The biennial study Anerkennung – (k)ein Problem? (“Recognition: no problem?”) carried out by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) has been recently published. The study shows that German higher education institutions (HEIs) recognise on average 75% of academic study abroad achievements. These results are the same both for the Bologna area and other regions, although the number of students differs considerably between the two areas – making it necessary to take this datum with the due caution. On the other hand, results do differ according to whether the students attend small universities of applied sciences or large universities.

These results are based on the experience of around 7.000 students who were interviewed after their study abroad in 2017. According to the study, recognition is especially high in disciplines such as medicine or economic sciences whereas it is rather low in educational sciences or law. Another factor that can facilitate or hinder the recognition of credits is whether the exchange is mandatory or not. The study also takes into consideration the recognition of traineeships completed abroad, in this case showing an outstanding success rate of 99%. 

However, despite the overall positive results, academic recognition is still no automatism – even in the European Higher Education Area (EHEA), as DAAD President Prof. Dr. Margret Wintermantel highlighted. Therefore, she stresses the need for a stronger alignment with the Lisbon Convention.