Germany is one of the preferred study destinations in the European Union for Indian students for its affordable education. While getting admission to a German higher education institution is competitive, coping with the academic rigour, living independently and being ready for the job market are also some of the key areas that students must focus on.
Picking up German language skills can make all the difference for international students and to help students with this, German universities may soon introduce initiatives such as offering language courses and credits for such courses.
Fast Facts
- Research shows regular funding to German universities (so that they can offer training to international students in the German language) can play a huge role in their success
- This research by DAAD covered 4,500 international students at 125 participating universities over three years
- The findings provide a detailed view of the academic success and drop-out rates of international students in Germany
Recent research suggests that it is the responsibility of the universities in Germany to provide facilities for international students to learn German. Learning the native language of the country will pave the way for international students to adjust in the country, enjoy its culture and avail post study work options in Germany. Besides, German is also amongst the most popular languages in European countries.
What It Means For Indian Students
The findings may be taken into practice by the German higher education institutions to offer language courses and credits for study courses. International students may also look forward to being informed early on about the importance of good language skills in writing their thesis and for a successful shift into the German job market. Universities will also focus on improving learning strategies and helping international students integrate better to student life in Germany.
Universities will also focus on giving out practical and realistic advice on studying in Germany to international students to do away with any false expectations, and issues such as funding problems and lack of integration.
Why More Indian Students Choose Germany
There has been a rise in the number of Indian students in Germany, even post-pandemic. As per data from the Federal Statistical Office of Germany, this number has grown by nearly 21% pre-pandemic and is over 25,000 as of 2019-20. The number of foreign students in the country has also increased by 4.3% reaching 411,601. The growth rate of the number of Indian students travelling to Germany is about five times that of the global average.
With strong health infrastructure, low cost of education and early opening of borders for international students (as compared to other countries) are some of the reasons to study in Germany.
Engineering (67%) management and social studies (15%), mathematics and natural sciences (12%) are some of the popular streams among Indians. A majority of students (about 67%) chose technical universities, while the rest opted for universities of applied sciences.
As many as 60,000 students from 180 countries applied for admission to German universities for the winter semester 2020.
The cost of studying in Germany for Indian students is the same as for all international students, which ranges from €250 - €1,000 per year in terms of public universities and €25,000 - €40,000 for private universities.
These findings pave the way for more Indian and international students to fulfil their plans of studying in Germany.
