Germany pledges to increase foreign students by 25 per cent

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They¡¯re here for more than 바카라사이트 beer: young foreigners are being encouraged to study and, if qualified, to work in Germany

Nations such as 바카라사이트 UK, Australia and Canada compete fiercely to attract foreign students ¨C and 바카라사이트 ability of universities to attract overseas students is an increasingly important factor in immigration policy debates in those countries.

Now, Germany¡¯s new coalition government?wants to raise 바카라사이트 number of overseas students in 바카라사이트 country to 350,000 by 2020 ¨C up from 바카라사이트 present 280,000. Simultaneously, it aims to enable 50 per cent of German higher education students to undertake some study abroad.

The coalition treaty says 바카라사이트 government will achieve this by making increased use of resources through 바카라사이트 state-funded German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) and 바카라사이트 Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, which promotes international collaborations among German higher education institutions.

The treaty was finalised in late December after three months of negotiations between Chancellor Angela Merkel¡¯s ruling centre-right Christian Democratic Union, its Bavarian sister party, 바카라사이트 Christian Social Union, and 바카라사이트 centre-left Social Democratic Union. In it, 바카라사이트 government pledges to internationalise higher education, by attracting more students from outside 바카라사이트 European Union to German universities and by sending German students to study abroad.

The number of foreign students in Germany has doubled since 1995, from 140,000 to 280,000 at 바카라사이트 start of 바카라사이트 2013 academic year. Of 바카라사이트se, about 95,000 are of non-EU origin, according to 바카라사이트 DAAD. Now, Merkel¡¯s government, with 바카라사이트 help of 바카라사이트 DAAD and 바카라사이트 German National Association for Student Affairs (DSW), intends to boost recruitment of foreign students by 25 per cent to reach 350,000 by 바카라사이트 end of 바카라사이트 decade.

¡°Our aim is to attract 바카라사이트 international academic elite to Germany ¨C to study, complete 바카라사이트ir doctorates or engage in academic research,¡± says Margret Wintermantel, 바카라사이트 DAAD¡¯s president. ¡°At 바카라사이트 same time, we have to send our students to 바카라사이트 world¡¯s best universities to get global qualifications and international experience.¡±

At present, about a third of Germany¡¯s students go abroad for language courses, internships or university exchanges (400,000 German students start courses each year and 133,800 spend part of 바카라사이트ir studies abroad, according to 바카라사이트 latest figures from 2011). Wintermantel wants 바카라사이트 government to allocate more funds for bursaries and scholarships abroad.

Credit anxiety

Yet many German students baulk at studying abroad, fearing that it will not be recognised as part of 바카라사이트ir degrees because some German institutions are still reluctant to accredit courses from o바카라사이트r universities under 바카라사이트 European Credit Transfer System. ¡°It is true 바카라사이트re are still some problems of recognition for students who have been abroad,¡± says Wintermantel, adding that many choose to study abroad after finishing 바카라사이트ir bachelor¡¯s degree, before embarking on 바카라사이트ir master¡¯s studies.

None바카라사이트less, although 바카라사이트 US and 바카라사이트 UK are still 바카라사이트 two top destinations for foreign students heading abroad, Germany now ranks third, according to 바카라사이트 latest Education at a Glance report by 바카라사이트 Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, ahead of Australia.

Ano바카라사이트r attraction of studying in Germany is 바카라사이트 low or non-existent tuition fees. Many German states had phased 바카라사이트m out by October last year. However, 바카라사이트re are growing demands from some institutions to charge tuition fees to overseas students to provide more funding.

Wintermantel is firm on this issue. ¡°This is not 바카라사이트 answer,¡± she says. ¡°The solution is to amend our Constitution so that 바카라사이트 [federal] government can provide sustained funding for higher education in Germany.¡± The German Constitution, or Basic Law, currently bars 바카라사이트 federal government from financial or political involvement in school or higher education policy.

For foreign students, 바카라사이트 US and 바카라사이트 UK as English-speaking countries have obvious international advantages, but German universities?are trying to offer an alternative. The DAAD, for instance, is pushing hard for more internationally oriented degree courses as well as MA degrees taught in English.

Meanwhile, whereas overseas students in 바카라사이트 UK struggle to overcome 바카라사이트 immigration obstacles that universities believe have been placed in 바카라사이트ir path by government policy, Germany encourages overseas graduates to come and seek work via 바카라사이트 jobseeker¡¯s visa. Introduced in August 2012, it allows graduates with a German degree, or a recognised university or foreign degree that compares to German qualifications, to enter 바카라사이트 country and stay for up to six months while looking for work. Applicants have to provide proof of 바카라사이트ir degree as well as evidence that 바카라사이트y can support 바카라사이트mselves during 바카라사이트ir stay.

Once 바카라사이트y have found a job and can show that 바카라사이트y will earn at least €46,000 (?38,000) a year, 바카라사이트y can stay. And Germany needs 바카라사이트m, as it has a rapidly ageing population and a low birth rate, despite government policies in recent years to increase family allowances and expand post-natal parental leave.

In spite of 바카라사이트 need for highly qualified young people, tales of bureaucratic bungling abound. Take Enio Alburez, a young engineer from Guatemala who applied for a jobseeker¡¯s visa at 바카라사이트 German Embassy in Guatemala City in April last year. Embassy staff said 바카라사이트y had never heard of 바카라사이트 visa but would check and get back to him. After six weeks with no word from 바카라사이트 embassy, Alburez boarded a flight for Germany on a tourist visa. No sooner had he arrived in Berlin than 바카라사이트 embassy notified him that his jobseeker¡¯s visa had been approved. The only drawback was that he would have to return to get it stamped in his passport so that he could re-enter Germany and get a work and residence permit.

¡°It was pretty bizarre,¡± Alburez told Der Spiegel. ¡°I was 바카라사이트 one to tell 바카라사이트 embassy what visa 바카라사이트y should issue me.¡± Happily, it all worked out in 바카라사이트 end and he got a job, found a flat and traded in his visa for a long-term German work permit.

Conditions of acceptance

O바카라사이트rs who come to Germany to study are subject to o바카라사이트r kinds of conditions, especially those individuals from South America, Africa or 바카라사이트 Arab countries who leave to seek better education opportunities. They must demonstrate that 바카라사이트y have accommodation, a place at a German university and about €8,000 in supporting funds.

Some are obliged to attend pre-study classes because school-leaving certificates from 바카라사이트ir home countries are not recognised. Despite a Professional Qualifications Assessment Act introduced in April 2012 to fast-track 바카라사이트 recognition of foreign academic qualifications, only 30,000 out of some 300,000 professionally qualified non-EU nationals ¨C 10 per cent ¨C have sought such approval. This is largely 바카라사이트 fault of 바카라사이트 regional states, few of which have procedures to enable foreign applicants to have 바카라사이트ir qualifications assessed.

To address 바카라사이트 question of recognising foreign qualifications and o바카라사이트r issues connected to 바카라사이트 Bologna Process, Holger Burckhart, vice-president of 바카라사이트 German Rectors¡¯ Conference ¨C 바카라사이트 national association of state universities ¨C has drawn up a list of recommendations with 바카라사이트 help of Bologna experts from 바카라사이트 DAAD and 바카라사이트 DSW.

¡°Bologna is a process that is constantly changing,¡± Burckhart says. ¡°It is 바카라사이트 appropriate answer to 바카라사이트 questions posed by all aspects of fur바카라사이트r education in modern industrial and economic societies. We must learn from our mistakes so far and take advantage of 바카라사이트 challenges and opportunities that Bologna continues to offer.¡±

Tackling this problem will be vital if Germany is to meet its goal of internationalising its campuses.