FAQs

The BMZ-funded preparation for assignments abroad are aimed at experts and managers in German international cooperation who are preparing for their assignment in a partner country or who have recently left the country, and their accompanying partners (MAP), provided that the departure is also for at least one year (free participation).

The majority of our offer is in principle also open to people who are working abroad for shorter periods of time. The prerequisite, however, is that there are free places in the course that are not taken up by professionals leaving the country (fee-based participation).

International cooperation experts and managers need to regularly develop their skills and acquire new ones to enable them to fulfil their role effectively.

Our modular courses can be combined as required to meet individual needs. We offer intensive language training in over 70 national languages and a wide range of non-language courses. Most of our courses are available in English as well as German. Our training portfolio covers the following areas:

• Diversity competence, country analysis and development policy
• Personal safety and (mental health)
• Language and communication
• Management and consulting
• Accompanying partners and family
• Learning 4 Development – focus on your topic

Over half of all assignments abroad end prematurely because the accompanying partner has not been actively involved in the secondment process. While assignment preparation is, of course, vital for experts and managers, nearly all our courses are also open to accompanying partners, so that they can be fully engaged.

Sharing and networking with colleagues – both within and outside your own organisation and specialist field – is a major feature of our courses.

During your assignment preparation, you will have many opportunities to share experiences and views with other people working in international cooperation. Our participants come from a range of German development cooperation organisations, so you will be meeting people with a wide variety of backgrounds and experience.

After registering for a training course, you can access our Online Campus. In addition to information on trainings and complementary learning opportunities, the Online Campus offers you the opportunity to get in touch with participants, trainers and contact persons of the Skills4Abroad team.

The Campus Kottenforst offers plenty of comfortable seating areas, including a bar and a cosy lounge with an open fire, where you can meet up for a chat with colleagues. Or, if you feel the need for exercise after an intensive day of assignment preparation, head out for a walk in the surrounding Kottenforst.

We see preparation for assignments abroad as a learning process that begins at the Academy but continues in the partner country. A supplementary offer for BMZ funded participants are “ Coachings": For some of the courses offered in the preparation for abroad, you can arrange coachings with your trainer.

In addition, the Online Campus enables informal learning and offers digital media and materials as well as other freely accessible learning opportunities. In this way, we accompany the participants before, during and after the training even far into their work abroad and regardless of where they are at the moment.

The Academy’s Media and Information Centre offers plenty of study space and reference material so that you can conduct further research of your own. As well as books and periodicals, you will find maps, music, films, course-specific learning materials and entire learning programmes. Much of the material is available online. You can also submit research requests.

At our interactive learning stations, you can sharpen your focus, consider other points of view and develop a clearer understanding of how systems relate to each other.

As well as German, many of our courses are available in English. On request, we can also offer training in other languages, such as French, Portuguese and Spanish. More information is available in the online description of each course.

We also offer language-learning courses for over 70 national languages.

Our courses take place digitally on our Online Campus or in person at Campus Kottenforst in Bonn-Röttgen. You can find out more about our new training site here.

The modular structure of our courses means that we can put together a tailored programme that meets your specific needs. Many of our courses run several times a month. Provided that the specified course dates are free, you may choose to complete the training all at once or over several visits.

More information on the course dates can be found on the course pages or in the scheduling overview.

You would like to exchange professional information about our learning offers, learn more about the learning landscape at Campus Kottenforst or the Media and Information Centre? We would be happy to offer you the opportunity of a guided tour of the Campus Kottenforst, during which we will show you our learning stations and other learning opportunities and outline the media and services of our Campus Library. If you are interested, get in touch via skills4abroad@giz.de.