German ambassador Philipp Ackermann writes: Germany's universities and research ecosystem have – and want
From a German point of view, the Indian diaspora seems to have a magic formula for success. They climb to the highest ranks around the world, particularly in Europe and North America. They succeed in the economy, in education, and in research. What do they bring to the table? A culture where education and learning are highly regarded, where grit and determination are a necessity, and where being adaptable and nifty is a way of life.
What is it that we offer? An open society, an internationalised economy and education landscape, and a framework where hard work and skill are rewarded. When smart and well-educated Indians plan parts of their career outside India, they usually think of the English-speaking world first. But I think that the smartest Indians should actually start thinking about Germany. Why? Let me give you a few reasons.
Germany is built on a tradition of science and education. Compulsory education was a German invention, and the modern university was shaped in 19th-century Germany. German scientists dominated the Nobel Prize during the first 50 years of its existence. For the longest time, the tiny university town of Göttingen had the highest Nobel Prize rate per capita. Almost 50 Nobel Prizes are linked to its university.
The beauty of this story is that it would not have been possible without the minds of those who were also shaped outside of Germany. For excellent science, brilliant ideas need to travel freely, and so do brilliant people. Many of our world-famous scientific organisations are built on this principle — be it the Humboldt Foundation, the Max Planck Society, the Helmholtz Institutes, the DFG, or Fraunhofer. Thirty-one researchers of the Max Planck Society have won Nobel Prizes in natural sciences. If you go through the list, you will find a lot of names that do not sound very German. It is an open, internationalised organisation, and that is why it is so strong.
One of the most inspiring stories written by our accessible and welcoming scientific landscape is that of the pharmaceutical company BioNTech. Founded less than 20 years ago, it is now valued at almost $30 billion. With its groundbreaking mRNA technology, it helped address the global Covid pandemic. Its founders? One was born in Turkey; the other is a second-generation migrant from Turkey. Who knows from which country the founders of the next BioNTech will come to Germany?
German educational institutions do not select their students and scientists based on economic criteria. We are not looking for the richest minds in the world but for the smartest. You will find that German institutions offer world-class education and research facilities while being very affordable. German science is so accessible because there is a lot of money in it. We are not setting up high economic walls around our research and education institutions. To a large extent, the German education and research ecosystem is financed by taxpayers' money to make it as accessible as possible. Excellent quality, excellent equipment, excellent researchers — all backed by public spending. The private sector adds to this — it opens the way for applied research, for large interdisciplinary teams, and for bringing your ideas to the market. Some German companies have annual research budgets that only a few national research budgets around the world can actually match.
It is no secret anymore that Germany is a very interesting destination for Indian students. There are 50,000 already in Germany. State universities have had excellent experiences with students from India. And up to 18 months after graduation, they can look for a job in Germany. Right now they will find many job offers, particularly in the STEM field. Germany, an engineering nation, is offering a lot of opportunities.
There is, of course, the question of the language barrier. Be assured, English is the language of science – and Germany is no exception to this. If you want to buy freshly baked bread rolls on your way to your lab, you might have to master the intricacies of the German language. But if you want to run one of the state-of-the-art particle accelerators in Germany or crack the riddles of quantum physics in one of our beautiful university towns, English will do the trick. We believe that we should select international students based on their talents and their dedication, and not based on what they say on social media. Of course, you will have to prove that you are smart, ambitious, dedicated, and industrious — that is important for us. Indians have an excellent reputation in our science landscape — and we want to invite more brilliant Indians to come to Germany. You are very willkommen!
The writer is Germany's Ambassador to India
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