DIES International Deans’ Course Southeast Asia 2026

Introduction

DIES International Deans’ Course Southeast Asia is part of the DIES programme (Dialogue on Innovative Higher Education Strategies), jointly coordinated by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) and the German Rectors’ Conference (HRK), and funded by the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).

The course brings together around 30 newly appointed deans, vice-deans, and heads of departments from universities across Southeast Asia. It aims to prepare them for the opportunities and challenges of academic leadership in a rapidly changing higher education landscape.

The course will be held in three phases:

• Part I: ten days seminar in Osnabrück and Berlin, Germany from June 15th to 26th, 2026
• Part II: five to ten days of online seminars in August, September and October 2026 (tbc)
• Part III: five days seminar in Malaysia from November 23rd to 27th, 2026

The first part of the course takes place on-site in June 2026 in Germany. Through practical sessions, case studies, and peer exchange, participants explore key concepts and tools in higher education management. By the end of this phase, each participant develops a Project Action Plan (PAP) – a concrete reform project to be implemented at their home institution. During the virtual workshops in Part II, participants continue working on their projects, sharing experiences and receiving feedback. Part III offers the chance to meet again, discuss progress, and reflect on lessons learned together. Both follow-up phases also include additional sessions on current topics in higher education management.

Fundings

DAAD (with BMZ funding) will cover international flights, local transportation in the host country, accommodation, and some group meals. For the Germany phase (Part I), emergency health insurance will also be covered.

Participants’ home universities are expected to pay a 600 EUR contribution fee for the full three-part course. Additionally, either the participant or their home institution must cover costs for local transportation in the home country, visa fees, and any extra per diems during the onsite training.

Requirements

Participants should be deans (preferably newly elected; for max. 2 years in the position of a dean), vice-deans, or are aiming at taking over a dean’s position in the future or heads of department. In case that applicants come from specialized, decentralized universities (e.g., University of Natural Sciences, Regional Colleges) applications from newly appointed Vice-Presidents/Vice-Rectors are also highly welcomed. Preferably participants should be between 40 and 50 years old (+/- 2 years is acceptable).

Participants should be fluent in English, and it is mandatory to be admitted to the course. In case of applicants from non-anglophone countries, proof of excellent English language proficiency (e.g., TOEFL; Cambridge Certificate) will be an asset. In individual cases online interviews will be organized with short-listed candidates to guarantee the requested proficiency.

Eligible countries are Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam.

Application documents

• Online registration via https://www.hs-osnabrueck.de/en/international-deans-course/application
• One copy of your passport/ID-Card
• Curriculum Vitae
• Letter of Motivation (incl. draft of the PAP)
• Organizational chart of the institution showing the section where the candidates are working in
• Letter of Recommendation and Confirmation of financial support from the university leadership
• One additional letter of recommendation, e.g., from a DAAD alumnus or alumna will be appreciated

The complete set of application documents is to be submitted until November 30th, 2025.

Further Informations

Details on the DIES International Deans’ Course can be found at https://www.international-deans-course.org. For questions, please reach out to idc@hs-osnabrueck.de.