U.S.-Germany International Education Administrators Award
Germany
Number of recipients
In addition to being a prestigious academic exchange program, the Fulbright Program is designed to expand and strengthen relationships between the people of the United States and citizens of other nations and to promote international understanding and cooperation.
This group seminar is designed to familiarize U.S. higher education administrators from universities, colleges, and community colleges in the U.S. with the latest trends in Germany's higher education system. Through lectures, workshops, and campus visits in Berlin and other regions of Germany, participants will explore opportunities for cooperation and academic exchanges in Germany as well as the challenges to be overcome in times of crisis. Participants will also learn about higher education mobility trends in the broader European context.
During their stay in Berlin, participants are provided with a comprehensive overview of Germany and its higher education system through presentations, discussions with colleagues and experts as well as campus visits. Participants will also travel to other destinations throughout Germany to visit further institutions of higher education such as research universities and universities of applied sciences. Beyond the German perspective, the seminar also offers the opportunity to explore and discuss the German higher education system within the European Union.
We strongly encourage administrators from community colleges to apply for this award.
Berlin and other cities in Germany
The IEA seminar will take place from Sunday, November 9 (date of arrival) to Saturday, November 22 (date of departure), 2025.
All applicants must meet the Program eligibility requirements (click to review the requirements).
Applicants must meet the following qualification:
- Full-time administrators who at the time of their application and intended program participation are affiliated with a U.S. based campus of a U.S. university, college, or community college. In addition, applicants should also meet the following requirements and explain, especially in the project statement, why they think they meet the requirements profile.
We strongly encourage administrators from community colleges to apply for this award.
Applicants should have significant involvement with one of the following areas:
- International exchanges: student or faculty exchanges, foreign student admissions and advising, study abroad programs and international education exchange services. Administrators who have substantial responsibility for enhancing the international dimension of their institutions and for international program development are also encouraged to apply
- Career Services
- Alumni Affairs
- Development and Fundraising
Applicants are given preference who:
- have at least three years of experience in administrative work and supervisory responsibility in any of the above-named areas and who have been employed in such a position at the current institution for at least one year;
- have not had the opportunity for longer professional visits in Germany in the last ten years.
Fulbright International Education Administrators Seminar Overview
The German-American Fulbright Commission
Email the International Education Administrator Team (IEA) with questions about applying.
The grant includes program costs in Germany, an allowance for airfare for international round-trip travel, travel within Germany, as well as hotel accommodation (incl. breakfast), several meals, and health insurance coverage (for the duration of the seminar).
Grantees should budget approximately 400 Euro for expenses which are not covered by the Fulbright grant.
Allowance for international round-trip travel (economy class).
Germany
You can send any questions regarding life in Germany to americanprograms@fulbright.de.
Germany has the largest population of any country in the EU. With close to 400 mostly public universities, 9,500 undergraduate and 6,800 graduate study programs, and a student population of 2.9 million, Germany is an excellent place to teach and conduct research. The German university system features four major types of institutions, and U.S. Fulbright scholars are highly welcome at all of them: Universitäten (traditional research universities); Fachhochschulen (universities of applied sciences, usually not offering Ph.D. programs); Berufsakademien und Duale Hochschulen (cooperative programs integrating bachelor studies with workplace training); and Research Institutes such as Max-Planck and Fraunhofer.
German higher education institutions maintain partnerships with 5,000 universities in 150 different countries, many of which take place in the European Higher Education Area, a consortium of 48 countries that have harmonized their higher education structures to increase the academic mobility of their students, faculty, and staff (Bologna Reforms). Additionally, most German universities maintain long-lasting partnerships with one or more U.S. institutions of higher education. Given Germany´s strong interest in maintaining close relations with the U.S., many universities wish to expand their transatlantic networks, discuss strategies and ways to strengthen transatlantic exchange in higher education, and seek new U.S. partners for collaborative initiatives in teaching and research. Additionally, several German-American cultural institutes welcome the contribution from U.S. Fulbright scholars, and offer opportunities for guest lectures. The German-American Fulbright Commission works with almost all accredited and recognized institutions of higher learning in both countries, and sets high quality standards for the selection and sponsorship of excellent scholars and administrators in higher education. For further information on Germany’s scientific community please visit deutschland.de.
In the Scholar Program, Fulbright Germany is particularly interested in research and/or teaching proposals based on comparative approaches and issues. Whether researching, teaching, or consulting on course design/curriculum, the specifics of the arrangement should be coordinated directly with the prospective host institution. The invitation should also include a description of the host’s interest in the applicant’s project, and how both sides will profit from the proposed engagement. The quality of the invitation letter and of the institutional engagement proposed therein is an important selection criterion. Fulbright Germany gives preference to academic and professional excellence; the originality and innovativeness of the project; its relevance for the academic community; and significance and match with the host affiliation. For maximum outreach and impact, the project activities should take place when German universities are in session, i.e. during the core lecture periods, which last from early October until the end of January (fall term), and from early April until the end of June (summer term). Fulbright Scholars should have strong reasons for wishing to pursue the proposed project in Germany and are encouraged to engage with their host community according to the Fulbright mission.
The goal of the Fulbright U.S. Administrators in International Education Program is a frank and imaginative assessment of how to deepen and expand transatlantic academic exchanges. Within this framework, the focus of this seminar is on internationalizing higher education, career services, fundraising, and network building. Participants will have the chance to engage in discussions on recent challenges in German and U.S. higher education, to further their professional development, and to exchange strategies on how to establish new partnerships.
Visit our Scholar Directory to view and search all Fulbright alumni. You can also learn more about Fulbright Alumni Ambassadors.
The Fulbright Program is a prestigious academic exchange program. It is designed to expand and strengthen relationships between the people of the United States and citizens of other nations and to promote international understanding and cooperation. In this spirit, the U.S.-Germany International Education Administrators Program offers the participants an intensive professional exposure which opens new perspectives on international academic mobility and exchange. Accompaniment by family members during the program is therefore not possible. Participants may arrange their air travel to allow for independent travel in Germany/Europe before or after the seminar.
Applicants are obliged to inform IIE of any change in institutional affiliation or of any other personal/professional changes.