DAAD has recently published a study on Problems and Challenges of International Students in Germany, within the framework of the project Success and withdrawal of international students in Germany (SeSaBa). The SeSaBa project is run by DAAD together with the Bavarian State Institute for Higher Education Research and Planning and Hagen distance university (FernUniversität) and it is funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF).

Against the background of high drop-out rates among international students in Germany (45% of Bachelor and 29% of Master studies according to recent figures from the German Centre for Higher Education and Science Research), the research project addresses the question of the determinants of drop-out and academic success among international students at German universities. The project aims at developing a comprehensive theoretical model which considers the specific situation of being an international student in Germany.

The results of the study point out the following challenges that international students are facing:

• discrepancy between expectations and reality of life;
• institutional heterogeneity;
• language problems;
• lack of study and everyday preparation;
• financing of studies;
• career prospects for students;
• social isolation or segregation;
• residence permit and other necessary processes;
• stress and other emotional stress.

Link to the study (in German)