Enhancing the exchange in educational research

We advise and support researchers and research institutions in the field of education research in setting up and improving international contacts and cooperations. We are orientated towards the researchers’ interests and needs and value the exchange with universities and research institutes.

The unit “International Cooperation in Education” (ice) works towards networking research in education in Germany at an international level. Across thematic fields, ice offers space at national, European and international conferences for researchers to discuss their very own research approaches and projects and initiate cooperations and we thus introduce current international research approaches to the German community.
Moreover, ice retains contacts to the institutions that provide funding for international networking and research. In particular, this concerns programmes that are run by the EU or the OECD. Besides, ice collaborates with other national and international research funding agencies (e.g. NKS, KoWi, Brussels office of the Leibniz Association, EU office of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research, German Academic Exchange Service – DAAD -, EU offices at universities).

Priority areas of “ice - International Cooperation in Education”

1. Setup of International Cooperations

To initiate international and European cooperations among educational researchers, ice organises a series of symposia, research panels and talks, thus bringing together German, European and international educational researchers who can present their individual work and sound out opportunities for networking. In this regard, we participate in different formats at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association (AERA) and we are engaged in the Division for International and International Comparative Educational Research of the German Educational Research Association , GERA/ DGfE.
Moreover, ice provides support for the establishment of international consortia. Ice assists German research partners in the process of launching projects, to focus thematic areas, as well as in writing concrete project proposals, to explore negotiation strategies. Ice successfully established and internationally linked the cluster „Technology Based Assessment“ (TBA) at DIPF, and supported German scientists in the context of PISA 2009, 2012, 2015 and PIAAC.We also initiated a cooperation with UNESCO Bangkok focusing on Global Competences.

2. EU-Research Funding

Ice acts as a contact point and facilitator for EU research funding instruments – providing first information for scientists regarding the EU research framework programme Horizon 2020 and ERASMUS+. In the case of concrete project proposals, ice can offer targeted assistance and indicate useful contacts because of established links to EU counselling services (e.g. NKS and KoWi).
In order to disseminate information on EU funding in the area of educational research and educational science, ice has repeatedly organised so-called information days in Brussels. Scientists were thus given an opportunity to communicate with people working for the European Commission and gain insight into EU research funding structures. Participants also received practical hints and strategies for submitting successful proposals.

3. International Networks

Internationalisation also means the observation of structures, research groups and current research projects in other countries and networking their potential with research in Germany. Occasionally, ice compiles surveys on educationally relevant topics in international contexts, e.g. regarding the transfer of educational research to educational policy making (EIPPEE) or international developmental cooperation with countries from the southern hemisphere.  
At regular intervals, researchers are offered an opportunity to present their prospective co-operation projects at the US-American Annual AERA Meeting (American Educational Research Association, AERA), where they can also present their work at our exhibition booth or at our specially organised session.

4. International Trainings

Ice regularly runs „English-Training-Workshops“ and thus supports scientists in Germany in improving their English writing and presentation skills. Research findings can thus be published in international journals and international awareness is increased among the community of researchers regarding educational research in Germany .The workshops are complemented by other modules such as “Conversational Skills for Conference-Goers“, “Academic Correspondence” or “Effective Poster Presentation at International Conferences
Furthermore, ice initiates workshops on research methods with international tutors, focusing on relevant aspects such as “Systematic Reviews“.

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