Germany has been seeing a sharp rise in the number of Nepalese students headed to Deutschland for higher education degrees. Numbers have been on the rise since 2001 and is expected to touch 1000 by the end of 2014. While there seem to be many contributing factors for this, the biggest influence can be attributed to the relatively low cost of education in Germany.

Student links between Nepal and Germany have been strong for decades with students from Nepal always opting for Germany albeit in low numbers. While Germany does have a positive image in Nepal as a country that offers quality education especially in subjects like engineering, the biggest deterrent to study there has been the language barrier. However with universities becoming free recently even for international students, Germany is seeing a surge in the number of students who are willing to learn the language in order to study there.

While the methods of learning and teaching, which emphasise on individual and research- based learning, seem compatible with approaches used in countries like the UK, easy transferring of credits across partner countries in Europe and university links with industry are other common qualities between UK and German institutes.

It is however the low cost of living that attracts students to Germany along with various benefits offered to international students there. With the rise in interest and numbers, the German agency DAAD has also tripled the number of scholarships available for Nepalese students in the last ten years. In terms of subject choices, most Nepalese students currently studying there are enrolled in science and engineering related degrees.

With Nepal’s currency having dipped against the dollar over the past year, it has become very expensive for aspiring Nepalese students to go overseas. Should Germany be able to sustain their free University program for international students, interest in Germany for higher studies will continue to rise in Nepal.

Read the original articles:

Germany sees rise in Nepali students

Why Nepali students choose Germany