Global Affairs Study and Teaching

War in Ukraine: Goethe University supports refugee students

Ukrainian refugees who wish to study in Germany can participate Academic Welcome Program (AWP). Applications for the summer term 2023 must be submitted until January 31st. Prerequiste for the application is a German A2 certificate. We suggest attending an integration course first. You can find further information in Ukrainian on our flyer.

For further questions, please email your request to awp-ukraine@dlist.server.uni-frankfurt.de.

General information and offers of assistance for Ukrainian students and scientists can be found at: https://www.daad-ukraine.org/en/or https://www.daad.de/en/the-daad/hilfsangebote/ 

Information about school and higher education in Germany can be found here: https://www.bmbf.de/bmbf/en/news/information-for-refugees-from-ukraine.html

*** You can schedule appointments with the AWP team at www.terminland.de/uni-frankfurt for individual advisement. Please select "Academic Welcome Program" and then "Interessent*in". On Tuesdays and Thursdays the appointments are only possible via phone or videocall, on Wednesdays we offer personal appointments in the office. Please select the day according to your preferences.

Students and scientists who came to Germany recently due to severe threats, can contact the AWP outside the application periods for information about beginner German courses etc. ***

Participation in the Goethe University program “Academic Welcome Program for highly qualified refugees” (AWP) provides an opportunity for further education in individual fields of knowledge as well as an orientation in academic teaching and studying culture in Germany. Through access to a university education, the German language and academic infrastructure and networks, the Goethe University hopes to develop both a future perspective and convey an orientation as well as facilitate scholastic exchange and participation for refugees.

The AWP started in the winter term 2015/16 with 30 refugees. Since then, the program and its offer have continually expanded, so that now each semester about 100 refugees can participate in the German and propaedeutic courses and/or other offers. The AWP is currently sponsored by the DAAD and HMWK until Decmber 31st, 2022.

The program offers German intensive courses (B1-C1),  varied subject preparatory courses (as of level B2.3) and/or university courses as well as the use of the university’s infrastructure, e.g. the library, multimedia language lab, and services of the computer center. Above all, there is a far reaching complimentary program to support the integration process with information and guidance for educational and professional outlook.

The program starts each semester (summer term: mid-April/winter term: mid-October). The application process begins in mid-May and usually ends on July 15 for the winter term. For the summer term the application process begins in mid-November and usually ends on January 15. Please always inform yourself about additional application dates! By each deadline, the application must be completed online and sent by mail to the uni-assist office in Berlin. Every “highly qualified refugee” who wants to study can participate. “Highly qualified refugees” include asylum seekers, -applicants and those entitled to asylum, who qualify for direct university admission in Germany or have previously studied at a university in their home country.

Costs: The fees for the German language exams (B2/C1/DSH) and the books for the language courses have to be paid by the participants. The German classes are free of charge.

Duration: Up to three semesters, depending on each individual’s learning progress. At the end of the program, participants receive an official certificate of participation.

Participants in AWP specifically do not receive student status and therefore cannot claim subsidized student benefits (i.e. student housing or student loans).

You can find the (German) flyer with general information about the AWP here.

You can find an Arabic summary of the AWP website here (pdf).