f.l.t.r.: Dr. Arend Oetker (President of the Donors' Association Deutsche Wissenschaft ), Prof. Dr.-Ing. Gerhard Sagerer (Rector of Bielefeld University), Prof. Dr.-Ing. Sigmar Wittig (Board-member of the Deutsche Telekom Foundation), Prof. Dr. Helmut Schwarz (President of the AvH-Foundation)

On 20 January 2011 the Welcome Centre of Bielefeld University was officially awarded as one out of seven Welcome Centres for its best practice concept regarding professional advice and support to international researchers. Bielefeld University's Rector, Prof. Dr.-Ing. Gerhard Sagerer, received the certificate and award amount of 10.000 euros. He was accompanied by Prof. Sabine Andresen, then prorector for international relations and communication, and Ms. Beatrice Künzel, then director of the Welcome Centre.

The awards ceremony was part of the third and final round of the 'Welcome Centres for internationally mobile researchers' competition jointly run by the Humboldt Foundation, the Deutsche Telekom Foundation and the "Stifterverband für die Deutsche Wissenschaft". Besides the today existing support services for foreign researchers, the Welcome Centre aims at focussing prospectively on the social and cultural integration, in particular, of the accompanying partners and family members.