Since 2008, Freie Universität and the China Scholarship Council have had a Primary Partnership. Young Chinese scholars who apply and are accepted by both Freie Universität and CSC receive CSC scholarships to work toward or complete the requirements for their doctorate. The liaison office of Freie Universität in Beijing is largely involved in the application procedures and preparatory measures. There are currently young Chinese researchers working on their doctorates in all subject areas at Freie Universität, most of them however in the Earth sciences, political and social sciences, physics, mathematics, and computer science.

The latest results of the Wissenschaft weltoffen report of the German Academic Exchange Service and the Higher Education Information System GmbH confirm the attractiveness of Freie Universität among foreign doctoral students and its success in attracting excellent international junior researchers. With a total of 750 registered doctoral students whose background does not include a German education, Freie Universität tops the German ranking, second only to the University of Heidelberg. Most of the doctoral students from abroad who enroll at Freie Universität complete their doctorates in political science, chemistry, biology, veterinary medicine, and philosophy.

Freie Universität, one of nine German universities approved for institutional funding in the government’s Excellence Initiative, pursues the strategy “International Network University.” Between 2007 and 2009, Freie Universität was able to expand its share of foreign scholars and scientists by two percentage points to 14 percent. For fellowships awarded by the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation to outstanding researchers from abroad, Freie Universität Berlin and LMU Munich are the most attractive locations in Germany.