DAAD is the German acronym for the German Academic Exchange Service (Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst).  DAAD aims at fostering worldwide academic collaboration and supports students, lecturers and universities through global scholarship programmes and project-based grants. DIGI-FACE and the Centres of African Excellence programme are both funded by DAAD.  DAAD was initiated by students in the city of Heidelberg in 1925, was suspended in 1945, and re-established in 1950. Since then, DAAD has grown into one of the largest organisations for international exchange in the world and, by the end of 2019, had sponsored more than 145 000 people. DAAD receives the majority of its funding through German federal ministries and various programmes of the European Union. Additionally, private donors also contribute substantial amounts to its annual budget.  DAAD has its headquarters in Bonn and operates 15 regional offices across the globe. Find more information about DAAD by visiting the DAAD homepage.