Officially called the Federal Republic of Germany; Germany is in North Central Europe. It is a one of Europe’s largest countries with a range of landscapes: from the tall, sheer mountains in the south to the sandy, rolling plains in the north, the forested hills of the urbanized west, and the plains of the agricultural east – Germany is renowned for visual arts, literature, folklore, and song. Endowed with creative and logical bent of mind, Germans are a proud, industrious and self-sacrificing people, predisposed to making the impossible possible, with hard work and a public demeanor which is assertive but accepting.
It is the largest and most economically prosperous country in the European Union and the fourth largest economy in the world offering its citizens a high standard of living and a low crime rate. With unemployment at its lowest level and the opportunity to fill over 2.5 million job vacancies.
Germany’s growing importance in international education is evident by the fact that it is a top destination for foreign students and attracts about 5% of the world’s international students. Germany’s higher education institutions are of global standards and German degrees are recognized world over. Though, SAT and GRE are not mandatory, bachelors, master’s and MBA courses are also taught in English. However, students are encouraged to learn German to fully appreciate the value of the course and successfully integrate into German society.
German education is based on a dual system, which combines theoretical classroom instruction with practical training, embedded in a real-life work environment, making students industry ready on completion of their course.
The German government has made the internationalization of higher education a strategic objective. It encourages better integration of foreign students through educational scholarships, lower tuition fees and better immigration policies – offering education to International students at the same subsidized fee that its domestic students pay. While the European “Blue Card” gives qualified international graduates of German universities a pathway to permanent residence and access to the markets of most EU member states.
Additionally, cost of living in Germany is lower that other European countries. Here, monthly expenditure can be as low are €600, that is approximately INR 40,000/-. And, students can work for up to twenty hours a week, earning €8-10 an hour, to support their cost of living.
International students can avail an 18 months job search visa and can apply for permanent residence after 5 years of studying and working in Germany. Additionally, Germany shares excellent trade and political relationship with India, making it comfortable for Indian students in Germany.