The “Combined Scholarship and Support Program (STIBET)” now has around 14 million euros available from Federal Foreign Office funds. For the first time, this also includes one million euros in funding for activities against antisemitism and racism.
“In recent weeks, we have seen that antisemitic and racist statements and attacks do not stop at universities. If students have to fear for their safety at universities because of their religion or nationality, this is completely unacceptable and incompatible with our values. The large and ongoing demonstrations by hundreds of thousands of citizens in the last few days and weeks show that our society wants to defend the value foundation of our free-democratic basic order under all circumstances,” said DAAD President Prof. Dr. Joybrato Mukherjee in Bonn.
“As the German Academic Exchange Service, we stand for the peaceful, tolerant and cosmopolitan exchange of students and scientists. We therefore strongly support the latest statements by the University Rectors’ Conference and the Alliance of Science Organizations against the current right-wing extremist activities, which have become the subject of widespread reporting, and are following our words with actions. By increasing the STIBET budget, we as a funding organization want to send a clear signal against racism and antisemitism and for tolerance and diversity,” said Mukherjee.
