Stifterverband

Stifterverband is a German NGO that has been committed to consulting, networking and promoting improvements in the fields of education, research and innovation policies since 1920. Some 3,000 members – DAX companies, mid-size companies, company associations, donors and active private individuals – have joined forces in Stifterverband. They form the core of a network of business, science, politics and civil society. Stifterverband focuses its efforts primarily on the fields of education, science and innovation. To date, it is the only organisation in Germany to engage in holistic work in all three areas, with projects that build on one another with synergistic effect. Stifterverband actively promotes equal opportunities in education, excellent universities and internationally competitive research institutions. Its instruments range from extracurricular talent promotion and higher education structural programmes to detailed analyses of the scientific and innovation system that serves as a basis for recommendations to public policymakers. The Stifterverband as a knowledge broker has high impact in its outreach to the leadership of higher education institutions, as well as the policy side.

Why we are participating in the project

One of Stifterverband’s major focus areas over the next few years targets the challenges caused by the digital transformation. The opportunities and the potential throughout education and science, in particular for the higher education system to develop strategies for connected learning societies in the digital age, are magnificent. However, it requires a cultural paradigm shift to exploit these opportunities and to master the underlying challenges. In its programs, e.g. its Future Skills Initiative or Hochschulforum Digitalisierung, Stifterverband tackles the prevailing challenges and shapes the potentials of the digital transformation together with different relevant stakeholders. For instance, Hochschulforum Digitalisierung (HFD)—a centre of innovation and competence Stifterverband has been running with the German Rectors’ Conference (HRK) and the Center for Higher Education (CHE) since 2014—informs, advises and connects higher education institutions and policymakers on the path towards education in the digital age. In its network for higher education teaching, HFD connects university teachers, higher education staff and students. It is designed to promote exchanges across disciplines and HEIs and to build competence in the field of digital teaching and learning. As a community project initiated by members of this network, the HFD Community Certificate (“HFDcert”) has been developed: an online platform that enables teachers, support staff and students to make their commitment to innovative, digitally supported teaching visible by means of peer review and the awarding of badges. The issues identified within our networks and working groups greatly correspond with the goals of the EdDiCo project. Given its multifaceted programs and lessons learned from Hochschulforum Digitalisierung and other projects (e.g. OEPass), Stifterverband brings in extensive expertise and relevant experiences on a regional, national and international level. As part of the EdDiCo consortium, we aim to contribute to driving forward joint European efforts for supporting educators in their development of digital competences. In addition, we of course aim to engage our community and comprehensively disseminate the work done in the EdDiCo project, which German higher education can significantly benefit from

Our role in the project

Stifterverband will be responsible for :

  • Leading activities toward developing a learning maturity model for digital education competence
  • Describing each of the competences in the competence meta-model for digital educators in terms of degree of expertise achieved and pursuing validation of these level descriptors by significant stakeholders
  • Contributing to all project activities and outputs
  • Disseminating all project results with a focus on the German higher education community
  • Hosting a multiplier event at the University:Future Festival in Berlin (October 6-8, 2020)

Our Team

Dr. Yasmin Djabarian

Dr. Yasmin Djabarian

Programme Manager

Dr. Yasmin Djabarian is a programme manager for Hochschulforum Digitalisierung (HFD) at Stifterverband in Berlin. Here, she is mainly working in HFD community programs related to innovative, digitally supported teaching and student participation. Before joining Stifterverband, Yasmin was as a research fellow at the Center for Quality Assurance and Development at the University of Mainz, focusing on educational and academic staff development in Higher Education. She studied American Studies and Communication in Mainz, Washington, DC, and Atlanta, and holds a PhD in American Studies.