Guideline for the Conclusion of Bilateral Agreements

The conclusion of an agreement on university level is usually based on previous contacts of researchers of several departments and/or institutes with the corresponding international cooperation partner. Cross-department agreements can also be concluded for strategic reasons.

Which criteria should be met for a cooperation on university level?

• suitable partners are internationally recognized foreign institutions;
• the cooperation must be feasible for a duration of at least five years;
• the funding must be secured at least for a medium term;
• the cooperation must be implemented between at least two departments or institutes of the university, both in research and teaching;
• there is a planned and subject-specific exchange of knowledge, research, lecturers/university teachers and students.

Which further aspects should be considered in regard to the choice of cooperation partners?

When choosing cooperation partners, due to limited resources it is recommended to consider whether the targeted university adds to the further development of the subject-specific profile of TU Dortmund University.  It is also advisable to focus on partners with considerable strategic importance.

Which procedural steps need to be taken to conclude an agreement on university level?

While the procedure itself is guided by the International Office, the Rectorate is responsible for the implementation of the cooperation agreement in close collaboration with the corresponding departments. The International Office also coordinates the reporting to the governing bodies of the university.

Does the signing of the cooperation agreement involve a financial subsidy?

No financial support is involved in the successful conclusion of the agreement.

After legal assessment of the draft agreement, the International Office presents the proposal to the Rector. If he agrees with the draft agreement, the International Office receives the signed agreement. After the partner institution has signed the agreement, the original agreement must be sent back to the International Office.

Concluding an international partnership agreement on department level is the recommended option for the sole cooperation of one department with a department or an institute of the international partner institution.

Which criteria should be met for a partnership on department or institute level?

• suitable partners are internationally recognized foreign institutions;
• the cooperation must be feasible for a duration of at least five years;
• the funding must be secured at least for a medium term;
• there is a planned and subject-specific exchange of knowledge, research, lecturers/university teachers and students;
• a contact person needs to be appointed in the corresponding department who coordinates the content of the cooperation agreement (e.g. selection procedures for the outgoings, accommodation and support for the incomings).

Funding

No financial support is involved in the successful conclusion of the agreement.

Which procedural steps need to be taken to conclude an agreement on department/institute level?

While the procedure itself is guided by the International Office, the Rectorate is responsible for the implementation of the cooperation agreement in close collaboration with the corresponding department or institute.

The following documents need to be submitted to the International Office via e-mail:

• a draft agreement, based on the provided agreement template and drafted together with the cooperation partner
• a short report with an elaboration of the already implemented and planned activities, together with the contact persons for the coordination of the cooperation (complete contact details including e-mail address)
• an approval of the cooperation agreement by the corresponding dean (submission in form of an e-mail is sufficient)

After legal assessment of the agreement, the International Office presents the proposal to the Vice President International Affairs. If she agrees with the draft agreement, the International Office receives the signed agreement. After the partner institution has signed the agreement, the original agreement must be sent back to the International Office.

Student Exchange Agreements

Concluding a student exchange agreement on department level is the recommended option if a department aims to cooperate with a department or an institute of the international partner institution but wants to focus exclusively on the exchange of students.

Which criteria should be met for a partnership on department or institute level?

• suitable partners are internationally recognized foreign institutions;
• the cooperation must be feasible for a duration of at least five years;
• the funding must be secured at least for a medium term;
• a contact person needs to be appointed in the corresponding department who coordinates the content of the cooperation agreement (e.g. selection procedures for the outgoings, accommodation and support for the incomings).

Funding

No financial support is involved in the successful conclusion of the agreement.

Which procedural steps need to be taken to conclude a student exchange agreement on department/institute level?

While the procedure itself is guided by the International Office, the Rectorate is responsible for the implementation of the cooperation agreement in close collaboration with the corresponding department or institute.

The following documents need to be submitted to the International Office via e-mail:

•  a draft agreement, based on the provided agreement template and drafted together with the cooperation partner
• a short report with an elaboration of the already implemented and planned activities, together with the contact persons for the coordination of the cooperation in both institutions (complete contact details including e-mail address)
• an approval of the cooperation agreement by the corresponding dean (submission in form of an e-mail is sufficient)

After legal assessment of the draft agreement, the International Office presents the proposal to the Vice President International Affairs. If she agrees with the agreement, the International Office receives the signed agreement. After the partner institution has signed the agreement, the original agreement must be sent back to the International Office.

The conclusion of an Inter-Institutional Agreement regulates the exchange of students and lecturers to eligible universities in the 27 EU Member States, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Northern Macedonia, Norway, Serbia, Turkey and the United Kingdom within the framework of the European education program Erasmus+ (2014-2020).

What are the criteria for concluding an Erasmus+ Inter-Institutional Agreement?

• the Erasmus Departmental Coordinator selects suitable partners;
• the partner university has a valid European University Charter (ECHE),
• the Erasmus Departmental Coordinator has clarified the contents with the partner university (e.g. language level, duration of the student and/or lecturer exchange)

What other aspects should one consider when selecting cooperation partners?

When choosing cooperation partners, it is advisable to make sure that the study contents at the partner university match those of TU Dortmund University as much as possible, so that students can easily obtain recognition of their academic achievements abroad. Furthermore, it is advisable to choose the partner universities in such a way that an active exchange in both directions can be expected.

Which procedural steps are necessary to conclude an Inter-Institutional Agreement?

Each department has an Erasmus Departmental Coordinator who is responsible for the exchange within the department. He/she sends the completed contract template by e-mail to Hella Koschinski, International Office.

All Inter-Institutional Agreements are signed centrally by the Erasmus Institutional Coordinator in the International Office and sent to the partner university. Once the agreement has been signed by both parties, the department will automatically receive a copy of the agreement.

The Inter-Institutional Agreements must be concluded before the beginning of an academic year and for several academic years (the maximum end date is, however, determined by the respective EU program duration - currently the academic year 2020/2021!)

Soon, new agreements can be concluded for the successor program Erasmus, which is scheduled to take effect for seven years starting in 2021. The new contract forms are still in the test phase, as in future they will be created, signed and sent out exclusively in digital form.