Brussels, 24/01/2011 (Agence Europe) - German students rank very highly in terms of mobility. Only China, India and South Korea send more students abroad, a survey conducted by the German Welfare Service of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research, in collaboration with Hochschul-Informations-System, a company specialising in higher education statistics, has revealed. According to the survey, the number of German students studying abroad doubled between 2000 (52,200 students) and 2008 (102,000 students). The number of foreign students studying in Germany also increased by 250% in 11 years, from 100,033 in 1997 to 245,522 in 2008, making Germany the third most popular destination for foreign students after the United States and the United Kingdom. The European Students Union (ESU) welcomed the findings: “We think this is a great step in the right direction and we would like to see that other European countries make it more attractive for their students to study abroad as well. Too often it is still the case that only students from well-earning families are able to study abroad”, said ESU Chairperson Bert Vandenkendelaere. ESU says that the German government has a long standing tradition of financially supporting students studying abroad. The lack of financial support is, along with problems of recognition of study programmes, one of the main barriers to greater mobility, the ESU claims.
The survey reveals that: 1) of Germany's roughly 2 million students, 15% had visited a foreign country in connection with their studies, with the favourite destinations being Spain, France and the United Kingdom for study periods, and the United States, the United Kingdom and France for practical training; 2) women are more mobile than men; 3) three quarters of students who went abroad in connection with their studies were supported by their parents, more than half worked and saved money for their stay abroad, and 30% receive government grants; 4) social background is important to mobility: twice as many young people from well-off families with high levels of education seek a stay abroad than students from low-income households with low education levels. (I.L./transl.rt)