Information for Hosts

Since 2018, international guests from teaching, research and practice have been coming to HSBI for one week in spring to contribute their international perspectives to teaching and research at all faculties and locations. They participate in research projects, hold lectures and workshops and present their home universities. The IW programme is rounded off with numerous information offers on stays abroad and activities organised by international students.

Watch this video for some impressions of the International Week at HSBI:

The following status groups can invite international guests to HSBI and become hosts at the International Week:

• Professors
• Academic staff
• Lecturers for special assignments

Your guests can participate in the IW virtually or onsite, either for the entire week or on individual days. The following persons are eligible as guests:

• Lecturers and researchers from universities abroad that teach or do research in the same or related disciplines,
• International practitioners (e.g. from non-profit institutions, NGOs, social or medical institutions and companies abroad),
• International artists and designers.

As a host, you involve your guest(s) in at least one research activitie or in at least one regular course from our bachelor’s or master’s programmes taking place between 12 and 16 May 2025 at HSBI. In addition, you can also organise visits to industry partners, meetings with colleagues, Q&A sessions with students, excursions or joint meals.

Of course, you don’t have to look after your guest around the clock. There is also a small supporting programme provided by the International Office in which guests can participate. On Monday afternoon, 12 May, the opening ceremony of the IW will take place in the conference centre and on Tuesday, 13 May, guests will be able to participate in an information session on  HSBI, a campus tour and a city tour. In addition, your guests will receive advice on which sights they should see and which activities they can pursue to explore the OWL region on their own, and they can take part in events by other IW guests.

Guests organise their own arrival, accommodation and departure. The organising team provides guests with travel information and a list of accommodation options.

Guests attending the IW virtually will not receive any funding from HSBI.

Guests participating in the IW on site have two funding options:

• Guests from countries participating in the Erasmus+ programme can apply for funding for a staff mobility at their home institution.
• Guests who are not eligible for funding through the Erasmus+ programme will receive an honorarium for teaching one or more courses that impart knowledge within the framework of HSBI’s curricula or teaching programmes, or for pursuing a research project during the IW:
  • Honorarium for guests from within Europe: €400 + €85 per day of participation
  • Honorarium for guests from outside Europe: €1,000 + €85 per day of participation

Please note: The possible days of attendance are 12, 13, 14, 15 and 16 May. Guests must submit their travel tickets/hotel bills as proof of the days on which they have attended.

The International Office organises the payment of honoraria and grants. All honoraria will be paid out after the end of the IW and can be used, for example, to pay for travel and hotel expenses.

Professors, academic staff and lecturers for special assignments have received a digital flyer (German | English) in early November, which can be forwarded to potential guests. Please discuss with them for which teaching or research activities you would like to invite them and whether they will attend the entire IW (12–16 May) or just individual days. Your guest can then register using our online registration form (linked on the digital flyer), indicating that you will be their host. The deadline for registration is 5 January 2025.

We will try to make it possible for as many guests to participate as we can, but we only have a limited budget for honorarium payments. Guests who finance their own stay (e.g., through an Erasmus+ grant), can be invited in any case. You and your guest will receive feedback on the registration by the end of January. If it was successful, your guest will receive an official invitation letter from HSBI and you will both receive information on further planning and organisation.

Universities in Germany are obliged to control and, if necessary, limit the dissemination of scientific knowledge that can be used and abused for military purposes. If you would like to invite guests whose main place of residence was outside the European Union, Australia, Iceland, Japan, Canada, New Zealand, Norway, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, the United Kingdom or the USA during the last five years, the invitation must be examined under export control law.

When registering, your guest must state truthfully whether they have been staying outside the above-mentioned countries during the last five years. If this is the case, we will contact you and ask you to complete an additional questionnaire regarding the guest’s planned visit.

Background information on export control can be found here and on the slides of our export control information session on 6 December.

Katharina Kontowski and Maximilian Köster (International Office) by e-mail at iw@hsbi.de.