Press release: Göttingen University: successful again in Philipp Schwartz Initiative

No. 203 - 14.12.2021

Researcher at risk receives scholarship – Scholars at Risk Network gives award for good support

Success in the most recent award round of the Philipp Schwartz Initiative: another scholarship for a scholar at risk goes to the University of Göttingen. This means that the University managed to get nine scholarships since the programme began in 2016. The Alexander von Humboldt Foundation's Philipp Schwartz Initiative gives universities and research institutes in Germany the opportunity to take in scientists and scholars at risk by offering them a full scholarship for 24 months.

The University of Göttingen has been supporting at-risk researchers and students seeking refuge for many years. It is also a founding member of the German section of the global network "Scholars at Risk", which was established under the auspices of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation in 2016 with the aim of promoting the exchange of experiences and information on the situation of researchers at risk in Germany and beyond in the longer term. Dr Philipp Jeserich, Head of the Incoming Office of Göttingen International, was recently awarded the Distinguished Service Award of this network for his extraordinary services to researchers seeking refuge.

"Supporting researchers at risk is part of our social responsibility and an issue close to our hearts," explained University President Professor Metin Tolan. "Furthermore, it enriches our environment greatly to involve these people in research and teaching at the University of Göttingen."

The Philipp Schwartz Initiative supports academics who are seeking protection in Germany because of the threat of war or persecution in their home countries. The Alexander von Humboldt Foundation and the German Foreign Office, which award up to 50 fellowships each year, launched this initiative in 2016. The critical factors for being awarded a fellowship are not just the quality of the integration, the scientific opportunities and how highly qualified the researchers are, but also the prospects for a successful new career in Germany.

Further information can be found at https://www.humboldt-foundation.de/en/apply/sponsorship-programmes/philipp-schwartz-initiative.