Germany has been named as the most supportive country for overseas students, in an international league table.Among the attractions for international students is the increasing availability in Germany of courses taught entirely in English, so much so that students can complete degrees without ever having to speak German.In the international zones of these classes, students from Germany, the United States and China participate in seminars conducted by German professors speaking in English.
View from abroad
David Ravensbergen, a Canadian at the Freie Universitat Berlin, says these multiple layers of internationalism can puzzle other students. They say: 'Let's get this straight. You're an English speaker from Canada, and you've come to Germany to study in English. And to study about North America. What's gotten into your head?But Herbert Grieshop, director of the university's Centre for International Co-operation, says that languages should not be a barrier to such globalisation and that international English might be more useful than some regional varieties.I wonder whether a Chinese student can understand us better than someone with a Yorkshire accent or some strange American accent,he says in flawless English.The survey from the British Council which has placed Germany in first place is called the Global Gauge.It ranks university systems on measures such as openness, degree quality, how widely degrees are recognised, support for overseas students and how much students were encouraged to spend time abroad.
International policy
The UK was ranked in third place, with China coming fourth, ahead of the United States in sixth place, in a table showing 11 of the biggest players in the overseas student market.The strongest overall performance was from Germany, which has promoted a deliberate policy of internationalisation.There are more students from Germany studying abroad than any other European country and it wants half of its students to spend at least a term abroad, giving Germany one of the world's most mobile student populations.The global market in overseas students has become a highly-lucrative business. The British Council estimates that it is worth £8bn a year to the UK economy.But one of the attractions of Germany is that overseas students do not pay any more in tuition fees than home students.Universities in many parts of Germany do not charge any tuition fees, which means in those places overseas students do not pay any fees at all. Studying abroadThere is also an assumption that German students will spend time at universities in other countries. Julia Sunaric, studying managing and marketing, has studied at universities in the UK, China and Spain.I don't think of it as that special, because other people have similar CVs. In Germany it's really common to study abroad.She also says that German students are drawn to universities which teach in English, seeing it as useful for jobs in globalised businesses.When a university has a lot of courses taught in English, it's a kind of a prestige thing. If students have the ability and motivation to speak English, it's a good thing. People come here for the international image.But what's in it for the university? There is no financial incentive - and overseas students need extra support.It's been deliberate policy. We wanted to internationalise. We thought that it helps our students, our research,says Herbert Grieshop, managing director of the university's Centre for International Co-operation.International policy
The UK was ranked in third place, with China coming fourth, ahead of the United States in sixth place, in a table showing 11 of the biggest players in the overseas student market.The strongest overall performance was from Germany, which has promoted a deliberate policy of internationalisation.
There are more students from Germany studying abroad than any other European country and it wants half of its students to spend at least a term abroad, giving Germany one of the world's most mobile student populations.The global market in overseas students has become a highly-lucrative business. The British Council estimates that it is worth £8bn a year to the UK economy.But one of the attractions of Germany is that overseas students do not pay any more in tuition fees than home students.Universities in many parts of Germany do not charge any tuition fees, which means in those places overseas students do not pay any fees at all. Studying abroad
There is also an assumption that German students will spend time at universities in other countries. Julia Sunaric, studying managing and marketing, has studied at universities in the UK, China and Spain. I don't think of it as that special, because other people have similar CVs. In Germany it's really common to study abroad.She also says that German students are drawn to universities which teach in English, seeing it as useful for jobs in globalised businesses.When a university has a lot of courses taught in English, it's a kind of a prestige thing. If students have the ability and motivation to speak English, it's a good thing. People come here for the international image.But what's in it for the university? There is no financial incentive - and overseas students need extra support.It's been deliberate policy. We wanted to internationalise. We thought that it helps our students, our research,says Herbert Grieshop, managing director of the university's Centre for International Co-operation.Outward looking
The idea of internationalism permeates the university. It was set up in 1948 as a university for the western zone of the divided city and has always promoted the idea of links with the rest of the world. The university's showcase library was designed by Sir Norman Foster.Mr Grieshop is speaking in a classic 1950s building, full of light and post-war optimism, and the open-arms policy towards overseas students owes much to a cultural faith in internationalism.It's good will, being a good neighbour. It's basic to our culture and our economy. We are an outward looking country.We think that global problems need global co-operation for research. And for our students it brings the sensibilities and the competencies they need in a globalised world market.The university has not opened overseas campuses, but instead it develops partnerships through a network of overseas offices in countries including China, the US, Russia,Sweden and India.
Pat Killingley, the British Council's director of higher education, says that an increase in international partnerships between universities has become a global trend. These partnerships can then become pathways, establishing a route for exchanges between students and staff.For the UK's universities, she says overseas students are becoming particularly important for postgraduate courses.It's a hugely important trend, bringing students to the UK and supporting the research base. It's internationalising the whole system, she says.It's a picture in which globalisation will intensify she says, expecting both more competition and collaboration between university systems.
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