About DFG
School Organizer
IAlexander König studied history, religious studies, philosophy and educational technology. He is a teacher at the Deutsch-Französisches-Gymnasium in Saarbrücken. As head of department at the Saarland Ministry of Education, he anchored the use of digital media in the second phase of teacher training, implemented the DigitalPakt Schule 1.0 and set up the „Online Schule Saarlanad“ (OSS), a free cloud service for schools. Since 2020, he‘s been working on artificial intelligence and its impact on schools and education. As a teacher, he uses AI systems to prepare lessons. In the classroom, he and his students discuss AI in the humanities and social sciences. His work also focuses on media and cultural history. In 2024, he published his book “KI-Pädagogik” with the well known Klett-Kallmeyer Verlag.
The 'Deutsch-Franzoesisches Gymnasium'
There are currently five Franco-German Gymnasiums: Saarbrücken (since 1961), Freiburg im Breisgau (since 1972), Buc (since 1975), Hamburg (since 2020), and Strasbourg (since 2021).
The establishment of binational schools was announced in the Élysée Treaty of 1963 and became more concrete with the introduction of a Franco-German Abitur on February 10, 1972. The conditions and regulations for obtaining the Franco-German Abitur were codified in the Treaty of Schwerin in 2002. The Treaty of Aachen of January 22, 2019, confirms the commitment of both countries to intensify bilateral cooperation in education.
In 2024, the SteigerKI Award was founded in partnership with the DFG in Saarbruecken, Dr. Hemmerling's birth town. Without the enthusiasm of Alexander Koenig and School Director Stefan Hauter, this would not have been possible. We are grateful for their continuing support and implication.
The Franco-German Gymnasiums are public schools in their respective host countries, each with a German and a French department. Even in the middle school level, some of the subject subjects are taught in the language of the respective partner country. The DFGen have now developed into schools where pupils of various first languages are taught in both German and French.
SteigerKI enters its second round
Starting with a three-day workshop on artificial intelligence at the Deutsch-Franzoesisches Gymnasium, Saarbrücken
From June 23 to 25, 2025, the AI camp took place at the Deutsch-Franzoesisches Gymnasium in Saarbrücken as part of the "SteigerKI 2025/26" competition. Students in grades 7 to 10 spent three days intensively exploring the future technology of "artificial intelligence" in German, English, and French, together with Sean Jeffries, AI researcher at McGill University Montreal.
The camp was divided into three modules: an introduction to the social significance of AI and the competition process, a practical introduction to the Python programming language, and a module on project-based learning. The students worked independently and independently on their own projects, both theoretically and practically. They created concept sketches, small program components, work and project plans.
The young students developed creative project ideas in the following areas:
• AI in schools and classrooms
• AI in medical care and nursing
• AI for climate, nature, and environmental protection
The SteigerKI competition, initiated by Prof. Dr. Hemmerling, supports young talents in their exploration of technological innovations, ethical issues, and social responsibility. The Deutsch-Franzoesisches Gymnasium, a partner school of the project, participated in the competition for the first time in the 2024/25 school year. The project is locally coordinated by Alexander König, with mathematics teacher Thorben Rech also involved.
The SteigerKI 2025/26 awards ceremony will take place in April 2026 at the Deutsch-Franzoesisches Gymnasium in Saarbrücken.