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Main Content
German Universities Go International
More foreign PhD students feel attracted to German universities to start their academic careers
Which subjects are most desired and what makes German doctoral programs so luring for research fellows from abroad?
Recently, Germany has been ranked as the number one destination for international students before Australia and the UK in a survey conducted by the British Council. With rather low tuition fees and English as the language of instruction in a wide range of courses, German universities are considered as most student-friendly. As the comprehensive study Wissenschaft weltoffen (Cosmopolitan Sciences) by DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service) and HIS (Academia Information System) in 2010 showed, also a rapidly growing number of foreign PhD students choose Germany to pursue their doctorate. In the last 10 years the number has doubled; today, every fifth PhD student enrolled in a German university comes from abroad. These foreign PhD students tremendously contribute to German research activity.
Interested in German doctoral programs are especially postgraduates from Asian and East-European countries (43 and 21 percent). The two top nations are China and India, followed by Russia, Poland and South Korea. But also PhD students from other West-European countries (17 percent) and the Middle East (10 percent) go for their advanced academic career to Germany. South Africa and Australia with respective 40 enrollments only are the least presented countries in Germany’s international academia.
Among the 20 most significant fields of studies primarily the natural sciences (37 percent) are attractive to foreign doctoral candidates. The topmost subjects are biology, chemistry and physics and astronomy. Quite popular are also engineering and process technology, law and human medicine.
Out of the 50 most important German universities, particularly Heidelberg University (814 enrollments), FU Berlin (750 enrollments) and Humbolt University, which is also located in Berlin (689), are quite attractive places for PhD candidates from abroad. Goettingen University, TH Aachen, Cologne University, Munich University and Bonn University with over 530 enrollments each are among the favorites as well.
An online survey which was conducted in 2010 by U. Senger and C. Vollmer tried to investigate the reasons why foreign postgraduates opt for German universities to do their PhDs. According to the findings, the motivations are mainly subject-related. First, students strongly believe in Germany’s good reputation as an excellent base for scientific research. Likewise, doctoral candidates are convinced that their respective area of expertise is more developed in Germany than in any other country. Particularly in the field of engineering, the good standing of the subject, the broad offer of PhD positions and the well-equipped institutes at German universities appeal a lot of foreign candidates. The better career opportunities in the respective home country after a completed degree at a German university are another aspect. Additional motives are of a financial nature. A lot of students are holders of grants by the two leading German scholarship donors DAAD and DFG (German Research Foundation).Candidates are also attracted by Germany’s low tuition fees and free programs. While lower living costs in Germany are not a main reason for most of the students, it is a significant factor for those coming from the Middle East. Personal and cultural reasons also influence scholar’s choices to go to Germany. Some students are interested in getting to know German culture and language.
The internationalisation of sciences at German universities is considerably pushed on by massive advertisement. In April 2010 the new DAAD initiative International promovieren in Deutschland (Internationally doing a doctorate in Germany) was started. The goal is to increase the number of foreign PhD students in well-organised doctoral projects and to effectively augment the attractiveness and offer for highly qualified international graduates. The program is funded with 3.6 million Euros and will run until the end of 2013. With another campaign called Study in Germany – Land of Ideas DAAD tries to further promote Germany as an appealing university location. Similarly, a DAAD funded program for foreign visiting professors intends to globalise Germany’s research landscape.
With the growing number of foreign PhD students in Germany in the future it will become more difficult to filter out the ‘right’ candidates from the great mass of unspecified inquiries from abroad. To maintain the quality of the students and the projects, new ways have to be found how to select the high skilled. Recently, DAAD started an internet database – PhDGermany - which tries to meet these needs by providing an online platform for German universities and research institutes to promote their projects and to simplify the process of establishing contacts between universities and qualified candidates. This is a step into the right direction. However, a lot more is required to ensure building up academic global super-elite. As a considerable part of the candidates with completed PhDs leave Germany, the question how to keep these graduates in the country so that they can contribute to the country’s academia and economy must be resolved in the near future.
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