Dieter and Petra go study abroad

The Germans are coming! More German students are studying abroad, show the latest statistics from the German federal government. Denmark, and Copenhagen, are a popular destination

by Mike Young

The phrase ‘Wiedersehen!’ is on the lips of more German students now than ever. This is according to statistics released from the German Ministry of Education and Research.

The number of German students leaving the country to study abroad doubled from 2001 to 2008, so that a total of 102,000 German students attended a foreign university in 2008.

German students are some of the most mobile students in the world, with only China, India and South Korea sending more students abroad, the study shows.

See the report here (in German).

Foreign students doubled in Germany

But while German students leave for a semester or a year abroad, foreign students are queueing up to warm their seats in the auditoria of German universities.

As a destination to study, Germany is third in the world in terms of popularity after the United States and the UK.

The number of students from other countries coming to Germany to study has doubled since 1997. 11.5 per cent of all students in Germany are now foreign nationals.

Foreign students important for export nations

China is the country that sends the most students to Germany.

»Germany has continued to establish itself as an attractive studying location on the international education market,« German Federal Education Minister Annette Schavan, was recently quoted in University World News:

»This is especially important for an export nation,« she adds.

100 of them in Copenhagen

A quick glance through the tables shows that Denmark, although a small nation, has become relatively more popular for the German students: The number of German students coming to Denmark has tripled in eight years, so that a total of 1,696 students came here in 2008.

Denmark is now the ninth most popular destination for German students. Most popular destination is Austria.

According to statistics from the International Office released last August, 101 German students were enrolled at the University of Copenhagen in 2010, marginally the second largest national group after France with 104 students.

miy@adm.ku.dk

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