Greece at 19th place in number of students at German universities

Greece ranks 19th among the foreign countries with students at German universities, as 6,886 Greeks are enrolled there for the 2022-2023 academic year, according to recent data from the Federal Statistical Office of Germany (Destatis) and the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD).

The data was presented by the German-Hellenic Business Association, which said that India is in first place with 43,000 students, followed by China with 42,000, Turkey with 25,000, Syria with 21,000, Austria with 17,000 and Italy with 15,000.

Over the last 15 years the number of Greek students in Germany has been consistently above 5,000. Starting in 2008, the number was just over 5,000. In 2014 it exceeded 7,000 and in 2017 it was close to 8,000. Of these, in 2017 almost 600 students were studying with scholarships from the German state, while in 2022 about 1,500 Greeks were studying with scholarships from the German state and through the Erasmus program.

Greek students in Germany choose law (32%), polytechnic studies (27%), linguistics, cultural studies and humanities (16%), mathematics and natural sciences (12%), medicine (6.7%), art and sports sciences (4.4%) and veterinary medicine (1%).

Studies in Germany are free of charge at 95% of public universities, and students pay only a registration fee each semester, which in many cities includes a pass for public transport. In addition, every student has state health insurance.

On the other hand, foreign students spent 1.531 billion euros in 2022-2023. This consumer spending brought in public tax revenues of €400 million, equivalent to €2,500 per student, and was measured to be equivalent to 22,000 new jobs.

There are also positive economic effects after graduation. State subsidies for providing study positions and scholarships to foreign students at German universities are recouped if 30% of the graduates stay in the country and work there for at least five years.

“Germany is happy to accept foreign students because they contribute to the exchange of knowledge, ideas and experience. Of course, attracting foreign students to Germany and keeping them here after graduation requires investments in universities that pay off quickly,” the business association said.

Another key argument for academic openness is that investing in brains from all over the world pays off regardless of whether foreign students stay in Germany or return home. Those who return act as friends and ambassadors of Germany. Those who stay are a mutually beneficial bridge for trade and cultural exchange with their country of origin.

The association also discussed the reforms being promoted for Greek public universities and the establishment of private universities.

On the basis of the data from Germany, it considers that in order for Greek universities to approach the functional and organizational level of their German counterparts, the way in which Greek universities are managed and their facilities are set up should be radically changed so that they can be protected at all times. This means campuses leaving the city center and setting up in remoter and securer locations, along with student-friendly residences that provide all the amenities.

At the same time, the unproductive, uncontrolled political unionism of students and teaching staff must cease, the selection of teaching staff at all levels must be made on the basis of meritocracy and the family rule that has been plaguing some faculties for years must be stopped. The possibility of accepting donations/grants and establishing chairs by institutions, foundations and businesses must be allowed by law, and cooperation between universities and businesses to promote research, innovation and start-up businesses must be institutionalized, it added.

The president of the association, Faidon Kotsampopoulos, said that strengthening higher education in Greece should be combined with the upgrading of vocational training.

“Greece must stop making it easier for young people to pursue academic careers and steering them away from the professional specialization and training that the country so desperately needs,” he said.

“That is why the planned reform of higher education combined with the changes in vocational education and training, with the main focus on linking the institutions with the labor market, is correct and demonstrates the seriousness and responsibility with which the government addresses the issue.