“There’s more to Germany than Berlin”

 

Four Israelis talk about their experiences attending university in Germany and explain why they decided to study here and not elsewhere.

 

More and more Israelis are deciding to study abroad. The universities’ high standards, the opportunity to meet students from all over the world, and relatively low living costs are just some of the incentives for young Israelis to opt for Germany as a study destination. And what is more: there are no tuition fees at state universities in Germany, just moderate administration charges.

According to the Federal Statistical Office, in the 2013/14 winter semester there were 1,711 Israelis studying in Germany, 1,213 men and 498 women. The most popular subject was Medicine, with 665 students choosing it, or other health sciences. 273 Israelis were studying Mathematics or Natural Sciences, and 220 chose Engineering. Subjects such as Social Sciences, Cultural Studies, and Art were right at the bottom of the list.

Although Berlin is particularly popular with lots of Israelis, the students by no means have their sight set solely on the German capital. Four of them explain what living and studying in the Federal Republic is like.

   

Zeev Strauss, 28, PhD at Heidelberg University

Strauss came to Germany on a student exchange programme of the Hebrew University and decided to stay. For the past one and a half years, he has been pursuing a doctoral degree at Heidelberg University. “I like the town,” he says in explanation of his decision, “not only is it beautiful, it’s also very quiet, and is regarded as one the best places to study Humanities.”

Strauss stresses the benefits of studying in a small town: “Heidelberg doesn’t perhaps attract the masses, but the conditions for studying here are good, and you can work really well here.” It is not without reason that Heidelberg University does exceedingly well in international rankings and as a “university of excellence” is recognised as one of the best in Germany.

Although the teaching is in German, Strauss says it’s a hurdle that can certainly be overcome. “To begin with it was quite difficult. I did a two-month language course, after which I could say quite a bit,” he recalls. “This basic knowledge was a good stepping stone for further learning. I stuck to my guns and spoke only German until I finally had a command of the language.”

   

Matan Vardi, 35, Master’s degree at Frankfurt University

“I came to Frankfurt because of my girlfriend, whom I met as an undergraduate at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem,” Matan Vardi says. In the spring of 2015 he will finish his preparatory semester at Frankfurt’s Goethe University, after which he plans to do post-graduate studies in History. For two years Vardi and his girlfriend have been living in nearby Darmstadt.

Vardi’s fees come to EUR 350 per semester, which includes the cost of a ticket for public transport. “That’s a considerable difference in comparison with the cost of studying in Israel,” he says in appreciation.

   

Oved Persiko, 28, undergraduate studies at Halle University

Persiko is studying Economics and Business Administration. “It’s very important to get an academic degree outside your home country,” he says. “In Germany I speak two foreign languages, German and English, and network with people all over the world.” Though Persiko’s course is taught in English, he has now chosen German as his second obligatory foreign language.

A trained sound and lighting technician, he has been living in Leipzig for two years and is a fixed and is a fixed entity in the city’s night life. Although Leipzig is not far from Berlin, he has no urgent need to study in the capital: “I’ve been to Berlin several times and had the feeling that it was too big for me: too many people, too much noise, too much going on.”

The cost issue is very important for Persiko as well. “In Halle the semester fees I pay are only EUR 80. That was pretty much the deciding factor in my studying here.”
   

Mike Raus, 21, undergraduate studies at Hochschule für Musik und Tanz in Cologne

“Outside Germany the city of Cologne is not that well known. In my opinion, people don’t associate such a renowned school of music with it,” says Mike Raus, who is currently in his second year studying there. “I was looking for good music academies in Europe,” he continues. On the Internet he found out that the school of music in Cologne is considered to be one of the best in Europe. As the son of a German, the German-language tuition is not s problem. “I learned German as a child.”

Raus likes the fact that Cologne has a pronounced music culture. As a guitarist he now plays in Cologne pubs and at events staged by the Jewish community. “I’m gradually discovering small places where I can play. There are good musicians here and a large music scene, and I’m really enjoying it all.”

   

Lots of popular places in which to study

Verena Shifferman, head of the German Academic Exchange Service’s Information Centre in Tel Aviv, confirms the fact that lots of Israelis are very interested in studying in Germany. “There is no single factor involved though. The fact that studying there is free does indeed play a major role; some Israelis are not even aware of that, and somewhat surprised to hear that foreigners too can study for free.” Apart from the financial aspect, Shifferman mentions the relatively short distance between Israel and Germany, the good reputation German universities have, and the reasonable living costs as advantages.

And there are several German cities that are high on the preference scale of Israelis. “Lots of students who come to the Information Centre are very interested in Munich,” Shifferman says. “The Technical University and Ludwig Maximilians University there are particularly popular. Hamburg, Berlin, Cottbus, Cologne, Mainz and Hanover are also places that Israelis like studying in.” Summing up she explains that “it’s true that Berlin is the city everyone has heard of, it’s their first point of contact with Germany. But lots of Israelis have come to realise that there is more to Germany than Berlin.”