Organisation

The Organisation of the DWIH

As one of six centres worldwide, the DWIH Tokyo is managed by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD). The Tokyo branch opened its doors in 2010. To coordinate the DWIH network, a central management office was established in Bonn, Germany in 2017. This office oversees the central bodies – the Board of Trustees and the Program Committee – which help direct the activities of the DWIH and coordinate the local administrative structures.

Local organisational structure

The director of each DWIH forms the link between the DAAD and the DWIH. Directors are appointed by the DAAD and are typically also the director of the DAAD regional office in that location. The day-to-day activities of the DWIH are overseen by the Program Coordinator. They are supported by two Program Assistants as well as an intern. The local management structure also includes the Advisory Board of the respective DWIH, which allows all supporters to be involved.

The Local Advisory Board

The Advisory Board of the DWIH Tokyo is composed of its main and associate supporters. The role of the board is to draw upon their networks and expertise to assist the DWIH Tokyo in programming and strategising, and periodically review its overall effectiveness. Every two years, the Advisory Board elects a chairperson from among its own members.

Acting chairperson since 1 May 2021 is Ms. Sabine Schenk, Heidelberg University Office Kyoto (HUOK). Previously, the Local Advisory Board was chaired by Dr. Susanne Brucksch (German Institute for Japanese Studies DIJ, 2019-2021) and Dr. Jörg Schneider (Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft DFG, 2017-2019).

The Board of Trustees

The Board of Trustees is the central body responsible for the strategic control of the DWIH. It is composed of policy makers, scientists, and business representatives, and is chaired by the German Federal Foreign Office, with the chair of the Alliance of Science Organisations in Germany serving as the board’s co-chair. The Board of Trustees recommends objectives for the DWIH that are agreed upon annually between the Federal Foreign Office and the DAAD.

The Program Committee

The Program Committee is the working body of the Board of Trustees. It is composed of members of the Board of Trustees as well as directors of the individual DWIH and local Advisory Board chairperson and is chaired by the Alliance of Science Organizations in Germany. The Program Committee reaches agreements with individual DWIHs on how to implement the Board of Trustees’ objectives and serve as an intermediary between the individual DWIH and the board. The committee is also where the DWIH’s annual plans are presented, discussed and reviewed.