Finding a Host or Supervisor

This will probably be the biggest challenge. Professors have to take care of many students, of their staff, and of their own research projects. They will probably not accept more than one guest at a time, if at all.

Should you need a supervisor or an official host for your program, please send a formal application.

You may apply on a rolling basis.

First, please choose a professor whom you will ask to host you and/or to supervise your research. You will find a list of our Law professors under "Related Links" at the bottom of this page.

Then send an e-mail with

• a letter of motivation including your goals and expectations
• your CV
• a proof of foreign language skills (if available)
• a recent transcript of records (up to the PhD level, not necessary for more senior researchers)
• an abstract of your research project

to this professor as one single pdf file.

Time Frame for a Research Visit

Research visits may take place all around the year.

Before you apply, please take into account that German universities have academic holidays from mid-February to mid-April and from mid-July to mid-October. During these periods, professors often work remotely from home.

In addition to that, the university will be closed between Christmas and the New Year.

Administrative Requirements

It is crucial that you ask your scholarship-providing organization or your home university which organizes your exchange program which certificates will be required after the completion of your research visit (i.e. research period confirmation, verbal assessment of your progress, ECTS-credits for your research, etc.). Please enquire, whether the FU professor will be supposed to guide your research content-wise, or if he or she simply needs to confirm that you spent time in the library. When you send your application, please mention these requirements in your letter of motivation so that the professor knows what will be expected.

Doctoral Students

Some exchange programs for doctoral students require that a visiting researcher's home university has a formal exchange agreement with either Freie Universität Berlin or with the Law School of Freie Universität Berlin. If that's the case and you don't know if your home university has an exchange agreement with us, please ask at your home university, or write an e-mail to the International Office at the FU Law School. You will find our contact data under "Related Links" at the bottom of this page.

Senior Researchers

Exchange programs or scholarship programs for more experienced researchers often do not require a formal partnership between a visiting researcher's home university and host university.

Logistics

Doctoral Students

If you are a doctoral student under an exchange agreement or with a scholarship, you will probably get the chance to enroll as a student at Freie Universität Berlin. As a consequence, you will benefit from all services that are provided for regular students, i.e.

• access to accommodation at a student residence
• reduced prices at the student restaurant
• a student ticket for public transport
• an FU student account which will enable you to use WiFi and electronic databases in the Law Library

Senior Researchers

Visiting researchers do not become members of Freie Universität Berlin. As a consequence, they

• do not get the semester ticket for public transportation
• have to pay the full price at student restaurants
• are not being provided with office space, unless they are scholars of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation
  (If you are not an Alexander von Humboldt scholar, your host may ask the Law Library to reserve a permanent desk for you in the library's reading room.)

Your host may help you to get an FU guest account from our central-level IT-Service (Zedat). This account will will enable you to use WiFi and electronic databases in the Law Library.