Key funding sources for internationalisation activities at HEIs in Germany

Digitalisation is changing structures and processes in higher education. It enables a rethink in key areas such as study organisation, teaching and student mobility – all factors that influence internationalisation efforts. Before the coronavirus pandemic, the potential of digitalisation to support internationalisation activities was not being fully exploited. This changed during the pandemic, but the long-term effects of pandemic-driven digitalisation on the internationalisation strategies of higher education institutions in Germany remain largely unexplored.
As institutions increasingly recognise the importance of virtual internationalisation in higher education, it is essential to examine the challenges they face in its implementation. According to the IAU Global Survey results, the general institutional budget is the most important funding source for the internationalisation activities of universities in Germany (64 percent very important), followed by government funding (61 percent very important) and international organisations like the European Union (52 percent very important).