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Why Germany needs more international students
November 15th 2019
By INFO MIGRANTS
Almost 10% of Germany's university students are foreign, with most coming from China and India. But are they well integrated? Financial shortfalls and a xenophobic far-right are just some challenges universities face.There are 2.87 million university students in Germany, and around 1 in 10 comes from abroad.
The president of the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), Margret Wintermantel, is satisfied with these figures. "The cross-border mobility of students, scientists and international cooperation projects promoted by the DAAD is a great success," she told DW.
After the USA, the United Kingdom and Australia, Germany is the most popular host country for students worldwide — making it the most popular non-English-speaking destination for foreign university students.
However, according to Wintermantel, Germany lacks a country-wide strategy to better integrate students.
A steep learning curve
Maimouna Ouattara comes from the Ivory Coast and is pursuing doctorate from the University of Potsdam outside Berlin. She feels well integrated today, but she can still remember how difficult it was when she began studying in Germany. "I had a language course, but I felt lost during the first class," she told DW. "For example, I did not know how to take notes or make transcripts of lectures."
As the chairwoman of the Federal Association of Foreign Students, she knows the advantages of studying in Germany. "Among other things, the students come because they can enjoy a good education here, and a German degree gives them more opportunities on the international market," Ouattara says. Additionally, most universities do not charge tuition.
But Ouattara also knows the problems. With her association, she advises international students facing legal issues and fights against the introduction of tuition fees for non-European students.
Dropout rate is too high
Dealing with a foreign culture and its different language and bureaucracy is never easy. Many feel left alone.
The dropout rate for foreign students in Germany is around 41% — too high, finds Margret Wintermantel.
"We have to make sure that the success rate for foreign students improves. We cannot go on with the fact that young people come to us, but then abandon their studies and return home frustrated," she said. The students need more support and counseling and, accordingly, universities require the appropriate financial resources, she added.