The involvement of different players, like students, teachers, researchers, international officers and industrial liaison officers, means more transparency, cooperation and efficiency in our daily tasks. Networking and cooperation leads to a higher professional standing and in the long run to a better qualification of all involved. Networking brings motivated and innovative people together. While NAFSA and EAIE take care of the international and intercontinental aspect of our profession, DAIA is the representation on a national level.

Lobbying

While the institutional interest is met by the activities of the DAAD, DAIA meets the needs of the individual professional, offers assistance in day to day work, supports local or regional initiati- ves and develops a representation of interests on a national level. DAAD, the German Rectors Conference and other institutions are important partners, but DAIA will always be an institution oriented towards its members’ needs.

Reduction of unnecessary hierarchies and obstacles

The traditional hierarchical structure of German universities have a negative influence on new initiatives and “grass-root“ movements from lower parts of the hierarchy. New ideas and incentives coming from rank-and-file staff are not taken up and developed because they do not find the interest of the head of department. Information is not disseminated properly, decision making is oftenly not the result of an open and democratically structured process.

As an organisation with an orientation towards efficiency, neworking and a more “horizontal“ way to do things, DAIA will be a platform for the reduction of unnecessary command structures and obstacles in decision-making in the field of international education. This includes the single institution, decision-making and policy planning on a national level, as well as on the European and international levels.

Training in relevant fields of international education

In Germany, training in the field of international education is still mosty underdeveloped. The activities of the DAAD –e.g. the yearly seminars for foreign student advisers- are excellent but do not cover all aspects and necessities of our profession. Compared to the wide variety of workshops and sessions covering all possible aspects of international education at the NAFSA Conference, Germany has a long way to go.

Development of a professional profile

No director of an international office or foreign student adviser has been trained professionally to do what she or he does in his work. Mostly, we have trained ourselves on the job, learning by doing, copying from colleagues, trying and erring. Nobody has been trained to lead and motivate subordinates or student assistants. Nobody has been trained in fund raising or planning and controlling international relations. We are very well informed and highly motivated dilettants. There is no structured way of collecting professional experience and pass it on to newcomers in the field.

The development of a professional profile, design of efficient training methods and programmes and laying the basis for a structured training on the job for old hands and newcomers is one of the most important objectives of DAIA.