To support the digital internationalisation of teaching and learning in universities, the DAAD has developed three funding programmes with different focus areas: ”International Mobility and Cooperation through Digitalisation” (IMKD), ”International Programmes Digital” (IP Digital) and ”International Virtual Academic Collaboration” (IVAC). Technopolis was commissioned with an accompanying evaluation of the three programmes. The methods used are literature review, document analysis, interviews, an online survey and focus groups.

The study is an important contribution to the limited research that analyses effects and explores opportunities of digitalisation for the internationalisation of teaching and learning. In the evaluation, Technopolis analysed how the funded projects contribute to digital internationalisation via generating content-related and methodological impulses in the field of digitalisation and by establishing and expanding international networks. The results show that international teaching can be made more flexible through digital offerings and that digital and intercultural skills of students can be enhanced. Internationalisation can be more broadly anchored in teaching and learning because digital formats can be easily integrated into courses with a low degree of internationalisation and enable all groups of students to gain experience abroad. The evaluation also points to challenges such as additional resource costs for the conception of teaching formats and the support of students (especially for collaborative formats), operational hurdles (different time zones and study terms) a limited enhancement of intercultural skills.

The evaluation team recommends a continued support for the digital internationalisation of universities, the provision of incentives for the development of new and innovative university didactics, the support of dissemination formats and more strategic approaches of universities towards digital internationalisation.

The results are presented in a summary report and five evaluation reports with the following thematic focus areas:
– the development of digital and international competences in digital international teaching formats,
– the implementation, results and strategic embedding of the digital DAAD projects
– opportunities and challenges of digital international teaching and learning
– effects of digital internationalisation on the attractiveness and visibility of German universities and Germany as a study location
– potential contributions of digital internationalisation to increasing equal opportunities and climate protection

All the evaluations reports are available here.

Nadia Galati
Senior Consultant

Florian Berger
Managing Partner

Jan Biela
Principal Consultant

Fabian Waiblinger
This person no longer works at Technopolis Group

Maria Stalla
Consultant