Université franco-allemande Deutsch-Französische Hochschule

What Université franco-allemande Deutsch-Französische Hochschule does

The Franco-German University (FGU), known in German as Deutsch-Französische Hochschule (DFH) and in French as Université franco-allemande (UFA), is a bilateral university coordination network headquartered in Saarbrücken, Germany, at Villa Europa, Kohlweg 7. It links 210 affiliated universities across France and Germany, plus third-country partners for trinational programs, and administers approximately 183-189 integrated bi-national and tri-national degree programs leading to Franco-German double degrees at the Bachelor, Master, and doctoral levels. Around 6,000 students are currently enrolled, drawn from 40 nationalities, and approximately 6,300 students were enrolled in academic year 2017/2018.

The FGU is not a teaching institution itself; it operates as a coordination, funding, and quality-assurance body under bilateral intergovernmental agreements. Its core offerings include integrated study programs, cotutelle de thèse (joint doctoral supervision), Franco-German PhD-Track programs, DFDK/CDFA graduate schools, joint Franco-German professorships, scientific workshops, tutoring, and intercultural training. Students apply through partner universities and the DFH online portal (open May 2–September 30 annually) and are selected through joint selection commissions. Supporting services include free online language courses, intercultural workshops, and a mobility allowance (Mobilitätsbeihilfe) of €300 per month for up to 10 months per academic year during the study abroad phase, capped at 80 students per program per year (reduced to €150/month for cross-border programs under 100 km).

The FGU does not develop proprietary technology platforms; its technology footprint consists of an online study guide portal, an online enrollment portal, and standard web/social media properties. Its revenue model is public institutional funding from the French and German governments, supplemented by corporate scholarship and award sponsorships from partners including BNP Paribas, Michelin, Hutchinson, SaarLB, Groupe Dépêche, and hw&h. Enrollment is free of charge. The organization awards the DFH certificate upon program completion and administers annual Excellence Awards and Best Thesis Awards, with research partnerships extending to institutions such as INSA Lyon/IRXYS, KIT, and ENSAM Metz.

Name

Université franco-allemande Deutsch-Französische Hochschule

Legal name

Université franco-allemande | Deutsch-Französische Hochschule

Website

https://dfh-ufa.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Franco-German University (DFH/UFA) is a bilateral university coordination network linking 210 French and German universities, administering 183-189 integrated bi-national and tri-national degree programs and serving approximately 6,000 students under publicly funded, government-to-government auspices.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Bilateral Higher Education Network

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (61131)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

University-Affiliated Pathway & Foundation Programs (EDAIAJAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Online International & Cross-Border Universities (Global/Transnational Providers) (EDAHALAL)

Keywords

• Binational degree programs
• Franco-german higher education
• Academic mobility grants
• Cotutelle doctoral supervision
• University cooperation network

Headquarters

HQ city

Saarbrücken

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Others, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Public Institutional Funding: The Franco-German University operates as a publicly funded bilateral higher education institution. It receives funding from both the German and French governments to support its network of 210 affiliated universities, 183 integrated degree programs, and student mobility. The organization does not charge tuition fees for student enrollment.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The FGU operates as a bilateral university coordination and funding network. It administers integrated bi-national and tri-national degree programmes and joint doctoral supervision (cotutelle de thèse) across 210 partner universities in France and Germany, awards the DFH certificate to graduates, channels mobility allowances (€300/month) to students studying in the partner country, and supports junior researchers through Franco-German graduate schools (DFDK/CDFA), scientific workshops and professorships. Programmes are delivered tuition-free to students, with funding sourced from the German and French governments and corporate sponsorships of scholarships and awards.

Product overview

The Franco-German University (FGU/DFH/UFA) operates as a university network rather than a traditional product company. It connects 210 affiliated universities from France and Germany, offering 189 integrated bi-national and tri-national degree programmes that lead to Franco-German double degrees within the standard study duration. The core offering consists of study programmes at Bachelor, Master, and doctoral levels, supplemented by research support programmes including cotutelle de thèse (joint doctoral supervision), Franco-German graduate schools, scientific workshops, joint professorships, and tutoring programmes. Students benefit from mobility grants (€300/month), free online language courses, intercultural workshops, and upon graduation receive the DFH certificate. The organization also administers excellence awards and best thesis prizes in partnership with corporate sponsors. The network's head office is located in Saarbrücken, Germany.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Integrated study programmes (integrierte Studiengänge / cursus intégrés) Integrated bi-national and tri-national degree programmes offered through the FGU network of 210 affiliated universities, leading to Franco-German double degrees at Bachelor, Master and doctoral levels across disciplines. Aimed at prospective and enrolled university students seeking a recognised bilingual academic pathway without extending study duration.
• Research programmes (Forschungsprogramme / programmes de soutien à la recherche) Research support programmes that promote mobility and collaboration between young researchers from France and Germany, encompassing calls for applications and recurring funding cycles. Targeted at PhD students, early-career researchers and post-docs seeking Franco-German research collaboration.
• Cotutelle de thèse (joint doctoral supervision) Joint doctoral supervision programme enabling PhD students to be co-supervised by professors from a French and a German university, combining methodological approaches of both academic traditions and leading to a recognised Franco-German doctoral thesis. For doctoral candidates and partner universities.
• Franco-German PhD-Track programmes Structured doctoral programmes providing enhanced support and mobility opportunities for PhD students across the Franco-German university network. For prospective doctoral candidates seeking a structured pathway to a Franco-German PhD.
• Franco-German graduate schools (DFDK / CDFA) Franco-German graduate schools (DFDK / CDFA) offering structured doctoral training and fostering scientific exchange between junior researchers in France and Germany. Targeted at PhD students and early-career researchers in joint Franco-German research networks.
• Scientific events for junior researchers (workshops and summer schools) Recurring scientific workshops and summer schools for junior researchers that promote Franco-German academic networking and collaboration. For PhD students, post-docs and junior researchers across partner universities.
• Franco-German professorships (Chaires franco-allemandes) Joint Franco-German professorships established between partner universities to strengthen academic cooperation and research collaboration across borders. For partner universities and academics in priority research areas (e.g., AI and cybersecurity for European digital sovereignty).
• Franco-German tutoring (Tutorats franco-allemands) Tutoring programmes that provide additional academic support and guidance for students enrolled in integrated FGU study programmes, delivered through partner universities. For students of integrated Franco-German programmes.
• Online language courses (Online-Sprachkurse / Cours de langue en ligne) Free online language courses supporting students in developing their German and French language competencies during their integrated studies. For students enrolled in FGU programmes.
• Mobility allowance (Mobilitätsbeihilfe) Financial support of €300 per month (€150 for cross-border programmes) provided to eligible students during their study-abroad or mandatory internship phase in the partner country, for up to 10 months per academic year, subject to an annual cap of 80 students per programme. For students of integrated FGU programmes studying in the partner country or third country.
• Intercultural workshops (Interkulturelle Workshops) Intercultural training workshops that help FGU students and alumni develop cross-cultural competencies and job-application skills for international career environments. For students and alumni of FGU programmes.
• DFH certificate (UFA certificate) Certificate awarded upon successful completion of an integrated study programme, recognising graduates' Franco-German academic experience and intercultural competencies. For graduates of integrated FGU programmes.
• Excellence awards (Exzellenzpreise / Prix d'Excellence) Annual excellence awards recognising outstanding FGU graduates across disciplines including Law, Engineering, Economics and Humanities, sponsored by corporate partners (given annually since 2005). For top-performing graduates of integrated FGU programmes.
• Best thesis awards (Dissertationspreise / Prix de la Meilleure Thèse) Annual awards recognising the best Franco-German doctoral theses completed under the cotutelle de thèse programme, supported by corporate sponsors (e.g., hw&h) and awarded since 2008. For doctoral candidates and graduates of FGU cotutelle programmes.

Quantifiable outcome

• Students earn two nationally recognized degrees without extending study duration
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• INSA Lyon / IRXYScoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 June 2026New DFH professorship in AI and Cybersecurity for European digital sovereignty signed June 2026. Involves INSA Lyon and the IRXYS laboratory, with signatories including Philippe Gréciano, Frédéric Fotiadu, and Jan Hendrik Schumann.
• 210 Affiliated UniversitiescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork of 210 universities from Germany and France, plus third-country partners for trinational programs. Partner universities jointly deliver integrated bi-national and tri-national degree programs with double degrees.
• University of MilanminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerItalian university partner for Franco-German research workshop 'Multimedia, Distributed and Pervasive Systems'. Example of international research collaboration beyond France-Germany.
• Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor German technical university partner in multiple FGU programs including engineering cotutelles and PhD-Track programs with ENSAM Metz and Institut Polytechnique de Grenoble.
• ENSAM Metz (Arts et Métiers ParisTech)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFrench engineering school partner in cotutelle doctoral programs with KIT and other German institutions.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Campus France: French national agency for higher education international promotion and student mobility. Performs the French-side mirror function to DAAD and is the FGU's natural counterpart in facilitating inbound and outbound student flows for French universities.
• Europaeum: Network of leading European universities running joint research and teaching programs. Smaller and more research-focused than the FGU but operates a similar model of cross-border academic cooperation and joint supervision.
• Utrecht Network: European inter-university cooperation network enabling student and staff mobility across member institutions. Closely analogous to the FGU's coordination function but with a broader geographic remit (not limited to France-Germany).
• Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst (DAAD): Germany's national agency for international academic cooperation, funding and coordinating German university partnerships worldwide. The DAAD is the most direct analog to the FGU's French-side counterpart and a primary operator of cross-border scholarship pipelines in Germany.
• Coimbra Group: Network of long-established European multidisciplinary universities cooperating on joint programs, mobility, and doctoral training. Comparable to the FGU in operating as a university coordination body delivering integrated degrees across borders, with similar network-effects-based value proposition.

Broad incumbents

• Agence Universitaire de la Francophonie (AUF): Network of French-language universities and institutions promoting higher education and research across Francophone countries. Comparable to the FGU in its network-coordination model and emphasis on cross-border academic integration, though oriented toward the broader Francophone rather than bilateral Franco-German ties.
• Erasmus+ / European Commission DG EAC: EU-wide program funding student and staff mobility across Europe. Operates at much larger scale and broader scope than the FGU, but competes for the same student mobility budgets and frequently substitutes for bilateral Franco-German pathways with pan-European alternatives.

Emerging players

• UNICA (Network of Universities from the Capitals of Europe): Network promoting cooperation among universities based in European capital cities. Overlaps with the FGU in facilitating student mobility and joint programs but operates on a city-based rather than bilateral framework.
• European University Alliance (selected example: EUTOPIA, 4EU+, EUniWell): EU-funded European Universities Initiative alliances offering integrated transnational degree pathways. Represents the next-generation structural competitor to the FGU's model under EU Erasmus+ policy, with deeper structural integration but broader scope.

Regional players

• Santander Network: Bank-funded international university network providing scholarships and mobility programs. Comparable as a corporate-funded educational mobility coordinator, though focused on Santander Group's geographic footprint rather than bilateral state relations.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/UFADFH
• Facebookfacebook.com/UFADFH
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/15099633
• Instagraminstagram.com/ufadfh
• TikToktiktok.com/@ufadfh
• Xx.com/DFHUFA

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Université franco-allemande Deutsch-Französische Hochschule