Dialogue on the Future of International Research Cooperation and DAAD Jubilee Celebrations
© DWIH New Delhi, DAAD
The Indo-German Forum: Research, Innovation and Transfer on 20 March 2025 addressed current developments in internationalisation of higher education and research, its structural challenges, and shared visions for research and innovation. Focusing on institutional linkages and science diplomacy, the forum explored pathways to strengthen collaboration in research, innovation, and knowledge transfer.
The daylong event was structured in two parts. In the first part, six Leadership Roundtables brought together over 60 institutional leaders and experts from India and Germany to engage in in-depth discussions on topics such as researcher mobility, equitable research partnerships, technology transfer, and structured academic exchange between higher education institutions.
The second part of the day, the Dialogues and Networking Evening was a platform to expanding on the themes raised during the roundtables, offering a broader strategic vision for future cooperation.
A special address was delivered by Dr. Philipp Ackermann, Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany to India and Bhutan. In his welcome address, Dr. Kai Sicks, Secretary General of the DAAD, connected the day’s discussions to the broader mission of advancing bilateral academic and research relations.
The highlight of the evening was the high-level panel session titled ‘The Future of International Research Collaboration: Frameworks, Partnerships, and Impact’, chaired by Dr. Katja Lasch. The session brought together prominent voices in academia and science policy such as Prof. V. Ramgopal Rao, Prof. Dr. Angela Ittel, Prof. N.V. Varghese, Prof Oliver Günther, Dr. Geetha Vani Rayasam, and Dr. Michael Hoch. The discussion explored both the challenges and opportunities in Indo-German collaboration, focusing on creating effective frameworks, fostering impactful partnerships, and building sustainable models for international cooperation for research and technology transfer.
The evening was an occasion for many celebrations—foremost among them the 100th anniversary of the DAAD and 65 years of its presence in India. The DAAD Regional Office, with over 60 years of activity in India, has been a key player of academic exchange and cooperation as well as mobility of students and researchers between the two countries.
Speaking at the occasion, Dr Kai Sicks highlighted the achievements of both DAAD and DWIH New Delhi in strengthening bilateral academic and research ties. He emphasised that the challenges of today require global solutions—solutions that will emerge through greater cooperation, collaboration, and innovation and it is a collective responsibility of institutions and policy makers.
He called on the community to build on the strong foundation established over the past decades, ensuring that the next 50 years of Indo-German cooperation will be even more impactful and innovative.
Another highlight of the evening was the launch of the DAAD-DWIH publication “India as a Strategic Partner”, a handbook for German higher education institutions offering recommendations on cooperation with India. Additionally, the joint publication by DWIH, DAAD, and Fraunhofer, titled “SME Technology Innovation and Cooperation”, was soft launched. New supporters of DWIH New Delhi were also officially welcomed during the event.
“One of DAAD’s most profound legacies is its role as a bridge-builder in times of crisis. Academic exchange is about more than just research collaboration or student mobility—it’s about maintaining communication when everything else seems uncertain. We live in an age of significant geopolitical, environmental, and economic challenges, and this event brings together leaders from Indian and German higher education and research to discuss how we can strengthen our cooperation moving forward”Dr. Kai Sicks, Secretary General, German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD)
The evening saw strong participation from the Indo-German academic and research community, with approximately 120 representatives from German universities and research institutions in attendance, a sign of the growing interest in collaboration with India and the strength of the DWIH-DAAD network. Over 220 guests joined the event, to celebrate Indo-German partnership.
Participants included rectors and presidents from an education policy fact-finding delegation to India organised by the DAAD, as well as delegates from 20 German universities of applied sciences (HAW), part of the German University Consortium for International Cooperations (DHIK). A third large group of German university representatives was in New Delhi for the conference of the Asia-Pacific Association for International Education (APAIE). Additionally, guests represented major funding and policy organisations, universities, technology incubators, research bodies, beneficiaries of DAAD programmes and supporters of the DWIH New Delhi.
