Initial situation

Taking part in the “EU-Strategie-FH“ project funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), Ostfalia will expand its potential to the European Research Area. The project will provide favourable framework conditions for Ostfalia to raise and sustain a strong profile at the European level.

The Ostfalia, measured by acquired third-party-funds per professor, is one of the research-strongest Universities of Applied Sciences in Lower Saxony. Research activity on European level does currently not represent the main focus (< 6% of the projects and third-party-funding, 2013).
At the moment the research is concentrated on national research programs and contract research from the industry.
International cooperation agreements in research and teaching with higher educational institutes and research partners are the base for the development of international projects. Of the 120 cooperation partners of the Ostfalia, just around 10% involve the research area with European partner universities.
Furthermore, there does not exist an implemented approach at the moment, that is able to develop international research cooperations, identify research bases and initiate research operations.

Objective

The Ostfalia Hochschule for applied science has the strategic goal to increase the attractiveness of research and teaching through a reinforced presence and visibility in the European Research Area. The strategy as well as the internationalisation concept of the Ostfalia aim to tap the European Research Area and use identified potentials.
The project is part of the realisation plan of the above-mentioned concepts. The developed activities focus especially on offering attractive conditions to scientist in their individual fields, for an increased research activity in the European Research Area, as well as strengthening the middle- and long-time presence of the Ostfalia on the European level and sustainably establishing it. Existing deficits of the “internationalisation” and the “strategic placement” of the research on European scale should be reduced through aimed supported measures. The Ostfalia has put special attention to the following activities: implementation of consultation and support structures, network-building and maintenance, information provision, individual consultation and coaching, public relations and provision of resources.

Activities

• Development and implementation of support structures for research activities on european level
• Perpetuation of the coordination department
• Integration of university structures
• Active enrolment in national and international networks
• Development of the network EU-strategy-FH 10 on project-coordination-, EU-project-administration- and finance level
• Creation, complementation and maintenance of contacts on European level
• Delegation journeys to further intensify existing cooperation’s
• Expansion of the internet presence to the European Research Area
• Provision of reports on international activity of investigators in English on the Website (delegation journeys, international project meetings, international project applications)

Duration

2015-2-1 to 2020-3-31

Website of Project