Friedrich Schlegel Graduate School supports its members (doctoral candidates, postdocs, faculty) both administratively and financially to plan and conduct a visit abroad. The school’s grantees have a travel budget they may use for visits abroad and conference travel in consultation with their supervisor team. Associated postdocs and the school’s PIs who do not have their own resources may file a request to the board.

For doctoral candidates, the visit abroad is part of the curriculum, but it is not mandatory. Together with their supervisor team the doctoral candidates decide if and in which form a study abroad could be useful for the dissertation project and their own career path. It is recommended to conduct the visit abroad during the second academic year. Planning should start a year in advance.

Which universities may I visit for a semester or two, or do research as a postdoc?

Generally, you may choose any university recognized in Germany (Anabin) for your visit abroad. If there is no contract between Freie Universität Berlin or FSGS with the chosen university, doctoral candidates or their supervisors should have a good relationship with the relevant department, as an invitation is required to waive tuition fees. Postdocs are usually not charged any fees for a research residence. Our office is happy to help initiate contact.

As a doctoral candidate / researcher at Freie Universität Berlin you have many opportunities for visits abroad that are already contractually protected. The contracts regulate that no tuition fees are charged, and that you will have administrative support through the relevant department. As a doctoral student you have to apply for the positions available in these programs and observe their deadlines. If necessary, you should interrupt your scholarship at FSGS (request to the board). Under no circumstance may incurred costs be billed twice, or two scholarships be paid out at the same time. In these cases, please visit our office in due time so that we can advise you. Postdocs may point to these contracts when they contact a university and ask about opportunities for a research visit. Please inform our office before you initiate contact. We will support you and work together closely with dept. IV (International Services) at Freie Universität Berlin.

As a member of FSGS you may use FSGS’s partnerships for your visit abroad. Through our contracts, doctoral candidates have two exchange positions available annually at the institutes listed below. Our office will send out a query to check for demand in mid-January. 

Teaching staff may conduct a one-week visit with teaching obligation (eight hours) through our partnerships. This applies in particular to our partnerships with the universities in Cambridge und Oxford. Please contact our office so that we can advise you. All important information regarding the Erasmus Staff Mobility for Teaching can be found on the website of dept. IV.

Erasmus

Direct exchange         Freie Universität Berlin

International offices

International partnerships at FSGS

• Faculty of Modern and Medieval Languages, University of Cambridge (Great Britain)
• Faculty of Modern and Medieval Languages, University of Oxford (Great Britain)
• Department of Germanic Studies and Department of Comparative Literature, University of Chicago (USA)
• Department of Germanic Studies, Indiana University, College of Arts and Sciences Bloomington [German] (USA)
• Graduate School of Arts and Sciences / The College of Arts and Sciences and Graduate School of Humanities and Sociology / Faculty of Letters at the University of Tokyo (Japan)