, International Office,Center for Languages and Key Competences, Studiumplus, Center for Teaching Quality Development).

Field of Activity: Research and Junior Academics

To enhance research and networking at the international level and to also make use of synergy effects that arise across the faculty in adjacent areas of activity, the Faculty of Arts is putting a lot of energy into expanding its existing international cooperations and initiating new ones, for instance through joint conferences, publication projects, exchange of academic personnel, and research projects with international partners. Another important component of the internationalization concept is to increasingly attract and promote excellent international junior academics and at the same time to support international networking of junior academics from the Faculty of Arts.

To reach this goal, the Faculty of Arts makes use of the university’s own funding options for the expansion of multilateral research cooperations as well as national and international third-party funds.
The faculty is committed to the “European Charter for Researchers, Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers” and works in close cooperation with the Division of Planning, Statistics and Research Affairs, the International Office and the Potsdam Graduate School.

Field of Activity: Steering and Services

To enhance international cooperation and mobility in research, studies and teaching we need staff that is sensitized for cultural contact situations in the advisory and administrative structures in all areas of the university. With this in mind, the Faculty of Arts also advocates and supports the mobility and continuing education of its non-academic staff, and endeavors to optimize and enhance the service portfolio for internationalization.

The Faculty of Arts supports the consolidation of the contractually governed university and faculty partnerships and is actively involved in expanding cooperations in the university's focus regions.