The Society for Australian-German Student Exchange (SAGSE)
was founded in Melbourne in 1967 by the late Herr Fritz von Einem
Joosten (08/12/1916 - 29/09/2003), a German businessman who had been
seriously wounded while fighting on the Russian front and who emigrated
to Australia soon after the war. He believed such conflicts could be
avoided if young people from different countries could meet and learn
to understand each other.
He sought sponsorship from a number of German firms operating in Australia. Since then, the Society has been able to give a select group of students of German in secondary schools the opportunity to improve their knowledge of the language and to get to know German people by living in the country for a period of time. The Society has among its members representatives of Australian universities and schools. Australian firms are actively participating in the work of the Society and provide scholarships to students to and from Germany.
Our Mission
The Society awards scholarships to Australian students each year to travel to Germany during their summer holidays, and in turn to German students, who travel to Australia during their long vacation in the months of July/ August. The exchange program aims to give students an insight into a foreign culture, and to build friendships between the youth of Germany and Australia.
The Society
The Society is registered with the respective State Government Authorities in New South Wales and in Victoria, and is sponsored by German and Australian businesses, teachers' associations and fundraising activities from past scholarship holders. Branches of the Society also operate in Western Australia and Queensland*. A similar affiliated Society operates in New Zealand.
Our exchange differentiates itself from other exchanges in two main ways: Firstly, it is a scholarship-based exchange, thereby giving exchange opportunities to students irrespective of socio-economic background. Secondly, it is run to a large extent by those who themselves have experienced the SAGSE program. Former exchange students sit on the committees of the various SAGSE branches, and more recently returned students make up the German Australian Students' Society (GASS), which has branches in NSW and Victoria. "GASSies" in NSW and Victoria respectively form a committee each year to work with SAGSE and help the smooth running of the program.
Since its inception in 1967, SAGSE has sent more than 1400 students on exchange.
The Society for New Zealand-German Student Exchange (SNZGSE) is not a branch of The Society for Australian German Student Exchange (SAGSE), but is affiliated with it. Students from New Zealand travel separately to and from Germany, and their exchange is organised by SAGSE and SNZGSE in conjunction with GDANSA (Gesellschaft für Deutsch-Australischen/ Neuseeländischen Schüleraustausch) and GASS Germany. SNZGSE students join the SAGSE students for a winter camp run by GASS Germany in the first week of January, as well as for a trip to Berlin, organised by GDANSA at the end of their stay in Germany.
*The exchange in Queensland does not offer scholarships. Due to the considerable differences between the Queensland exchange programme and other states' scholarship programmes, SAGSE Queensland has its own separate website. Please click to visit the SAGSE Queensland website. The above information is relevant for NSW/ACT, Victorian and Western Australian students only.
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