DAAD funding ranking:
University of Hohenheim in 1st place of state universities [22.07.26]
Top in internationalization: 388 euros in funding per student in 2025 / a total of nearly 3.3 million euros for internationalization projects and scholarships
Dynamic academic and research networks, international centers, and active lecturer and student exchanges: According to the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), the University of Hohenheim in Stuttgart is the most active university in Baden-Württemberg in terms of its international focus. That was shown in its current funding atlas. In this list, the DAAD shows which universities qualified for the largest amounts of funding with their activities. Once again this year, the University of Hohenheim can be pleased with a top ranking in funding amounts per student: With a total of 388 euros in 2025, it ranked first among the state universities and 24th among all higher education institutions in Germany.
In 2025, the University of Hohenheim received a total of 3.27 million euros from the DAAD for individual scholarships and projects in university cooperation. “The outstanding results in the funding atlas are also attributable to the support provided by the UKUDLA Africa Center of Excellence, which was launched in 2025,” said Franziska Schenk, director of the university’s Office of International Affairs.
“It is very important to us to support students, researchers, and lecturers in international projects and to establish and maintain long-term partnerships,” explained Prof. Dr. Andreas Pyka, Vice President for International Affairs. “The University of Hohenheim therefore offers an attractive range of courses for international students, support for study abroad programs for both outgoing and incoming students, and excellent language courses.” Researchers are also welcome to contact us at any time for advice on the available options from our advisors. “The high level of funding provided by the DAAD for program and project support reaffirms that we are on the right track.”
However, he views the current plans of the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) with concern. According to this plan, nearly all DAAD programs for university cooperation with partners in the Global South are due to be phased out by 2031.
“The discontinuation of these programs would not only hinder the development of local solutions to global challenges, but would also undermine local scientific and economic prospects, thereby contributing to the causes of migration. At the same time, Germany’s ability to act on the international stage in the fields of science, the economy, and the recruitment of skilled workers would be weakened, while other countries such as China and Russia expand their influence in the Global South,” said Pyka.
BACKGROUND: Internationalization projects with the highest funding volume in 2025
UKUDLA African-German Centre for Sustainable and Resilient Food Systems and Applied Agricultural and Food Data Science
UKUDLA, based in South Africa, promotes sustainable and resilient food systems through applied research and data analysis. The University of Hohenheim, as well as one Malawian and three South African universities, are participating. As part of the project, African and German lecturers, Master’s students, doctoral candidates, and postdocs receive targeted support. The DAAD supported the project in 2025 to the tune of more than 707,000 euros.
Erasmus+ Mobility Program
For the Erasmus+ mobility program with European partner countries and selected countries outside Europe, the DAAD has allocated nearly 645,000 euros in its current Erasmus+ funding ranking. As a result, about 180 Hohenheim students took advantage of the opportunity to study abroad within Europe. In addition, Erasmus+ supported visiting lecturer programs as well as continuing education and professional development opportunities for university staff.
Bilateral CLIFOOD SDG research training group
The German-Ethiopian “Climate Change Effects on Food Security” (CLIFOOD) research training group at the Universities of Hohenheim and Hawassa has been supporting the training of African researchers on the impacts of climate change on food security in East Africa since 2016. The extension phase, which runs from 2021 to 2025, was funded with 2.25 million euros from the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). The DAAD provided approximately 450,000 euros in funding for the program in 2025. The project has now been completed.
Campus Initiative for International Professionals – BRICKS
Through the BRICKS program, launched in 2025, the University of Hohenheim supports international Master’s students as they begin their careers in Germany. The certificate program combines language instruction, career and job application training, connections with companies, and individual coaching, and reaches approximately 180 students per year. It will be funded through the DAAD FIT program with more than one million euros through 2028, of which just over 228,000 euros were allocated for 2025.
DAAD Agri Alumni Network
Supporting the paradigm shift in agricultural systems towards sustainable land use in Africa is the goal of the DAAD Agri Alumni Network. Together with the partner university in Nairobi, a network of graduates (“alumni”) of the University of Hohenheim and the German Institute of Agricultural Sciences in the Tropics and Subtropics (DITSL) is being set up to address current agricultural science issues relating to food security and climate and environmental protection. The DAAD provided approximately 135,000 euros in funding for the program in 2025.
Development-Related Post-Graduate Degree Programs (EPOS)
The DAAD is funding two degree programs at the University of Hohenheim with around 107,000 euros through the EPOS program: the international doctoral program IPPAE and the AgEcon program. Within the framework of EPOS, participants from developing and emerging countries receive individual scholarships for development-related postgraduate studies at German universities.
- IPPAE International doctorate program
The “International PhD Program in Agricultural Economics, Bioeconomy, and Sustainable Food Systems” (IPPAE) joint program, offered by the universities of Giessen and Hohenheim, is aimed at professionals and executives from developing and emerging economies. The program enables participants to better realize the potential of the agricultural sector for poverty alleviation and food security, achieve more sustainable use of natural resources, and tap into new opportunities arising from the bioeconomy.
- AgEcon program
The Master’s degree program in Agricultural Economics at the University of Hohenheim trains decision-makers for global agricultural economics and agricultural policy. In this English-language and international Master’s program, economic growth, sustainability, and social justice are central topics, especially in an international and development-related context. The DAAD awards full scholarships for this degree program to outstanding applicants from developing countries.
Turkish-German University
The Turkish-German University (TDU) in Istanbul is a Turkish state institution established in 2013 on the basis of a German-Turkish intergovernmental agreement. Since 2015, the University of Hohenheim has been a member of the “Turkish-German University” (K-TDU) e.V. consortium. It is in charge of establishing an economics Bachelor’s program, which started in September 2025 with 100,000 euros of support from the DAAD.
BACKGROUND: DAAD funding ranking
The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) is the world’s largest funding organization for academic exchange. It is supported by German universities and students. Since 2000, the DAAD has provided funding atlases for its member universities. The atlas contains information on individual funding as well as program and project funding.
The DAAD lists the 100 universities with the highest amount of funding (in relation to the total number of all students at the university).
Text: Stuhlemmer
Contact for press:
Prof. Dr. Andreas Pyka, University of Hohenheim, Vice President for International Affairs
+49 711 459-24481, a.pyka@uni-hohenheim.de
Franziska Schenk, University of Hohenheim, Office of International Affairs
+49 711 459 22020, franziska.schenk@verwaltung.uni-hohenheim.de
