Student mobility
Globalisation, the ever-closer integration of Europe and the progressive establishment of a European Higher Education Area are opening up new prospects for students and graduates. Good knowledge of foreign languages and personal experience of both the economic and social conditions and the culture and mentality of other countries are nowadays regarded as basic requirements for graduates in many sectors of the labour market. It is this trend that has prompted the development of EU programmes to promote cooperation in higher education and student mobility and also the national, regional and bilateral initiatives that provide incentives for study/placements abroad and fund and develop new courses of study. National initiatives include, amongst other examples, the increased promotion of study abroad and in particular of a full course of study in another EU country or in Switzerland as part of the Federal Training Assistance Act (Bundesausbildungsförderungsgesetz – BAföG) and likewise special support programmes implemented by some Länder.
In June 2024, the Federation and the Länder adopted a new Strategy of the Federal and Länder Ministers of Science for the Internationalisation of Institutions of Higher Education in Germany (Strategie der Wissenschaftsminister/innen von Bund und Ländern für die Internationalisierung der Hochschulen in Deutschland). It follows on from the 2013 internationalisation strategy and is intended to strengthen the higher education location in the face of new technological and political developments and increasing global risks, and to make it more resilient. At the same time, the Federation and the Länder want to take a strategic approach to the social, economic and technological developments of recent years that are relevant to the internationalisation of higher education institutions. The sustainability agenda and the growing socio-political demand for more equal opportunities and diversity are creating new expectations and requirements for the internationalisation of research and teaching. In addition, the potential of digitisation is to be exploited in the context of the internationalisation of higher education institutions.
In this context, the Federal Government and the Länder aim to:
- further increase the attractiveness of German higher education and research institutions for international students and researchers and to further reduce potential hurdles to their recruitment, integration and retention in order to attract more qualified people to research and industry.
- enabling high-quality internationalisation experiences for as many students, researchers and other higher education staff as possible – both by promoting physical and virtual mobility and by “internationalising at home“.
- while safeguarding the autonomy of higher education institutions and the EU's division of competences in the higher education sector, to work towards further expanding and deepening the quality of European and international cooperation in research and teaching, from smaller projects to larger networks and strategic alliances.
The implementation of the internationalisation goals is carried out by the Länder and the Federation on their own responsibility within the framework of the constitutional competences and while maintaining the autonomy of higher education institutions and the EU's division of competences in the higher education sector.
Through placements abroad during courses of study, prospective academics can acquire additional competences and develop personally. International experiences are moreover becoming increasingly important on the labour market and in science. The Federation and the Länder are therefore seeking to expand the possibility of at least a low-threshold internationalisation for all students.
Mobility is already well developed even now. Germany is one of the top five host countries and countries of origin for internationally mobile students worldwide. In total in the 2023/2024 winter semester just less than 380,000 international students studied at German higher education institutions. This corresponds to around 13 percent of all students in Germany. The most important countries of origin are India (ca. 49.000 students or 13% of all international students) China (just less than 39,000 or 10%), Turkey (18.000 or 5%) and Austria (15,000 or 4%). At the same time many German students are studying abroad with the aim of obtaining a higher education qualification: in 2022 in total 139,000 German students were enrolled at higher education institutions abroad. This corresponds to a share of around 5.2 per cent of all German students at German higher education institutions. The most popular host countries are Austria (around 38,000 students or 27% of all students abroad), the Netherlands (23,000 or 16%), Switzerland (12,000 or 9%) and the United Kingdom (10,000 or 7%).
Information on the foreign language assistant exchange programme of the Educational Exchange Service (Pädagogischer Austauschdienst – PAD) of the Secretariat of the Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs (Kultusministerkonferenz), in which prospective foreign language teachers are exchanged, can be found in the section on teacher mobility.
In Germany, the task of promoting the relations of higher education institutions with other countries through the exchange of students and academics is primarily the responsibility of the higher education institutions themselves and, in particular, the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) as a self-governing organization of German higher education institutions and, where available, their student bodies
The programmes of the DAAD to promote internationalisation at German higher education institutions aim at creating the organisational and financial framework for studies/a placement abroad, international cooperation and the establishment of strategic partnerships between higher education institutions as well as further development of courses of study and higher education qualifications. Furthermore, the measures already carried out shall be incorporated into a strategy for internationalisation involving the entire institution of higher education.
The internationalisation of higher education institutions is regarded as a complex process which links the interests of students and academics, the higher education institutions, the aims of foreign cultural and education policy, national science policy, development cooperation, and the requirements of all international partners.
Providing scholarships remains the DAAD’s "core business". In 2023 it was able to support 18,748 German and international students, doctoral candidates and researchers with scholarships and individual programmes. Within the framework of the PROMOS programme to enhance the mobility of German students, which finances short stays for German students, 10,594 scholarships were awarded in 2023.
Within the scope of Erasmus+ (2021-2027), the DAAD has also been designated by the BMBF as a National Agency (NA) and is thus responsible for the implementation of Erasmus+ in the higher education sector. Within this framework, the NA DAAD promotes, among other things, the international mobility of students (studies and internships) within Europe and also worldwide. Prerequisites for funding are cross-border higher education agreements and the obligation that full recognition by the home institution of higher education of study achievements made abroad is guaranteed. In addition, participating higher education institutions must be in possession of a valid Erasmus Charter for Higher Education. For the 2021–2027 programme generation, funding rates for students will be increased to strengthen participation in the programme; the special additional financial support for certain groups and the introduction of new funding formats also promote the European Commission's goal for more (social) participation and inclusion in the programme. Between the beginning of June 2022 and the end of July 2024 on the 2022 Erasmus funding call, a total of 37,455 students from Germany were given funding for a period of study abroad, and 7,370 students for a work placement abroad. Conversely, 20,938 Erasmus students from other countries spent a study-related stay at a German higher education institution during the same period. In addition, 9,892 students from foreign higher education institutions completed an internship in Germany through Erasmus+. More information can be found on the Internet. (http://eu.daad.de).
In addition, the DAAD NA is responsible for the selection and promotion of Erasmus+ Cooperation Partnerships as well as for providing information and advice on the Erasmus+ cooperation projects administered centrally in Brussels (Erasmus Mundus Action, European Higher Education Institutions, Capacity Building Projects in Higher Education, Alliances for Innovation, Jean Monnet Actions, Teacher Academies and Future-Oriented Projects). More information is available on the internet. (https://eu.daad.de/infos-fuer-hochschulen/programmlinien/foerderung-von-hochschulkooperationen/de/).
Grants for periods of study abroad are also provided under the Federal Training Assistance Act. Students are able to receive assistance under the Federal Training Assistance Act for a full course of study in a member state of the European Union. Furthermore, financial assistance is provided for practical training and studies of limited duration inside and outside of Europe.
Alongside these funding opportunities at national level, in some Länder there are Land-level programmes to support international student mobility.
Academic Staff Mobility
In foreign educational and cultural policy, special importance is also attached to exchange measures in the sector of research and higher education institutions. The exchange of individuals takes place under grant programmes and award winners programmes for lecturers and other higher education staff which are predominantly organised by the DAAD and the Alexander von Humboldt-Foundation (AvH). Evaluation of international exchange programmes is generally performed by independent agencies or experts.
In 2023, around 65,500 foreign scientists will be employed at German institutions of higher education, including around 4,100 professors. The most important region of origin of international academic staff is Western Europe. The most important countries of origin are India, Italy, China and Austria. Of the international professors, most come from Austria, Italy and Switzerland.
In 2022, around 16,600 employed scientists with foreign nationality worked at the institutions of the four largest extramural science organisations, the Max Planck Society, the Fraunhofer Society, and the Helmholtz and Leibniz Associations. Their number has almost doubled since 2012, so that in 2022 a total of around 30 percent of the science staff came from abroad.
In addition to the international scientific staff employed at higher education institutions, international guest scientists also spend time in Germany for teaching and research purposes, funded by organisations in Germany and abroad. In 2022 this amounted to around 30,100 stays. The most important regions of origin for the guest scientists were Western Europe, Asia and the Pacific (each accounting for 21% of visits), while the most important countries of origin were India, China and Italy. Visiting researchers are persons with foreign citizenship who stay in Germany for a limited period of time without being employed within the framework of financial support and who are active in teaching and research at institutions of higher education or other research institutions. There are three major funding organisations in particular that support the vast majority of stays by visiting researchers in Germany: German Research Foundation (Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft – DFG), DAAD and Alexander von Humboldt Foundation.
The Erasmus+ programme of the European Union also supports temporary stays abroad by guest lecturers. These guest lectureships within Europe can last between two and 60 days. The funding covers teaching stays by academic staff and professors at higher education institutions and research institutions as well as employees in companies. During the Erasmus year 2022 (beginning of June 2020 to end of May 2022), a total of around 2,300 Erasmus guest lecturers came to Germany for a teaching stay. This figure for guest lectureships has thus largely returned to the level it was at before the coronavirus pandemic, which had led to a temporary decline to below 1,000 guest lectureships in the two previous years.
On the one hand, German academics in other countries work permanently at institutions of higher education and research institutions. On the other hand, many German guest researchers complete a temporary research and teaching stay abroad with the support of various institutions.
According to the available data, most German academics work at higher education institutions in Switzerland (9,400), followed by universities in Austria (6,300) and the UK (5,200). In 2022, the largest proportions of Germans among all foreign academics can be observed in Austria with 42 per cent and in Switzerland with 29 per cent. In terms of the number of German professors abroad, Switzerland is the most important host country (1,280) and Austria (970) the second most important. German professors account for the largest proportion of all international professors in Austria. at 70 per cent and in Switzerland at 44 per cent.
In 2022, around 8,300 stays by German guest researchers abroad were funded by domestic and foreign organisations. The most important host region was Western Europe (30% of stays). Other significant host regions are North America (19%) and Central and Southeastern Europe (14%). The most important host country for German guest researchers abroad was the USA, followed by the United Kingdom and France.
In the Erasmus year 2022, a total of around 2,700 Erasmus guest lecturers from Germany spent a teaching period abroad with Erasmus funding. Compared to 2021, the number of mobilities almost tripled after the sharp decline caused by the pandemic-related restrictions. Most Erasmus guest lecturers spent 2022 abroad in countries in Southern Europe (28%), Central Eastern Europe (22%) and Western Europe (20%). 11 per cent of them spent time in Northern European countries, another 11 per cent in South Eastern European countries and 7 per cent in Central Western European countries.
Most Erasmus guest lecturers spent 2022 abroad in countries in Southern Europe (28%), Central Eastern Europe (22%) and Western Europe (20%). 11 per cent of them spent time in Northern European countries, 11 per cent in South Eastern European countries and 7 per cent in Central Western European countries.
Statistics on the international mobility of scientists and researchers may be found in the publication Wissenschaft weltoffen.