The following article is directed to summarise different types of cooperation between Germany and African institutions in respect of higher education (HE), especially focusing on the main German organisations operating as (co-)financed by state budgets. Suggesting the relevance of HE for African middle classes the position of African universities in international rankings are discussed. The author then suggests reflecting the specific traits and differences between ‘Aid’, ‘Exchange’, ‘Cultural Diplomacy’ and ‘Trade’ in education transfers across borders before presenting German government-backed institutions and their programmes towards HE in Africa according to these types of what is mostly called ‘cooperation’ or ‘partnerships’. The article closes with some conclusions and the contextualisation of German HE policies into the broader scene of the HE transfer.

Keywords
international education transfer, international education policy, international cooperation, foreign cultural and educational policy, higher education rankings, international cooperation