Leuphana again member university of the Franco-German University
2023-10-12 Leuphana University's double Bachelor's programme in Political Science International has once again been accepted for funding by the Franco-German University. Juliane Ostermoor, Internationalisation Officer at the Faculty of Political Science, explains what this means for Leuphana and its students in general and specifically.
- Ms Ostermoor, what is the DFH?
- The DFH is something special; there is no comparable bilateral project for promoting academic cooperation anywhere in the world. The Franco-German University is an institution under international law. This means that the DFH's main task is to initiate, evaluate and financially support Franco-German degree programmes. The beauty of the DFH is that it is funded equally by both governments. Programmes are offered in a network of 208 universities, universities of applied sciences and grandes écoles in over 140 cities in Germany, France and other countries. Currently, more than 6,100 students participate in the DFH-funded cooperation programmes. Since not only we as a university benefit greatly from this network, but above all our students, we were particularly keen to be included in the funding last year together with the Université Paris-Est Créteil and therefore submitted the application jointly. Now it is especially nice that this work has paid off.
- What advantages do our students have from this funding?
- The DFH funding offers graduates many advantages during and after their Bachelor's degree. First and foremost, the funding is also a seal of quality that certifies our cooperation with UPEC. Criteria such as a joint curriculum, joint supervision of students and good preparation for the mobility phase are fulfilled very well by us and our partner university. Therefore, all students who have successfully completed a DFH-funded degree programme also receive a DFH certificate. By studying together in both university systems, students gain a broad insight into different academic teaching methods. They also have the opportunity to learn French much better than in any language course. In our cooperation, the students also come into intensive contact with French culture, as compared to Erasmus programmes, the degree of integration is much higher. This is due to the fact that we have developed a curriculum together with our colleagues from teaching and administration. Through the double degree in international political science, they are excellently trained in their subject and have multilingual and intercultural skills. They are well equipped for the international job market. In contrast to conventional stays abroad, our students have completed more than half of their studies in a mixed group at Leuphana and UPEC and can therefore easily follow this up with a Master's degree at a German or French university. I personally also find the possibility of doing an internship in the partner country particularly exciting.
- How much funding is available?
- The DFH and pays our students monthly mobility grants during their stay in Fontainebleau. From the winter semester 2023/2024, the grant will be €350 per month for students. We can also apply for further support in the form of mobility grants for our students who wish to complete an internship in the partner country immediately before or after their mobility.
- How can students get this support? What do they have to do for it?
- All prospective students must first apply regularly for the Major in Political Science in combination with the Minor in Comparative Economic Law. The selection for the double Bachelor's degree then takes place in the second semester. Once selected, students must complete the enrolment or re-enrolment process to receive DFH funding. This can be done via the personal login area on the website login.dfh-ufa.org. Enrolment or re-enrolment is possible from 2 May to 30 September and must be repeated annually in order to continue receiving the mobility grant.