New Delhi: As global education transforms with a cap on international students and post-study work rights, Germany has emerged as a new student hub. Over 49,000 Indian students have enrolled in German universities for the winter semester 2023-24, a 15.1 per cent increase over the previous year, according to the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD). With over 4 lakh foreign students, Germany has emerged as a highly preferred destination by fostering strong cultural ties and offering free student visas.
This was what experts agreed on in a session titled ‘Global Education Reset: Now Study in Germany’ held at News9 Global Summit at the iconic MHP Arena in Stuttgart, Germany, on October 9. The session featured esteemed speakers including Mark Michaelis, Head of Business Development – India BARMER Health Insurance; Jonas Marggraf, Managing Director, Fintiba GmbH; MP Shyam, President, RV Institutions; Anandi Iyer, Head, Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft India Office; University Stuttgart – Marion Höcke; Marie-Christin Hofmann, Head of International Team & India, Task Force Bavaria; and Prof Dr Ditmar Hilpert, Professor, Strategic Management & Business Policy. The session is moderated by Swetha Kothari, News9 Senior Editor.
Beyond Low Tuition Fee: Why Germany tops global study destinations
Shweta Kothari started the panel discussion on why study in Germany, how it emerged as a top destination and why it has become an imperative today. The number of Indian students coming to Germany is increasing year on year. Answering the question of how global education has changed in the last six months, Jonas Margraf said that international students are choosing Germany mainly because of the quality of education and career opportunities, besides a hassle-free visa process.
When asked why to choose Germany over the United States, Professor Dr Ditmar Hilpert said, “If we compare undergraduate courses with America, I think Germany offers a much better quality of education. When it comes to postgraduate studies, only 15 per cent are native Americans. The rest are international students, who pay a huge amount in tuition fees. In Germany, however, the same quality of education is offered at much lower tuition fees.”
“We have the most affordable universities and public universities in Germany. They have huge research potential. We help foreign students when they arrive, as well as help with study programs and develop skills for the job market. From the application process to the student visa, German institutions help with every step to welcome students to the country,” said Marion Höcke.
“Over the last two years, the number of Indian students going to Germany has increased. Indian students complete the German language A1 and A2 in India before going to Germany. Indian students are doing very well because they have a good foundation in STEM subjects (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics). German degrees open up good opportunities after education, but the quality of education in engineering and STEM subjects is also very high,” said MP Shyam, President, RV Institutions.
Is India lagging behind Germany in research and quality education?
Anandi Iyer, Head, Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft India Office, said, “Beyond universities and quality education, German institutions offer a unique ecosystem that takes students from education to the market. Universities of applied sciences provide training in industry along with classroom education. When it comes to India, there is a broken ecosystem that separates students from industry. That’s the main reason most of the Indian institutions lack, not quality education.”
Is language a barrier for foreign students?
Marie-Christin Hofmann, said, “We established a dedicated team when we noticed more Indian students coming to Germany for STEM courses. To keep hassle at bay, we decided to support them in the application process, onboarding and visa.”
Responding to the issue of many international students not being able to integrate into the culture in Germany due to the language barrier, Mark Michaelis believes that language is very important to understand the system. In addition, Jonas Marggraf said that India is the only country that knows how to deal with language.
Anandi Iyer said, “German language is not a barrier, particularly for Indian students, because they speak around five languages in India. And they are very different from each other.”