Please be brave!

April 15, 2015

Dr. knows the feeling of being new and foreign in another country. Dorothea Ruland very good. The DAAD General Secretary spent many years working in England and Asia. She explains how she assesses the current situation of foreign students in Germany on the sidelines of the AA awards ceremony (the Foreign Office's prize for excellent support for foreign students at German universities) in Bonn.

Miss Dr. Ruland, the number of foreign students in Germany is expected to increase to 350,000 by 2020. Why is this such an important goal?

Look at current topics such as Ebola, water or energy supply. These are all topics that can only be dealt with in large, international associations. However, if you want to move in such a context, you need networks. How can you build this? The best way is to bring smart young people to Germany, let them study here for a while and then go back. This means you have partners with whom you can work together in education and science in the future. The currency of the future is knowledge.

What speaks for Germany as a host country?

Germany has a university system that is very well positioned across the board and is strongly committed to educating good foreign students. Aspects such as support and a welcoming culture are now very well developed. I think: If you bring young people into the country, you also have a responsibility to ensure that the framework conditions are such that they can successfully complete their studies. Nothing is worse than someone returning to their home country without a degree.

Nevertheless, almost every second foreign student drops out of their studies, and in many cases there are difficulties finding suitable living space.

I see it a little differently. Yes, it is not easy to find accommodation in many university cities. But in the end everyone made it. You also have to take a more differentiated look at academic success. A lot has happened here. In the master's area e.g. B. Foreigners are even more successful than Germans.

So what is the biggest problem that foreign students have to contend with?

The DAAD constantly investigates which handicaps exist. What is viewed most critically is the lack of contact with German students. I actually think that's bad. In the seminar you sit together, but e.g. For example, in the cafeteria at lunch - where communication takes place - things are quite divided. Of course there are fears, you don't want to speak English or maybe you're worried about being taken over. This immediately improves when young Germans have been abroad themselves and have had the experience of being a foreigner. Approaching fellow foreign students is something that German students can do even better.

What can foreign students do to ensure a successful educational stay? How to prepare, what to prepare for?

One thing is: learn German. For many years it was believed that you could get around the world with a healthy Denglish. That is a mistake. Anyone who lives and learns in a country and wants and should integrate must have a command of the language. I also learned Thai and Indonesian back then. The other thing is: don't isolate yourself. Although the Bologna Process has created structures, Germany is still a country that relies heavily on its own initiative. Be brave, approach people, take advantage of offers, of which there are many. Under no circumstances should you retreat into your own ethnic group.

Two successful projects: ISAC from the University of Cologne and the Intercultural Advice Center for International Students at LMU Munich won the AA Prize in 2014. The videos give an insight:

Dr. knows the feeling of being new and foreign in another country. Dorothea Ruland very good. The DAAD General Secretary spent many years working in England and Asia. She explains how she assesses the current situation of foreign students in Germany on the sidelines of the AA awards ceremony (award from the Foreign Office for excellent support of foreign students at German universities).

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