New Delhi: Indian students now form the largest community of foreign students in Germany. With over 42,578 enrolments in German universities as of 2023, Indian students have surpassed their Chinese counterparts in the European nation in terms of numbers, according to the German National Tourist Office (GNTO).
At a joint press conference held by the GNTO and the German Embassy in India Tuesday, Deputy Head of Mission Georg Enzweiler told the media, “Unlike other countries, studying in Germany is basically free of cost. Education in German public universities is high-class and world-class, but at a much lower cost than other countries, with the German taxpayers paying for the education of both domestic and international students.”
“The language,” he said, “could be the only downside, but that, too, has seen a dramatic change in the last 20 years with many more universities offering courses in English.”
In 2022, while the number of international students in Germany rose by 3.7 percent, the Indian student community grew by 26 percent. Top choices of field of study include engineering, law, management, social sciences, mathematics and natural sciences.
“There has been a steep rise in the number of Indian students in Germany”, Enzweiler said. “Germany is very welcoming of Indians — they are hard-working and an ageing society as ours welcomes them.”
The German population is ageing with over 18,781,831 people above the age of 65, as of 2022. Projections suggest that the number of people at working age will decrease by a range of 1.6 million-4.8 million in the next 15 years.
Also Read: MEA terms The Washington Post report on R&AW’s role in Pannun plot ‘speculative, irresponsible’
Indian tourists in Germany
Enzweiler believes that this trend will encourage more Indians to visit Germany to not just visit their relatives, but also explore the tourism offerings of the country.
He said that Germany saw the inflow of 32.6 percent more Indian tourists in 2023, with over 8 lakh overnight stays, as opposed to 6,23,363 overnight stays in 2022. In the first two months of 2024, there has been another 15 percent hike in the number of Indian tourists travelling to Germany.
Enzweiler said, “Indians will be able to qualify more quickly. It is also in the embassy’s interest to issue long-term visas.” This comment is in line with the EU Ambassador to India’s announcement last week of a multi-year Schengen visa for frequent Indian travellers.
Travel to Europe made easy! ✈️
⁰🇪🇺 takes another step towards enhancing people-to-people contact with 🇮🇳.⁰New #Schengen #visa regime gives 🇮🇳 frequent travellers access to multi-year visa (up to 5 y.) Europe delivers on the partnership!
Know More 👉 https://t.co/6EzlUF8jrR pic.twitter.com/ELhZdCfI83
— Hervé Delphin (@EUAmbIndia) April 22, 2024
According to Romit Theophilus, director for India at GNTO, factors like higher connectivity from various Indian cities, sustainable travel plans, low-cost accommodation, along with the attraction of German art, culture and landscapes have been pulling Indian tourists to the country. According to a survey by Skyscanner, a travel agency and search aggregator based in Scotland, 86 percent of Indian travellers plan to take the same number of overseas trips, if not more, in 2024 compared to 2023.
(Edited by Mannat Chugh)
Also Read: China warns US not to cross ‘red line’ as Blinken meets with Xi in Beijing