THE introduction of a new German legislation regarding Entry and Residence of Highly Qualified Workers this year, will make it easier for international students and academics to remain in the country after their programmes. Under this new Act passed by Bundestag (the lower house of German Parliament) on April 27, 2012, foreign students graduating from German varsities will now be allowed to stay and work in the country for up to 18 months instead of 12 months while searching for a graduate-level employment. Students will be able to work part-time for up to 120 days a year while studying, instead of the previous 90 days. They can work for an unlimited number of hours or days, and they are no longer obliged to seek the approval of the German Federal Employment Agency (BA).

SCHILLER INTERNATIONAL University (above left) and Wuerzburg New University (above right) are some of universities that have become hot destinations for international students after easing of residential norms.

Graduates will be eligible for a settlement permit and will have an indefinite Right of Residence after two years. They now also have a six-month Right of Residence while seeking employment. The changes come as a set of steps taken by Germany to welcome and give greater freedom of choice to students, scientists and researchers arriving from outside the European Union (EU).

“Right to Residence gives foreign graduates the freedom of choice for long-term employment. It will also help in better global collaborations” Christiane Schlottmann Director, DAAD New Delhi

The world is your oyster
Christiane Schlottmann, Director, DAAD New Delhi, shares that the recent years have witnessed a change in student mobility worldwide. Many students are seeking new study destinations in Europe and even Asia like Singapore. Various factors like stringent visa rules, lack of employment opportunities after graduation and social threats in the traditionally popular destinations affect this trend. “In Europe, Germany has been a popular destination for international students due to plenty of reasons like International Degree Programmes (IDP) taught in English medium, tuition fee waivers and above all social security. In fact Germany tops the list of the most internationalised countries in the higher education arena (THES Survey 2011).

“I feel that the Right to Residence will further bolster this trend as it also presents the foreign graduates the freedom of choice for long term employment. This will not only further the internationalisation of Germany but also help collaborate much more widely in the international scene,” Schlottmann says. Germany hosted 252,032 international students in the year 2010-11 which turns out to be 12% of the total number of enrolled students in Germany.

Germany is an expensive country but most university towns will have second-hand shops selling furniture, equipment and computers and most other utility items. There are about 300 International Degree Programmes which are entirely or partly taught in English especially in the realm of engineering and pure sciences. University of Stuttgart, University of Regensburg, Technical University of Berlin and University of Duisburg-Essen remain most sought after Universities in the country. In educational institutions here, both professors and students are involved in research right from the beginning of the course.