The German Korean Alumni Network (ADeKo) is currently worldwide the first Korean alumni network with members, who all studied and graduated with a master’s or doctor’s degree in Germany. Following its motto “Connecting - Strengthening - Advancing”, ADeKo aims at the promotion of the German-Korean relations in the fields of politics, economy, science and technology as well as culture.
In addition to that, ADeKo wants to build a bridge between the 49 alumni and scientific associations and provide support for the concerns of German Korean alumni.

Our Mission is...

• -> to strengthen and provide support for the concerns of German-Korean alumni and scientific associations and its members
• -> to strengthen the German-Korean relations in all kinds of fields
• -> to promote German-Korean research collaborations
• -> to promote young professional scientists and to help companies finding highly qualified research personal
• -> to support collaborations between research institutions and small and medium sized enterprises conducting R&D

History

In 2006 the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) initiated a campaign to establish an extensive German alumni network. This bold plan has been implemented by a team of DAAD Seoul and German Embassy Seoul representatives who developed an extensive German alumni network that is based on the existing alumni associations on the one hand and welcomes anybody who has not been part of any of those associations, on the other.

The official foundation of the German Korean Alumni Networt (ADeKo) took place in May 2008 with a huge foundation conference including high ranking participants from politics, research and business. Furthermore it was accompanied by the 1st German-Korean Night of Science and Technology.

Originally, the project was financed by the BMBF for a period of three years (April 2006 - December 2008). Due to its success, however, the BMBF decided to provide further financial support for another two years (January 2009 - December 2010).