Stories of struggle to obtain higher degrees in Germany

Stories of the struggle to obtain higher degrees in Germany Ramy Al-Demerdash, an Egyptian young man who lives in the city of Mainz, came to Germany to complete his graduate studies in the field of translation after studying for two years in the Department of German Language and Literature

of the Faculty of Languages ​​and Translation at Al-Azhar University in Cairo. “I have always considered that any language should

To study in her motherland and among her people.” Thus, Rami decided to move to Germany to specialize in translation sciences, a field that was not available in Egypt.

Another reason that motivated the Egyptian young man to study in Germany is “Germany’s long-standing reputation in the field of education, both theoretical and applied, and it is one of the most attractive countries in Europe. The number of foreign students, according to 2010 statistics, exceeds two million students and researchers, and this is an important number.” Speaking to DW Arabia, Rami added that the important political and economic role that Germany plays in Europe also attracts young people coming from abroad, in addition to another important factor, which is “the relative low university tuition fees, although this point has recently sparked controversy after its approval in some states.”

German universities job portal

Despite the difficulties facing foreign students in Germany, including the language, the percentage of people coming to study there has increased compared to previous years, and the percentage of immigrants residing in Germany with higher degrees has also increased, according to a recent study published by the Nuremberg Institute for Market Research.

Work and jobs. The number of immigrants with higher qualifications increased from 30 percent in 2005 to 44 percent in 2010. Also, 58 percent of participants in German language lessons in 2011 successfully passed the intermediate level German language exam.

Although the study indicates that expatriates from outside the European Union face more difficulties than others due to formal administrative obstacles in the labor market, Rami, who recently graduated from Mainz University, seems proud of the fact that he holds a German degree, and is optimistic about the job prospects here. “We should not forget the absorptive capacity that characterizes the labor market in Germany, which is a product of its strong economy. If one wants to work here, German universities are usually the gateway that should be crossed first, especially for non-Europeans.”

Rami comments on the problems of Arab students, saying: “It is true that there are difficulties in the beginning, the most important of which, I believe, are the language and financing of the study, in addition to, of course, the problems of alienation and integration, but German laws allow students to work in parallel with their studies, and they also allow them to search for work after graduation, and these are positive things.” “It should be overlooked.”

The predecessors and the successors: communication or alienation?

Regarding the differences between the first generations of Egyptian immigrants and young students, Rami says that many Egyptians who came to study in Germany have not changed much because of the isolated environment in which they live, as if the only goal for which they came was to obtain a degree, while learning is much more than Just passing exams.”

In the city of Bonn, we met Hassan, a young Moroccan who has lived in Germany for six years and is preparing to obtain a bachelor’s degree in the field of medical technology. He came here after studying German in Morocco for two years, and Hassan says about his experience: “I came here without prior planning, just because I was studying German in my country, so Germany was the perfect destination when I thought about continuing my studies abroad.”

However, the young Moroccan faced difficulties at the beginning of his career here because of the language, but he was able to adapt quickly to the German educational system, as he said during his interview with DW Arabia: “The educational system here is easy and not intensive.

I consider that the French system, for example, is more difficult. In order to study there, one must The student must be among the outstanding students in his country, while Germany does not impose such conditions.”

The most important problems, according to Hassan, are cultural differences and the difficulty of integration, in addition to the lack of guidance. Regarding his relationship with previous generations of Moroccan immigrants, Hassan says that the generation

The first of the Moroccan immigrants came in different circumstances from the one in which he stated, “They did not have the cultural and linguistic levels. They came specifically to work, while today the university is the only way to get work here.” He continues, saying, “We are two different generations, each with its own destination and way of thinking. I believe that what unites us is our belonging to the same country and culture.”

Germany…a new destination for Moroccan students

The number of members of the Arab community residing in Germany today is about one million people, most of whom are from Morocco, Tunisia, Palestine, Syria, Lebanon and Iraq, and of these, about 700 thousand people have German citizenship.

Soriya Moqit, President of the Moroccan Talents Association in Germany, says that the number of Moroccan students residing in Germany has begun to rise since the 1990s, and they occupy seventh place among foreign students in the country, according to 2005 statistics.

Maqeet attributes the reason for this to the possibility of obtaining a job and residing in Germany after completing graduate studies. The freeness and credibility of higher education, especially in eastern Germany, which is known for its technical studies, and the ease of obtaining visas… are all factors that have attracted students despite language difficulties, says the Moroccan expert in an interview with  DW Arabia.

She adds: “All of these factors make them prefer to go to Germany instead of classic immigration countries such as France. This is in addition to another factor related to the possibility of continuing doctoral studies in the English language at a number of German technical universities, including the University of Munich. Naturally, all of these factors play in favor of a high rate of Qualified foreign students in Germany.