The German Academic Exchange Service or DAAD (German: Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst) is the largest German support organization in the field of international academic co-operation.
DAAD is a private, federally funded and state-funded, self-governing national agency of the institutions of higher education in Germany, representing 365 German higher education institutions (100 universities and technical universities, 162 general universities of applied sciences, and 52 colleges of music and art) [2003]. The DAAD has been supporting the establishment of Centres of Excellence in African Countries to advance educational capacity to influence development in the region.
The DAAD grants administered by the DAAD abroad are available to students of all academic disciplines and at each academic degree level, including undergraduates, graduating undergraduates and recent graduates with a BA, Masters degree students, doctoral students, PhD candidates and postdoctoral scholars, and faculty.
The DAAD worldwide network also includes around 50 information centres and around 450 DAAD lecturer positions.