About the Stifterverband
Stifterverband is a community consisting of around 3,500 dedicated individuals, companies and organisations from the realms of business, science and civil society in Germany.
The aim of its work is to rethink and reshape education and science with a view to strengthening society’s long-term capacity for innovation.
As a central driving force in these areas, Stifterverband analyses the latest challenges, supports model projects and allows them to be distributed in diverse networks. It networks business, science and civil society, develops ideas together and initiates political reforms. Its work is focused on two main areas: education/skills and collaborative research/innovation.
We bring dedicated people, companies and organisations together with a view to changing the school and academic system effectively and with a clear target in mind. In this way, we help to make society more innovative.
Our society is changing rapidly. Climate change and other global crises, digitalisation and, of course, the rapid rise of artificial intelligence are challenges with which we are faced every day – and which have a major impact not only on our economy but also on our school and academic system. We believe that individual companies, sectors and disciplines cannot meet the complex challenges of our time on their own. What is needed is a strong alliance that identifies the key parameters in the school and academic system and adjusts them systematically.
Stifterverband is this alliance. It is a powerful and influential network that now consists of 3,500 companies, foundations, scientific organisations and private individuals. An initiative that does not get bogged down in unconnected individual measures but rather helps to shape science and learning systematically.
Stifterverband has a clear vision: we want science and learning to be so strong again that it enables us to generate the necessary innovations. We can only achieve this by working together – with strong partners at our side and an effective network.
President of Stifterverband
OUR MAIN AREAS OF ACTIVITY
Stifterverband’s work is focused on two central areas of activity: education/skills and collaborative research/innovation. This is because we need highly trained specialists for the major challenges of our time – people with the necessary skills for the working world of tomorrow. Our society needs new knowledge and new forms of collaboration that lead to innovative products and added value.
This is why we are providing key impetus for the school, higher education institution and scientific system. Together with our partners, we are making higher education institutions into places where future skills are a fixed part of the curriculum and where MINT skills are taught more effectively and new forms of learning established. We are stepping up teacher training and increasing the range of extracurricular education available. We make sure that researchers have the best conditions for their work. And we ensure that knowledge is shared and transferred more effectively than before to innovations that are relevant to society.
How do we do this? Through foresight and networking and by opening up opportunities.
OUR MISSION
We shape science and learning through ...
- Data-driven foresight: through data-based analyses, we can identify and demonstrate where changes are needed in our school and academic system. We think ahead, define themes and provide impetus for essential debate.
- Facilitate change: we support model projects that drive forward innovation in science and learning and already demonstrate today that change is possible. We highlight examples of good practice, setting up effective communities that are trying out new ideas – and inspiring others to follow suit.
- Networking key players: we build bridges between business, science and civil society and are a driving force behind change. We not only develop ideas in strong partnerships and communities but always go one step further as well: together we factor in general conditions and structures and urge policymakers to make reforms.
GUIDELINES FOR OUR WORK
Initiative: Stifterverband actively provides impetus for a future-oriented school and academic system, even taking unusual approaches in doing so.
Supportive: We offer effective, goal-oriented support to our members, our foundations, and science and academia.
Independent: As a community, Stifterverband pursues its mission regardless of individual interests – its diversified financing mix is a key factor here.
Responsible: Stifterverband is committed to its social responsibility. Sustainability in connection with ecological, social and economic resources is central to our work. As well as this, Stifterverband works resolutely for an open and plural society.
Partner to others: Stifterverband maximises its impact by teaming up with others in a partnership of equals.
Effective: We work to bring about long-term changes, defining clear objectives and regularly monitoring the impact of our activities.
DATA AND ANALYSES
How does higher education in Germany need to develop so that new graduates will have the skills they need for the future? How much are German companies investing in their own research and is this enough to make Germany a centre of innovation? We analyse these and other questions regularly in studies and surveys. In doing so, we use data and scientific findings that we record ourselves or that we commission or source from third parties and demonstrate where changes are needed in the education, science and innovation system. We identify strengths and weaknesses, highlight courses of action that are needed and show which questions need to be included more prominently in political debates. Our aim is to facilitate evidence-based decisions in policymaking and academia – with specific recommended courses of action and future scenarios.