25 Years of DIES – Celebrate with us!

For 25 years, the DIES programme has been supporting higher education institutions in the Global South in strengthening leadership, management and strategic development. This anniversary celebrates a global network of dedicated professionals, long-standing partnerships and a shared commitment to advancing higher education worldwide.

DIES Event Series

Our Next Event

Explore our upcoming events designed for professionals in higher education. Each event is crafted to offer valuable insights and networking opportunities.
Stay informed, engage with experts, and enrich your experience.
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DIES Seminar

Tuesday, 5 May 2026, 02:00 – 04:15 pm (CEST) / 12:00 – 02:15 pm (UTC)

Artificial Intelligence in Higher Education Management: Navigating Strategy, Ethics and Sustainable Change

Universities worldwide are investing in digital transformation to strengthen institutional capacity. While practical experiences with Artificial Intelligence are already widespread in the fields of teaching and learning, its integration into higher education management is still emerging. The integration of AI systems tools can make decisions and carry out tasks independently adds a new dimension to this ongoing transition. For higher education managers, this creates both opportunities and uncertainties: What strategies are effective for meaningful AI adoption in university management? How can ethical standards be upheld? How do we build digital literacy, minimize dependence, and anticipate regulatory and environmental impacts?
In this web seminar, we will address current institutional challenges related to AI by sharing practical examples from different fields of higher education management. The session aims to foster an open discussion about the value AI can bring to administrative processes and strategic leadership.

Information about the speakers will follow shortly.

Join our celebration!

Share your wishes and your memories of DIES

Spotlight

25. March 2026

Join us as we delve into the latest innovations. This event will feature notable speakers and interactive sessions, perfect for staying ahead.

Explore All Upcoming Events

DIES Webseminar

05. May 2026

Discover strategies for navigating the digital landscape at our Digital Transformation event. Engage with industry leaders and gain insights on future trends.

DIES Spotlight

Tba (July 2026)

Discover strategies for navigating the digital landscape at our Digital Transformation event. Engage with industry leaders and gain insights on future trends.

DIES Webseminar

Tba (Oktober 2026)

Discover strategies for navigating the digital landscape at our Digital Transformation event. Engage with industry leaders and gain insights on future trends.

25th Anniversary Webseminar

01. December 2026

Discover strategies for navigating the digital landscape at our Digital Transformation event. Engage with industry leaders and gain insights on future trends.

Our Upcoming Events

DIES Spotlight

Tba (July 2026)

We’ll update more information shortly. Please check our website for updates

The role of universities in society: Opportunities and challenges for higher education management

14 October 2026

We’ll update more information shortly. Please check our website for updates

25th Anniversary Event

1 December 2026

We’ll update more information shortly. Please check our website for updates

Videos

DIES Spotlight

25. March 2026

The future of internationalisation – the impact of geopolitics on North-South academic collaboration

Wednesday, 25 March 2026 02:00 – 03:00 pm (CET) / 01:00 – 02:00 pm (UTC)

Spotlight

Tba (July)

Discover strategies for navigating the digital landscape at our Digital Transformation event. Engage with industry leaders and gain insights on future trends.

DIES Webseminar

Tba (September)

Discover strategies for navigating the digital landscape at our Digital Transformation event. Engage with industry leaders and gain insights on future trends.

Jubiläums Webseminar​

01. December 2026

Discover strategies for navigating the digital landscape at our Digital Transformation event. Engage with industry leaders and gain insights on future trends.

DIES Spotlight

25. March 2026

The future of internationalisation – the impact of geopolitics on North-South academic collaboration

Wednesday, 25 March 2026 02:00 – 03:00 pm (CET) / 01:00 – 02:00 pm (UTC)

About

"Dialogue on Innovative Higher Education Strategies" (DIES)​

Higher education institutions throughout the world are operating in an increasingly dynamic environment characterised by global challenges. They face intense competition for students, highly qualified researchers and third-party funding. This also applies to countries in the Global South, where the demand for tertiary education has been skyrocketing over the last decades.

In light of these developments, all aspects of higher education management are becoming increasingly important in the field of international development cooperation. The programme “Dialogue on Innovative Higher Education Strategies” (DIES) has been jointly developed and coordinated by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) and the German Rectors’ Conference (HRK) since 2001. DIES is strengthening capacities in higher education management, both on individual and institutional level. It offers a wide range of tailored activities including training courses, dialogue events and regional sustainability activities. These activities not only foster the competences of academic staff, but also contribute to the enhancement of institutional management at higher education institutions in the Global South. DIES focuses on three key partner regions: Africa, Spanish-speaking Latin America and Southeast Asia. Funding is provided by the German Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).

German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD)

In 1925, the DAAD was founded as a student initiative to enable students at German universities to spend time abroad. Today, the DAAD, as an association of German universities and their student bodies, is the world’s largest organisation for the promotion of international academic exchange. With its broad range of scholarship programmes, the DAAD enables students, researchers and university lecturers to take advantage of the best study and research opportunities. Since it was founded in 1925, more than 3 million scholars in Germany and abroad have received DAAD funding. In addition, the DAAD supports the internationalisation of German universities, promotes German studies and the German language abroad, supports countries in the Global South in building and improving their higher education systems and advises decision makers on education, foreign science and development policy.

German Rectors’ Conference (HRK)

The German Rectors’ Conference (HRK) is the association of state and state-recognised universities in Germany. The HRK currently has 269 member institutions, in which over 90 per cent of all students in Germany are enrolled. The HRK functions as the voice of the universities in dialogue with politicians and the public and as the central forum for opinion-forming in the higher education sector. The HRK cooperates with universities and corresponding organisations all over the world. Its aim is to represent the interest of German universities at an international level and to support German universities in their internationalisation process.

About

German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD)

The DAAD is a joint organisation of German institutions of higher education and their student bodies, devoted to internationalising the academic and scientific research system. With its broad range of scholarship programmes, the DAAD enables students, researchers and university lecturers to take advantage of the best study and research opportunities. Since it was founded in 1925, more than 2.5 million scholars in Germany and abroad have received DAAD funding. Apart from the scholar ship programmes the DAAD supports the internationalisation of German universities, promotes German studies and the German language abroad, advises decision makers on matters of cultural, education and development policy and assists developing countries in establishing effective universities by means of special programmes.

German Rectors’ Conference (HRK)

The German Rectors’ Conference (HRK) is the association of state and state-recognised universities in Germany. The HRK currently has 269 member institutions, in which over 90 per cent of all students in Germany are enrolled. The HRK functions as the voice of the universities in dialogue with politicians and the public and as the central forum for opinion-forming in the higher education sector. The HRK cooperates with universities and corresponding organisations all over the world. Its aim is to represent the interest of German universities at an international level and to support German universities in their internationalisation process.

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