Connecting online has become a great way to kick off academic partnerships in recent years, yet there’s nothing like meeting in person to add richness and depth to a relationship. So says Amir Asif, York’s Vice President of Research and Innovation, who led a delegation in September 2024 to several universities in both Germany and France.

Now an event on May 1, 2025 will highlight York-Germany collaboration success stories, as well as share details on how to access funding from German agencies. York researchers and faculty are invited to learn more about joint collaborative opportunities from German partners and ask questions to understand if their projects may be a fit.

York has already established many strong relationships with German institutions. The recent delegation visit included several universities such as Goethe University Frankfurt, University of Konstanz, University of Marburg, University of Justus Liebig Giessen, Free University of Berlin, as well as with partners in the Ontario/Baden-Württemberg (OBW) consortium. In 2023-24, 71 international students from Germany attended York and 130 exchange students studied at York. Fifty-six York students have gone to Germany on exchange from 2021 to 2024.

In their visit last year, Asif and his colleagues deepened their knowledge about a wide range of initiatives at German universities. They toured individual university facilities and also met with representatives from German research funding councils like DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service) and DFG (German Research Foundation), along with high-ranking officials and individual researchers. Some meetings included multiple universities, which meant that the conversations could range across institutions to discuss shared research goals more broadly.

“Each university has its own research strengths, but there’s often meaningful overlap,” says Asif, explaining the benefits of this wider dialogue. “Meeting in person allows us to explore those connections in a much richer way—touring labs, asking questions, and having informal conversations that often spark new ideas. These interactions not only deepen our academic relationships but also open doors to collaboration and funding opportunities.”

In some cases, York has already signed official Memorandums of Understanding to formalize research partnerships; for example, York’s Connected Minds research group signed a cooperation agreement with the University of Konstanz Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour. Many other collaborations exist between individual researchers, for example, in York’s Health faculty, psychology professor Michaela Hynie works closely with Annette Korntheuer at Munich University of Applied Sciences on issues related to forced migration. Laura Sergio, York Research Chair in Brain Health and Skilled Performance in the School of Kinesiology & Health Science, is working with Dr. Marc Dalecki at DHGS German University of Health and Sports in Berlin. York’s Faculty of Environmental and Urban Change and J.W. Goethe University Frankfurt have engaged in multiple collaborations, including a graduate student exchange, and summer programs as part of the Global Suburbanisms Project.

In addition to nurturing existing partnerships, York is always on the lookout for new areas compatible for collaboration. At Goethe University Frankfurt, for example, the team pinpointed artificial intelligence as a major area of potential collaboration, as well as feminist research, bees and ecology, and areas in the social sciences and humanities. “Our partnerships with German universities are built on shared values of research excellence, equity, and global impact. These collaborations allow us to connect across disciplines and geographies to address complex challenges together. At York, we are committed to growing these relationships, exploring new areas of synergy, and creating opportunities for our students, faculty, and researchers to engage globally,” says Vinitha Gengatharan, York’s assistant vice-president for Global Engagement and Partnerships.

Asif notes that there are many similarities as well as differences between German and Canadian universities, so in-person visits help to understand the academic landscape. Some German universities such as the Goethe Institute are very research intensive, whereas others are more general, or technically focused, for example on STEM areas. Commonalities include the fact that most European universities are publicly funded, and both countries value academic freedom.

“I think we have a common culture and connection, the same democratic norms,” says Asif. “Their aspirations align closely with ours, including research excellence, social equity, health equity, social justice, and a meaningful contribution to society.” He also sees a shared commitment to multidisciplinary academic programs. “We want to prepare graduates who are leaders in their respective fields.”

Asif says he also heard in his conversations a deep respect for Canada, with German universities eager to learn from this country’s institutions as well, particularly when it comes to multiculturalism. “There’s a real admiration among our German counterparts for how Canada approaches these complex issues,” he says. “They look up to Canada, because we’ve introduced immigration in a way that embraces multiculturalism, and that model is deeply relevant to broader societal discussions—how diverse communities can coexist, how public policy can be inclusive, and how social systems can be shaped to reduce inequities.”

That admiration has meant that German institutions are eager to connect with Canada. German universities want to partner with us through faculty exchanges, student exchanges, and joint research,” Asif explains. “We all face global challenges that touch on multiple disciplines including climate change, migration, health systems, democratic governance and no single institution or country can solve them alone. That’s why collaboration is essential.”

He adds that there are practical benefits as well. “Research is expensive, and collaboration allows us to share labs, data, and resources. But just as important is the sharing of ideas, especially in areas where society is evolving rapidly and new policy responses are needed.”

These international connections will be further explored at an upcoming event on May 1, 2025, which will showcase York-Germany collaboration success stories and outline how York researchers can access funding through German agencies, and vice versa. At the May event, attendees will learn about key funding opportunities with German agencies including DAAD, DFG and EURAXESS. They will also hear from faculty members who already collaborate with Germany counterparts, and have the opportunity to ask questions about best practices for similar collaborations. Since each new meeting is an important opportunity to strengthen collaborations, Asif says he sees the May event as an important continuation in terms of building awareness of opportunities to work together. “I'm really looking forward to exploring how we can deepen our existing partnerships, whether through academic exchange or collaborative research initiatives.”

Click Here to View the Full Program & Register for the 1 May Event