Internationalization of the German Higher Education System - New Player in the Market

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Mimi

Internationalization is examined as a central reform challenge within the German higher education market over the last three decades. The study analyzes how German strategies aimed at globalization affect student diversity, international competitiveness, participation in EU projects, cooperation with major international universities, and changes in academic mobility. A qualitative multiple-case design uses semi-structured interviews with 20 senior administrators in North Rhine-Westphalia. Findings indicate positive outcomes and growing international interest, while long-term competition and short-term English-program diversity remain key issues.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages20

Reading Time50 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

German higher education system and Humboldt foundations

Institutional types and admission pathways

DAAD statistics and international standing

Internationalization reforms and strategic responses

Internationalization of the German Higher Education System New Player in the Market By Mehmet Evrim Altin􀀍 Rapid social, financial and political developments in the last three decades have caused some challenges for the future of Higher Education Institutions. Globalization or internationalization is one of the most important challenges in Higher Education Markets in the last two decades. Progressively, in 1996, German legislators put internalization at the center of their reforms. The purpose of this study is to examine the results of these reforms for German Higher Education Institutions in regards to their globalization strategies such as increasing diversity of the students, improving international competitiveness of the German Higher Education Institutions, taking an active role in international EU Projects, conducting cooperation with important international higher education institutions and increasing the brain-drain to German Higher Education Institutions. A qualitative research design was used to study this problem. A multiple unit case study was carried out with semi-structured interviews with 20 high level administrators of the German Higher Education Institutions in the State of North Rhine-Westphalia. The results show that the strategies have had positive results and there is a high interest in higher education studies in Germany today. Despite demographic change in Germany, the student numbers at German Higher Education Institutions are increasing and there is a huge demand from other countries, which have increased the number of private universities in Germany in the last two decades. International competition will be seen as a challenge in the long-term and international cooperation is the strategy to solve this challenge. In the short-term, the number of English Programs and diversity are both seen as some ongoing challenges for the German Higher Education Institutions. Keywords: Internationalization, German Higher Education System, Higher Education and Higher Education Institution. Introduction The German Higher Education System is a very well known, traditional, and high-quality system. At the beginning of the 19th Century, Wilhelm von Humboldt, the director of Berlin University at that time, structured this system. In the last two centuries this system has developed and expanded through all of Germany, Switzerland and Austria. Throughout history, many technological improvements have been made by German scientists, and German thinkers have added important values to universal knowledge. Today, according to the OECD, Germany ranks third in export values after the U.S. and China and German Higher Education Institutions play an important role in the Higher Education world market. 􀀍 PhD Candidate, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Germany. [https://doi.org/10.30958/aje.6-3-5](https://doi.org/10.30958/aje.6-3-5) doi=10.30958/aje.6-3-5 Unlike the common American Higher Education System, Pasternack and Wissel define the German Higher Education System as a unique higher education structure, based on the Humboldt System (2010) . Humboldt suggested that education is a social need and has to be serviced by the state freely. Pasternack and Wissel (2010) also mentioned that academic talent is the only requirement to study in German Higher Education Institutions, and all of the teaching and research costs ofthe academics have to be covered by the State. Such a system is strictly bound by State regulations and the state puts limitations on the activities of German Higher Education Institutions. These institutions are dependent on state regulations and strictly bound by law. On the other hand, most of these institutions are very well known in university rankings and have very good reputations. Switzerland and Austria follow the German Higher Education tradition and shape their higher education institutions according to this understanding. The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) is the official insti

FAQs

What reform focus did German legislators introduce in 1996?

Internationalization was placed at the center of reforms, making globalization a key challenge for higher education institutions.

How was the study conducted?

A qualitative multiple unit case study was conducted using semi-structured interviews with 20 senior administrators from German higher education institutions in North Rhine-Westphalia.

What positive and ongoing challenges did the results identify?

Strategies produced positive results and increased interest in higher education studies in Germany, while international competition is a long-term challenge and English-program numbers and diversity are short-term issues.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Mimi