Asian students in Germany

For decades Germany has been one of the major host countries for international students; at the wake of the 21st century the vast majority comes from Asian countries. With increasing international competition the students, their countries of origin as well as Germany are confronted with specific challenges associated with sometimes conflicting plans, expectations, and apprehensions, amplified by uncertainties. While the students try to adapt to the conditions in Germany to make the best of their stay, their countries of origin ask whether the resources spent on the studies abroad of their nationals are well-invested, and how they might re-attract those who are graduates. As a partaker in the “global race for talents” Germany, finally, questions how it might retain those qualified in highly demanded subjects after their graduation. By contributing to answering these questions, this volume is relevant for all of these stakeholders. Beatrice Knerr is a professor at the University of Kassel (Germany) where she heads the Department of´Development Economics, Migration and Agricultural Policy (DEMAP). She holds a PhD degree from Kiel University and received her habilitation from the University of Stuttgart/Hohenheim. Among her publications are ten monographs and edited and co-edited books, and around fifty articles and book chapters on labor migration and mobility. Among the co-authors are Zhao Xi, Tingting Ma, Rebecca Tlatlik, Sudeh Dehnavi, Robert Sibarani, Wildan Syafitri, Ranjita Nepal and Sadaf Mahmood who were all PhD students at DEMAP at the time of the survey activities. Most of them have graduated since then and have returned to their home countries; others have opted to stay in Germany or to move on to a third country.