Case Study — Higher Education

How CODE University brings world-class professors to Berlin with relokate

When you need the best minds teaching your students, nationality shouldn't be a barrier. Here's how a leading German university uses relokate to relocate international faculty — fast, compliantly, and without burdening their HR team.

“Absolute lifesavers. Competent, empathetic and fast. We couldn't have done it without them.”

Emilie Declercq-Lienard

Senior Human Resources Manager — CODE University of Applied Sciences

About CODE University

CODE University of Applied Sciences is a private, state-accredited university in Berlin specialising in Software Engineering, Interaction Design, and Product Management. Founded in 2017, CODE attracts students from across Europe and teaches in English — which means they need professors and lecturers who are global experts in their fields, regardless of where they come from.

This creates a unique HR challenge: universities need to recruit internationally for academic excellence, but academic HR teams are typically small and not equipped to handle German immigration law at scale.

The challenge: hiring the best minds, wherever they are

Relocating university professors and lecturers comes with specific challenges that differ from corporate relocations:

• Academic timelines are rigid. Semesters start on fixed dates — if a professor's visa is delayed by 2 weeks, an entire course may need to be postponed or reassigned.
• Visa routes for academics are complex. Professors may qualify for a Blue Card, a researcher visa (§18d), or a standard skilled worker visa — the right route depends on their contract type, salary, and whether they're full-time or visiting.
• Small HR teams. Unlike corporations with dedicated Global Mobility departments, universities typically have 1–3 HR generalists who handle everything from payroll to hiring — immigration expertise is not in-house.
• Families relocate too. Professors with established careers abroad often have partners and school-age children. The family's experience determines whether the professor stays or leaves after the first year.
• International mix. Faculty may come from the US, India, Brazil, Turkey, or anywhere — each nationality has different visa requirements and embassy processing times.

The solution: relokate as CODE's external immigration team

CODE University engaged relokate as their ongoing relocation partner. Instead of building immigration expertise in-house, they hand each new international hire to relokate — who manages the entire process end to end:

Why this matters for universities

The competition for top academic talent is global. German universities that can offer a smooth, supported relocation experience have a significant advantage over those that leave professors to navigate Ausländerbehörde appointments and apartment registrations on their own.