In highly developed economies, there is already a shortage of skilled workers in many areas, which is likely to become even more acute in the future. Against this background, it will be important in future not only to exploit the potential of skilled workers at home, but also to leverage potential abroad. English-language degree courses are of great importance for attracting international students, as the obligatory use of German, which is often perceived as a hurdle, no longer applies.
Higher education policy has therefore formulated the following objectives with this target group in mind: (1) attracting international students to study in Germany, (2) ensuring student success and avoiding drop-outs and (3) giving this target group access to the German job market.
The ESDA study examines English-language degree courses at German universities and universities of applied sciences. The aim is to clarify the extent to which these courses contribute to reducing the shortage of skilled workers in Germany and which program concepts are best suited to realizing the potential for attracting international skilled workers.