Photo: University of Hamburg/Esfandiari

A total of 13 institutions collaborate within the CareerNetwork Hamburg.

Hamburg is an attractive place to study for many international students, particularly in the so-called STEM fields—mathematics, computer science, natural sciences, and technology. For years, the city’s universities have been implementing various programs to attract their graduates to the North German job market. With the CareerNetwork Hamburg, these initiatives are now being targeted even more precisely.

The Hamburg network prevailed over numerous other projects in the Leuchtturm MINTernational funding program and was selected as a model project for the Northern Germany region. Even during the joint application process, the University of Hamburg, the Hamburg University of Applied Sciences, and the Hamburg University of Technology demonstrated their exceptional ability to collaborate. The Stifterverband (German association of foundations) particularly commended the compelling overall strategy, which builds on existing projects and offerings; the close integration of the participating partners; and the approach’s high potential to have a lasting impact and, above all, to be replicated in other regions.

In addition to the three universities, the “CareerNetwork Hamburg” includes the Ministry of Science, Research, and Equal Opportunity, the semiconductor manufacturer NXP, and eight other institutions and companies. Together, the partners are developing programs that connect international students with the regional economy while they are still studying and help them enter the job market.

Specifically, the first step involves developing a bilingual landing page that maps out the various phases of entering the job market and provides an overview of the regional network’s full range of offerings. This is because the central challenge currently lies not in a lack of initiatives, but in the fact that they are presented in different places and are therefore not easily visible or discoverable. The new portal will be complemented by a multilingual AI buddy that offers users interactive advice in 120 languages and provides diversity-sensitive, personalized support as they navigate their path into the job market.

“More than 10,000 international students at the participating universities: That represents enormous potential for securing a skilled workforce, and we want to tap into it even more effectively for Hamburg,” says Prof. Dr. Jetta Frost, Vice President for Knowledge Transfer, Academic Career Paths, and Equity at the University of Hamburg. “At the University of Hamburg, we’re already making it easier for international students to enter the Hamburg job market, for example through the MIN För Hamburg and Climate Knowledges in Context programs funded by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD). This award from the Stifterverband confirms that we are on the right track together with our partner universities, the business community, and policymakers. It is a major success for Hamburg as a hub for business and science.”

Through the funding initiative Leuchttürme MINTernational, the Stifterverband supports model regions where universities, companies, and government agencies work together to improve the integration of international STEM students into the job market. The program is funded by the GEA Foundation, the Fritz Henkel Foundation, and the Central German Foundation for Science and Education, among others.

(This content has been translated automatically.)