The end of an era: changes in the German university system!

The end of an era: changes in the German university system!

In Germany, academic mobility is increasingly seen as a key to promoting international cooperation and knowledge. The latest statistics show that around 380,000 international students were enrolled in Germany in the winter semester 2023/2024, which corresponds to around 13% of all students. The main countries of origin of these students are India, China, Turkey and Austria, as Eurydice reports.

At the same time, over 139,000 German students will be enrolled abroad in 2022. The most popular destinations for these students are Austria, the Netherlands, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. This shows the great demand for international experience and the desire to expand academic qualifications through experience abroad. This is underlined by the fact that a total of 18,748 people were supported by program scholarships from the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) in 2023.

Strategies to promote mobility

Germany has set itself the goal of promoting the internationalization of its universities. In June 2024, a new internationalization strategy was adopted that further developed the existing approaches since 2013. This strategy aims to strengthen the attractiveness of Germany as a university location and to respond to new developments in the global educational landscape. Aspects such as sustainability, diversity and digitalization are the focus, as Bildungsserver explains.

In addition, the DAAD promotes the exchange of students and scientists through scholarships and programs such as PROMOS, which is specifically intended for stays abroad. Between June 2022 and July 2024, 37,455 German students received funding for studying abroad, while 7,370 received support for internships.

Scientific mobility and international networking

The importance of intercultural experience and good foreign language skills is increasing and is increasingly required by employers. This is also reflected in the growing number of international scientists working at German universities. In 2023, around 65,500 foreign scientists were employed at German universities, an indicator of successful exchange at the academic level.

The exchange of scientific knowledge is viewed as a central aspect of foreign cultural and educational policy. In 2022, Germany offered around 30,100 stays for international guest scientists. Many German scientists also seek international experience and often work in Switzerland, Austria and the United Kingdom.

These developments show that Germany can consolidate its position as one of the five most important countries for international students. Academic mobility is promoted with comprehensive strategies and programs in order to meet the high demands of an increasingly globalized labor market. This makes Germany an attractive destination for students from all over the world, while at the same time offering German students valuable international perspectives.