DAAD 100th anniversary

1925 was the year in which Europe found itself in an interwar period. It was also the moment when The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) was established with big aspirations. Now, in 2025, DAAD is celebrating its 100th anniversary and taking a moment to look back at its century-long history filled with notable phases and inspiring developments. Why was the DAAD established in 1925, and how has the organisation evolved over time? What is currently important to know about the status of internationalisation in Germany? And what is on the horizon for DAAD in the coming years?

In this EAIE podcast episode, Laura Rumbley talks to Dr. Kai Sicks, the Secretary General of the DAAD, about this 100-year milestone. We also get to hear from two people across the globe for whom the DAAD made a big difference in their lives. Dr. Luis Pocasangre received a DAAD scholarship and now works as Director of the Tropical Agricultural Research and Higher Education Centre (CATIE) in Costa Rica. Dr. Dorothee Weyler also once received a scholarship from DAAD, which made her fall in love with Africa. She is still working as a director for the DAAD Regional Office in Eastern Africa. Join us in celebrating 100 years of the DAAD by listening to this latest EAIE podcast episode!

About Kai Sicks

Dr. Kai Sicks has been Secretary General of the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) since April 2021. He studied German Studies and Political Sciences in Frankfurt/Main, Cologne and Vienna. In 2008, he completed his Ph.D. in German Literary Studies. He was a research scholarship holder at the German Historic Institute in Washington, D.C. and Cornell University (USA). From 2008 until 201,3, Dr Sicks acted as coordinator of the European PhD Network in Literary and Cultural Studies (PhDnet) at the International Graduate Center for the Study of Culture (University of Giessen). He also worked as managing director of the Bonn Graduate Center and director of the University of Bonn’s International Office.

About Prof. Dr Luis E. Pocasangre

Prof. Dr. Luis E. Pocasangre is the Director of the Tropical Agricultural Research and Higher Education Centre (CATIE) in Costa Rica. He obtained an M Sc. in Plant Breeding at CATIE Costa Rica in 1992, and in 2000, he was awarded a PhD at Rheinische Friedich-Wilhelms Universitaet, University of Bonn, Germany, for his research on biological control of plant parasitic nematodes and Panama Disease using endophytes. He has worked as principal scientist of Bioversity Internationally for Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC)) and Director of Research at Del Monte and EARTH University. Dr. Pocasangre has a lot of experience in international agriculture and has been a mentor to over 90 young scientists from Africa, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean.

About Dorothee Weyler

Dr. Dorothee Weyler is the Director of the DAAD Regional Office Eastern Africa in Nairobi. She studied Biology at the University of Bonn, where she was assistant to the Vice Chancellor for two years. She completed her PhD thesis in Cameroon on Medical Entomology as a DAAD Scholarship holder. She ran her own malaria research project, which has been published in multiple journals. She also holds a Diploma in European Environmental Law. Before taking over the position of Director of the DAAD Regional Office in Nairobi in January 2024, she oversaw DAAD scholarships in Africa. She worked as an expert on institutional building in higher education in Africa for the DAAD, where she gained a wealth of experience in implementing cooperation projects between German and African higher education institutions.