Germany offers low cost quality education for international students

Several internationally acclaimed universities in Germany do not even charge tuition fees, writes Stephan Lanzinger
Germany is an open, colourful and welcoming society for people from all over the world. It has long been one of the top addresses for international students and the number has been on a rise since last few years. The number of international students visiting Germany has increased to 3,60,000, which means almost a quarter of first semester university students are foreigners.
Today, there are around 17,500 Indians studying in Germany, which is more than twice of what we had five years ago.
WHY STUDY IN GERMANY
The reasons are more than many: excellent quality of education, virtually no tuition fees, promising career opportunities, international degree programmes taught in English, and above all, the vibrant social and cultural milieu.
German universities enjoy an excellent reputation. According to the latest Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings, 47 universities in Germany are counted among the best in the world.
And unbelievably so, Germany’s top-quality universities don’t even charge tuition fees! This also applies even to the foreign students. In addition to these, there are numerous opportunities for students to receive a full scholarship, especially via the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD). The DAAD has several offices in India that offers several tailor-made programmes for Indian students.

WHAT ABOUT THE LANGUAGE
At German universities, students can choose from around 2,000 international masters and PhD programmes taught in English. So knowledge of German is not a must.
Nevertheless, learning German will make your professional and personal life easier. There are many courses available in German and by the way, learning German is way easier than what people think.
LAND OF IDEAS
Germany is the land of ideas. Over the centuries, German inventors have developed many groundbreaking innovations, from the printing press to the automobile to the MP3 format.
Around 80 German scientists have received Nobel Prize over the years. In a recent report by the World Economic Forum, Germany was named as the most innovative country in the world. Its universities play a major role in this, because they are particularly strong in research.
One reason for this is that they apply the principle of unity of teaching and research. This ensures that students, too, can gain research experience at an early stage.
Even better, after graduating from a German university, students from other countries can stay in the country for 18 months to look for a job.
Opportunities abound, since Germany is a world leader in industrial innovation and manufacturing. It faces a shortage of engineers and other highly qualified experts. In addition, the number of
German companies in India is increasing. Many of them offer excellent career opportunities to students graduating from Germany.
High standard of living and a vibrant cultural environment complete the great package that makes Germany one of the most attractive places for students to study and live in.
By the way, there is a great enthusiasm for Indian culture among locals. Indian restaurants can be found everywhere, while yoga and ayurveda is omnipresent.
In some cities, you get to celebrate Holi and other Indian festivals. This makes it perfect for Indian students to feel at home.
(The author is Science counsellor, Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany)