Technical prowess provides nuts and bolts for success

Chinese students are flooding into germany, and many are studying engineering

Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Adidas, Audi, Porsche, Siemens, Bosch Rafael Deschka of the Goethe-Institut in Beijing reels off a list of German brands with global recognition.

"The presence of German companies in China is very attractive," he says. "Germany has a long, stable relationship with China, and this relationship has been set for years."

The institute, on the 17th floor of Cyber Tower in the Haidian district of Beijing, is Germany's worldwide cultural ambassador, much like China's Confucius Institute or the UK's British Council.

In 1988 Germany became the first country to have a cultural office in China. The two countries enjoy solid business ties: Germany is China's top trading partner in Europe and China is Germany's top trading partner in Asia. There are 13 German universities with a Chinese presence.

Deschka, head of the Goethe-Institut's educational services, says the institute has about 9,000 Chinese students across the country and about another 10,000 children in schools who are learning German.

"About 80 percent of our students in China want to go to Germany. Everyone speaks English - when you look around you it's obvious. You need to have something more to make you stand out. You can create this difference by finding another language that is maybe not the language of your neighbor."

According to AHK Greater China, part of the German Chambers of Commerce Worldwide Network, about 4,800 German companies were operating in China last year. Between them they have about 1.1 million people on their payrolls, and more than 90 percent of these employees are locals.

"Wage levels at German companies operating in China are generally high, with companies compensating blue-collar workers with nearly three times the regional minimum wage," says AHK spokeswoman Yulya Toporochan.

But there are challenges as well as opportunities for German companies in China. Rising labor costs, recruitment and retaining qualified staff remain the biggest issues for these firms. Toporochan says technical jobs are among the hardest to fill.

"The majority of German companies engage in high-tech industries including machinery, automotive and chemicals. The required skills set for jobs in these industries has higher standards and consequently results in a higher than average compensation. Furthermore, German companies are trying to retain qualified staff with higher salaries, education and customized training."

Deutscher Akademischer Austausch Dienst, the German academic exchange service, says Chinese students make up about 10 percent of all foreign students at German higher education institutions. They are drawn to Germany because of the low education costs and affordable living expenses.

"Compared with other European countries, the cost of living in Germany is quite reasonable. The prices for food, accommodation, clothing and cultural events are basically in line with the EU average," says DAAD's head of marketing, Kathrin Wolfsgruber.

Another reason for Germany's popularity with Chinese students is its tradition of engineering and science. About 40 percent of Chinese students in Germany, more than 12,000, are taking engineering courses.

A report from the British Council published in 2011 said Germany had the best political and financial support in place for international study. The report, Global Gauge, was based on an analysis of government policies that encouraged international opportunities and those that were barriers. Factors taken into account included each country's openness to international study, the levels of support for people working or studying abroad, and quality assurance and degree recognition worldwide.

Australia was second, the UK third and China fourth. The British Council report said German universities had attracted more foreign students by teaching a larger number of courses in English. It was also an attractive study destination because of its fee model. The UK's limited support for overseas students and academics, together with its lack of financial incentives for incoming foreign students, meant it did not perform as well as its European neighbor.

The Technical University of Munich receives between 800 and 1,000 applications annually at its recruitment center in China. Many Chinese students opt for engineering, informatics and electrical and information technology, says Zhou Qinya, with the TUM liaison office. The international masters program, taught entirely in English, is also popular with Chinese students.

"Some of our alumni have successfully entered into careers related to their study field after they finish their program in TUM."

Some are working in leading positions in German companies in China, such as Audi, BMW or VW, she says.

"Students often choose engineering because they are convinced by the quality of the education and the recognition - in China and worldwide - that German engineering has," says Deschka. "There are two advantages to learning German if you're Chinese. First, you will get a job. Second, you will have a good standard of living as you get excellent money and are very specialized.

"A German degree is seen as being of good quality. Applied education is important and vocational education in Germany is very highly regarded. Chinese want to use their knowledge. They don't want to spend years studying something for nothing. They are interested in developing competencies. There is a high degree of connecting theory with practice, and that is attractive."

Germany has a vested interest in attracting and retaining qualified and skilled professionals in China and at home. Officials at AHK and DAAD say that demographic changes in Germany mean there will be a shortfall of several million workers in about 10 years. The German government has eased immigration rules to avoid this, making it easier to recognize qualifications obtained overseas, allowing non-EU academics to live in Germany with their families, and opening the job market to non-EU professionals who have vocational training.

"We need professionals in Germany. We need engineers, doctors and nurses. We have our own local population but it's not enough. Having Chinese students in Germany is a long-term thing. Sure they contribute to the economy but there is more to it than that," Desckha says.

riazat@chinadaily.com.cn