International Network

International Network

The founding of Freie Universität Berlin in 1948 was made possible with international support. Ever since then, research and teaching at the university have been characterized by international influences. Through global and regional networks, scientists and scholars have an opportunity to exchange ideas and advance their research, whereby the focus is on interdisciplinary work and the search for solutions to global challenges.

Originally a necessity due to West Berlin’s isolated position several hundred miles outside of Western Germany, internationalization quickly became a successful and sustainable strategy.

The key objectives of the internationalization strategy are:

• to strengthen the university’s research through international cooperation and complementary projects,
• to support the regional and international focus of the humanities and social sciences at Freie Universität, in particular in the field of area studies, e.g., on Latin America and North America, East Asia, the Middle East, Eastern Europe, and the Caspian region,
• to recruit outstanding researchers and doctoral students from abroad,
• to prepare students at Freie Universität for a globalized world and to give them an international and intercultural perspective, for example, through student exchange, internships, and studying on an international campus in Berlin-Dahlem.

An International Campus

Freie Universität offers its students and researchers an international environment. This includes various aspects:

the development of international courses and the integration of international components into its degree programs, including degree programs offered in English, structured exchange programs, and joint or double degrees;

addressing the needs of students and researchers from abroad, for example, offering orientation and language courses, welcome services, and events sponsored by the International Club.