Quality standards

We have drafted a few benchmarks to help all participants, including our team, to maintain those standards. Please find these benchmarks below.

The DAAD RISE team commits to

• review all project offers submitted to the program database for compliance with our standards.
• review all applications submitted to the program database for compliance with our standards. (Is the application complete? Do official documents such as the certificate of enrolment or a letter of reference bear the university’s letterhead and a signature/seal?)
• review all applications submitted to the program database for academic quality of the applicant.
• make all administrative procedures as transparent as possible and keep internship providers and applicants informed about the stages of their applications via automatically generated email messages.
• answer individual requests in a timely fashion. If the request does not warrant an individualized response, information might be provided by a general email message.
• select and match scholarship holders with internships on the basis of clearly defined and transparent criteria.
• have the programs evaluated by external experts on a regular basis.
• contact program participants to solicit their ideas for changes in program administration and other suggestions for improvements.

The internship provider commits to

• submit clearly outlined and informative descriptions of internship projects which provide information about specific tasks and envisioned learning outcomes for the future intern.
• appoint a mentor to the intern who will be in regular contact with the intern and who will be ‘on duty’ and in the office for the better part of the internship.
• provide adequate workspace.
• support the intern in finding a suitable place to stay during the internship and in making first appointments with the necessary authorities.
• hold at least two in-depth conversations about expectations, tasks and learning outcomes in the context of the internship project with the intern, one at the beginning of his/her time in Germany, one at the end.
• issue a letter or recommendation based on performance during the internship if asked for one by the intern.

The scholarship holder commits to

• adhere to all rules and regulations agreed upon with the internship provider as well as DAAD’s program rules.
• immediately inform DAAD, as well as the internship provider, should any problems or changes occur that might affect the internship.
• do his/her best to successfully complete the internship.
• be open-minded about his or her stay in another country, people and living conditions, and especially about his/her new colleagues. Be pro-active when it comes to exchange!
• network with other DAAD/RISE scholarship holders in the region and to be helpful to new arrivals.
• submit all reports and other documents requested by DAAD at the end of his/her scholarship period.