New donation from the Dieter Schwarz Foundation supports Oxford students to take German from scratch
An academic post of Senior Lecturer in Beginners’ German at Oxford University has been secured for the next six years, thanks to a donation from the Dieter Schwarz Foundation.
The existence of the lecturer position ensures school students with no previous experience of German can take the subject at Oxford. This is particularly important given the challenging environment for language education at the national level, and the importance of language training and acquisition for students’ future employment.
The Foundation has also made a commitment to endow two new graduate scholarships in German, which furthers Oxford University’s commitment to ensure students from all backgrounds can study here.
Professor Karen Leeder, Schwarz-Taylor Chair of German and Chair of the Sub-Faculty of German at Oxford University, said: "Oxford German is so grateful for this further support from the Dieter Schwarz Stiftung. Provision for the Senior Lecturer in German Language creates a vital bridge between school and university, allowing us to draw in excellent students with no previous experience of German. The generous graduate funding package makes it possible for us to hold onto the very best students for doctoral study and to encourage work on the urgent questions of our time. Both will be crucial in allowing Oxford to maintain its leading role in German Studies.”
Professor Dan Grimley, Head of Humanities at the University of Oxford, said: “We are tremendously grateful to the Dieter Schwarz Foundation for their continued support for the study of German language and culture at Oxford University. Their generosity has secured funding for more graduate students to come and study with us, regardless of their background. Moreover, their support for a lecturer in beginners' German ensures students can take German at university at a time when the importance of language training and acquisition is widely recognised by employers as a key skill.”
Professor Reinhold Geilsdörfer, CEO of the Dieter Schwarz Foundation, said: “The funding of the two scholarships and the Senior Lecturer underlines our sustained commitment to the Chair of German Language and Literature.”
The Dieter Schwarz Foundation aims to promote education and science with a focus on lifelong learning by providing the necessary funds, contributing their expertise and realising their projects in a targeted and forward-thinking manner in collaboration with their partners.
Their latest gift follows the Foundation’s endowment of the Schwarz-Taylor Chair of the German Language and Literature. This secured the long-term future of a prestigious and internationally important academic position, ensuring that future generations of students can continue to gain a deep understanding of German language and culture.
Photograph: Oxford University Images/Ian Wallman
