Cuts could end academic cooperation with Global South

Universities and representatives of student bodies attending the 2026 Members’ Assembly of the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) have adopted a resolution emphasising the considerable importance of academic links with the Global South.

The resolution criticises plans announced recently by Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) to terminate funding of virtually all DAAD cooperation schemes with countries in the Global South as well as support for special DAAD initiatives by the BMZ, as reported by University World News in May.

It points out that over the past five years, activities including partnerships addressing the Sustainable Development Goals, SDG Graduate Colleges, the EFFAL (Empower Future Female Afghan Leaders) programme for women in Afghanistan and the DIES (Dialogue on Innovative Higher Education Strategies) programme of training and dialogue for higher education institutional management have reached out to around 120,000 people in more than 70 countries. In all, the programmes were supported with roughly €25 million (approximately US$28.4 million) in 2025.

DIES is jointly coordinated by DAAD and the German Rectors’ Conference (HRK) and funded by BMZ and for 25 years has been supporting higher education institutions in the Global South in strengthening leadership, management and strategic development.

“For Germany’s universities, the BMZ’s decision spells the end of their structured and demonstrably very successful academic cooperation effort in the countries of Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Middle East,” the resolution states.

“For more than three decades, universities, together with their partners in these countries, have made progress in strengthening higher education and research at the local level as well as having intensified collaboration with Germany.

“They have contributed to enabling generations of young people to develop perspectives in science, economics and politics, and they have campaigned for free, democratic values in the projects.”

The universities and student representatives maintain that the cuts will weaken their partners at local level, jeopardise potential for the attainment of affluence and restrict the ability to find global solutions to challenges regarding for example climate, water, food and society.

This in turn will also have a negative impact on addressing the causes of flight at local level.

Furthermore, the resolution states that ending collaborative programmes in higher education is going to inhibit Germany’s international ability to act in science and economics and in attracting skilled labour.

Bearing all this in mind, the resolution appeals to the members of the Federal Parliament and the Federal Government to ensure in further budget deliberations that the respective collaborative programmes in development cooperation be continued and extended.

Drastic budget cuts

University World News reported on 21 May that drastic budget cuts announced by Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) would have a serious impact on the country’s international academic links, as the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) warned.

The funding plans would result in all but one of DAAD’s academic cooperation programmes being suspended by 2031. And programmes run by the organisation with special BMZ funding, which amounted to around €25 million (approximately US$29.1 million) last year, would be discontinued.

Funding for academic networks with the Global South was set to be phased out completely, according to a statement from the DAAD.

“These cuts threaten a key pillar of Germany’s foreign science policy and development cooperation: the structured and demonstrably highly successful engagement of our universities in promoting German interests through cooperation with partners in the Global South,” said DAAD president Joybrato Mukherjee.

“Those who scale back these university partnerships may save money in the short term, but at the same time they weaken Germany’s international capacity to act in science, business and the recruitment of skilled workers.

“The resulting gaps worldwide will be filled by other states such as China and possibly Russia too – with significant consequences for Germany’s influence in the countries of the Global South.”

Michael Gardner can be reached at michael.gardner@uw-news.com